MALTA — Last November was special for the Malta Mustangs football team, which capped off a 13-0 perfect season with the Class B state championship.

Now, the page has turned to this fall.

“We all know we have a huge target on our back, and honestly … every day in the huddle I try to tell these guys that we’re still the underdogs,” senior Dawson Hammond said during Tuesday’s practice at Malta High School. “That’s what we were all last season was the underdog, and I want it to stay that way.”

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Malta football ‘still the underdogs’ in defense of Class B championship, has eyes set on repeat

“We got that target on our back, but we can’t let that get to our heads,” senior Landon Retan said. “We just got to kind of push last year past us and move on to what we can bring this year.”

Malta lost some key pieces from last year’s squad which helped lead it to the title but returns players like Hammond and Retan who will contribute in big ways.

Since all the players — besides current freshmen — have experienced a run like that, they know what it takes to achieve being the best in Montana.

“To have that experience and not have it be something like brand new to you when you get there again is important,” Hammond said. “This group of guys is great.”

“We just got to put in that hard work we did last season and not go off of last season and let that get in to our heads,” Retan said.

Assistant coach Aaron DeVries said these guys are determined to make it back to the top.

“You see true leadership within themselves,” DeVries said. “You see those standards, you see those seniors just getting stuff done, and they know what it takes to win now, and they want to do it.”

Although, like Hammond and Retan said, Malta will be targeted all season by opponents. DeVries said the team embraces that.

“We talk about it that pressure is a privilege,” DeVries said. “The fact that people expect you to be good and, you know, we know we’re going to get everyone’s best shot, and we’ve said that for a lot of years being competitive up here in the conference.”

One thing is clear for Malta, Hammond said.

“We haven’t won anything yet,” Hammond said. “Obviously, we’re going to hopefully do it again this November, but we’re just trying to be in the moment right now and take it one game at a time.”

Malta kicks off the season at home against Huntley Project Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.