The Pioneer Diamondbacks are heading into a new season with a young roster and a new starting quarterback.

The team has made the playoffs five consecutive years but fell to Boerne in the second round last year. Now they're rebuilding around a new core.

Quarterback William Goodloe graduated and is now at UTRGV. Senior Malaki Galindo is set to take over at quarterback.

The Diamondbacks have only 4 returners on offense and 6 on defense.

"We're going to be young so we just have to get prepared we have to get some toughness and get out there and practice and do our thing," Head Coach Eddie Galindo said. "Get ready for our district season that comes with a few preseason games."

Junior linebacker Edgar Garza said the team is working with what they have.

"We're compromising where we can and we're filling in the positions with the best guys we have and I believe that the coaches know what they're doing so we'll be good," Garza said.

The Diamondbacks are also dealing with realignment. Their district now includes Laredo Cigarroa, Juarez Lincoln and PSJA Southwest. They'll play 2 more district games than they're used to and their non-district schedule is against 6A schools.

Galindo said the tough non-district schedule is by design.

"It's done intentionally. We go out there and we schedule quality ball clubs that are going to help us improve and that are just tough and make us tough and make us better," Galindo said. "We're not looking to win a pre season championship we're looking to prepare ourselves and our team for a district season that's going to be a grind."

Those non-district opponents are Edinburg North and PSJA. District play begins in Week 5 against Juarez Lincoln.

After a bye week, the Diamondbacks take on Cigarroa and PSJA Southwest before the Snakeskin Classic in Week 9. They close out the regular season against Mission Veterans Memorial.