Getting outside for a full week ahead of the first game of the season is something of a luxury for Iowa high school spring sports, and MHS boys’ soccer coach Scott Johannes isn’t taking it for granted.

The Bobcats are soaking up the sun they’re getting and trying to get prep done ahead of the first game in what is going to be a “nomadic” season for the Bobcats due to renovations at Leonard Cole Field, Johannes said. Marshalltown is currently scheduled to play just five home games this season, with only two coming at the high school.

“It is what it is, let’s make everywhere we play our field and let’s just take care of business,” Johannes said. “That’s just what we’ve gotta do.

“We have five home matches and two of them are truly at home at the stadium. We’re at the soccer complex and we’re at [MCC] for a couple of games.”

A large group of returners will lead the core of this season’s team, with the Finders twins of Brenden and Ashten among them. They both found plenty of minutes last season and Johannes said the team is looking to them for leadership at times — but it’s not just those two taking on more responsibility. Sophomore Luis Monge, who found minutes as a freshman, is also getting asked by his teammates to lead on the field during practices.

Alejandro Hernandez, Rodrigo Lopez, Theeramanus “Bird” Kyaeplae and others are also going to be tasked with upping their contributions from 2022, when all three burst onto the scene and make an impact whether starting or coming off of the bench.

Hernandez and Bird scored two goals each in 2022, while returners Lopez and Carter Bell scored one each. Replacing goals up front is going to be a point of emphasis this year, with leading scorers Richard Toe and Emmanuel Gonzalez graduating.

Johannes said he likes where the team is at for the most part, but the early part of the season will be figuring out its depth and deciding who will play better from the start and who makes more sense coming off the bench.

With plenty of familiar opponents on the schedule despite the new conference, Johannes said it’s a great opportunity for Marshalltown to step up in the standings and make a run for the title. He mentioned rivals Ames, as well as Des Moines Hoover, Des Moines Lincoln and Des Moines North as regular opponents from prior years they’ll have to be at their best against.

“I’m excited about it, I think there are some frontrunners early on who are going to challenge for the conference title,” Johannes said. “That’s where we’ve got our eyes set, we definitely want that plaque at the end of the conference. But there is some good competition there, it’ll be fun.”

Marshalltown visits Newton Monday at 7 p.m.