A pair of one-score losses and another nine-point setback meant the difference between a Class 5A state playoff berth and the end of the season for the Marshalltown High School football team last fall.

The Bobcats went 4-5 and finished 25th out of 36 teams in the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s final Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), resting outside of the top-16 qualifiers and leaving the team to suffer the “almosts” and “what ifs” in search of the program’s second playoff appearance in the last decade.

Sixth-year Marshalltown head coach Adam Goodvin can appreciate, however, how that narrow margin helped to motivate a group of 21 returning letterwinners in the offseason.

The Bobcats bring back a big group of experienced players in hopes of hedging the difference between making the playoffs and missing out again.

“We’ve got a good group of seniors, 20-some that put in a lot of time in the offseason and we’ve talked about how any success we get this fall is going to be because of the work they put in this summer,” said Goodvin. “Our weight room and training have been remarkable this summer. They showed up for everything and I’m excited to see the result. They’re back and they have a lot of experience.”

There’s not a position group that the Bobcats don’t return at least a portion of last year’s production, if not a bulk of it. And that includes the bulk up front for the Bobcats’ respective lines of scirmmage.

Goodvin looks at his offensive and defensive lines as the strength of this team based on the number of returners, their playing experience and their passion for the sport.

“This is probably the strongest group top-to-bottom that I’ve had since being here,” he said. “Combine that with knowledge and love for the game, I would say our O-line and D-line is our strength.”

Senior center Nick Lucas (6 feet, 225 pounds) will be a three-year starter, determining the blocking assignments for his unit after consecutive seasons of receiving all-CIML Iowa Conference laurels.

“He runs the show,” Goodvin said. “He’s the brains of that group, he makes the calls and checks at the line. He’s a combination of experience and the kid loves football.”

Flanking Lucas at guards will be seniors Kunian Kuany (6-2, 280) and Jaden Dhyne (6-0, 285), two holdovers who hit the weight room hard in the offseason.

“Kunian is a big senior who’s going to play a big role for us on both sides of the football,” he said. “His development has been pretty special. He took it into his own hands to be consistent, and that starts in the weight room. He’s a strong kid who’s really starting to learn the game a lot more and he’s putting himself into position to be successful.

“Jaden lifted with Kunian all summer too. He’s another strong kid and watching his physical development has been fun. I’m excited to see his improvement.”

Senior tackles David Santacruz (6-1, 260) and Clay Goecke (6-2, 225) align on the outside of the front five. Santacruz has been dubbed “the strongest kid in the school” by Goodvin and staff, while Goecke “has a really good feel for things.”

“David is obsessed with the weight room, and the big thing he worked on that we’re happy to see is his explosiveness on both sides of the football,” Goodwin added. “It’s going to be very beneficial for him.

“Clay is another senior that loves the game of football. He’s smart, football smart, has great instincts, and he’s the first one up on a (line)backer just because he understands angles. He’s going to play a lot on both sides of the ball. He’s got a motor.”

The Bobcats’ experienced, senior-laden line will do its part to protect second-year starting quarterback Dalen Huston, a 6-4, 205-pound junior who showed improvements each week last season. Marshalltown’s run-heavy offensive scheme intends to throw the ball as much as it can — as long as it can do it efficiently. MHS ranked 30th out of 36 teams in 5A last fall with 729 passing yards, though the rushing attack ranked 15th with 1,650 yards.

The 70-30 run-to-pass ratio is ideal if the ground game is gobbling up big chunks at a time. If it’s not, the Bobcat offense has to to be more willing to pass and do it cleanly.

“We know we’ve got some weapons,” Goodvin said. “What are we going to be able to do with it? I don’t know yet. Hopefully a lot because that’s something we’ve worked on quite a bit is our passing game.”

Marshalltown’s cast of playmakers starts in the backfield. Senior running backs Nick Rebik (5-10, 185) and Malachi Holmes (5-9, 165) have big-play potential and combined for 782 rushing yards and nine touchdowns a season ago. Joining the mix will be Tate Riang (5-9, 177), Ace Holmes (5-10, 192), Carter Hunt (5-10, 170) and Caleb Kusserow (5-9, 155), with Seth Smith (5-9, 180) seeing snaps at fullback as well.

Holmes and Rebik are the top returning receivers, but senior wide receivers Nile Christensen and James Reed, senior tight end Jackson Bowie and junior wideout Cory Smith all pulled down passes from Huston last fall. Senior Drew Loney and junior Treshaun Brooks will add to the mix at receiver this year as well, while sophomore Johan Gomez (6-3, 195) has the size to see regular snaps at tight end.

Gomez will also handle a bulk of the field goal kicking duties a year after going 9-for-9 on extra-point attempts. Brenden Finders will work into the lineup as a placekicker as well.

On the defensive side of the ball, Rebik and Smith set the tone as returning linebackers who ranked first and third, respectively, in tackles for the Bobcats last season. Holmes will step in at the third linebacker spot, with Reed, Loney, Jacob Gudith and Devin Howell providing depth.

The front line boasts plenty of size and strength with Goecke and Bowie playing on the ends and Santacruz, Kuany and Dhyne rotating at defensive tackle. Aiden Draeger, Michael Narvaez, Ty Jones and Lucas also will see time.

The defensive backfield will feature Brayden Weatherly, an honorable mention all-conference pick last fall, as well as Brooks, Hunt, Riang, Smith, Kusserow, Lee and Christensen rotating in.

Goodvin even said Huston, though pivotal as the starting quarterback, will get repetitions in the defensive backfield.

“He’s a kid we could put anywhere on the field and he’s going to be athletic enough to have success, so we’re going to work him into the defensive backfield rotation,” Goodvin said. “He’s too good of an athlete not to be out there as much as possible.”

In the end, it’s all about how well the Bobcats can compete with their opponents, and Goodvin likes the look of this schedule for the second year in a row.

“I see all nine games are going to be very competitive, and that’s what I want,” he said. “We also see a great opportunity to win a lot of those games as well. In the back of our heads there’s a few losses from last year that we’d like to get back, but we do focus on taking it one week at a time.

“Obviously Ames is in our minds right now, but looking down the whole schedule we’re excited to play Newton, excited to play Fort Dodge — I think we’re excited to play all these games and we’re also fortunate to play in some really neat stadiums.”

The Bobcats’ schedule includes five road games, going to Fort Dodge’s new Dodger Stadium in Week 4 as well as a Week 5 visit to West Des Moines and Valley Stadium. Marshalltown meets Des Moines Roosevelt in Week 7 at Drake Stadium, and Week 8’s contest with Cedar Rapids Jefferson will be played at Kingston Stadium.

The season kicks off this Friday with a trip down Highway 30 for a showdown with rival Ames.