No. 8 was enough.

But second-year Union-A-C Valley coach wants more out of his Falcon Knights this time around.

The team reached the District 9 playoffs a year ago as a bottom seed, getting shut out by Smethport in the first round to finish 4-7.

“The immediate goal is to improve on that, get back to the playoffs with a much higher seed,” Dittman said. “This group should be able to do that.”

While the Falcon Knights' roster only stands at 24 players, the team has eight starters back on offense and seven more on defense. Six of those players are two-way starters.

“We have five seniors that have started on both sides of the ball,” Dittman said. “We will be looking to them to set the bar for us and lead our younger players through the season.”

Running back-cornerback Tony Thompson is one of those seniors.

“I feel like we've got a good offense and an experienced line,” Thompson said. “Defensively, I think our zone coverage was pretty good last year.

“We need to be more physical. A lot of our guys are physically stronger now.”

Returning starters on offense include linemen Layton Stewart, Colby Best and Drayk Wolbert. Stewart stands 6-foot-1, 275 pounds while Stewart is 6-3, 219.

Luke Bowser, a senior, returns at quarterback. He threw for 715 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions a year ago.

Tight end Colton Hoffman, receiver Tanner Merwin and receiver-running back Caden Rainey are all returning as starters at the skilled positions.

“We've got a lot of guys who can make plays,” Bowser said. “I expect us to be explosive on offense this year.”

Helping out in that regard will be Dan Reed, the former Keystone head coach being brought in as offensive coordinator.

“Dan will make a big difference for us,” Dittman said. “His offenses have always been productive and imaginative.”

Six of the returning offensive starters also started defensively last year. Stewart plays on the defensive line while Hoffman and Best are linebackers, Thompson and Rainey cornerbacks.

Eli Penny, a junior, is a returning starter at linebacker.

The Falcon Knights will stay with their 34 defensive alignment.

“We have to be more physical,” Dittman declared. “We need to commit to tackling. We need to be a good tackling football team to compete with the teams on our schedule.

“Our technique has gotten better. The kids are working harder. Our numbers are small, but that won't be an excuse.”

Dittman said both Union and A-C Valley graduated a lot of kids this past spring.

“We graduated 27 at Union and 45 at A-C Valley,” he said. “Small schools like ours are going to feel that when it comes to building a football roster.

“The numbers will come back. That stuff goes in cycles. This year, they're down a little bit, but that doesn't mean we can't win.”

With only six seniors on the roster, Dittman will be counting on a number of younger players to contribute. Bowser will see action at linebacker and Elijah Burnside — the only senior who didn't start last season — is listed on the roster as an athlete.

Rainey was a two-way starter as a freshman last year.

“Yeah, we're counting on younger players to step up,” Dittman said. “There are holes they're going to have to fill.”

Bowser is counting on that happening.

“We don't want to just make the playoffs,” the quarterback said. “We want to go farther than last year.”

“We'll compete. That much I know,” Dittman said.