The lasting image of St. Charles East’s 2011 season was not its 0-5 start. It was since-graduated quarterback Charlie Fisher’s sideline victory dance after the Saints beat St. Charles North in the season finale.

St. Charles East intends to use that momentum to avoid another deep hole. In an Upstate Eight Conference River Division where Batavia and Geneva currently hold sway, the youthful Saints may not reach the level of their 2009 conference championship, but they certainly expect to engage in the fight.

“Going 0-5 the last two years is not a good sign,” said St. Charles East coach Mike Fields. “We know we’ve got an uphill battle but we like our kids. They’re young and inexperienced but they’re motivated and want to do well.

“We want to be able to compete for a conference championship, get back in the playoffs and hopefully be playing our best football at the end of October and go as far as we can.”

In Week 1 last season against Cary-Grove, fullback-linebacker Joe Hoscheit suffered a separated shoulder. He gutted out that and a subsequent high-ankle sprain to still earn all-conference honors. But St. Charles East cannot afford injuries to such key personnel as Hoscheit, a three-year starter who returns a team-high 64 tackles while limited to 60 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

“I know he wants to go out and do the best he can to have this team be successful,” Fields said of Hoscheit, a Northwestern baseball recruit Fields called one of the finest boys he’s ever coached. “He’s trying to rally around these younger players and help them be successful.”

They’ve got team chemistry in their favor. Fields said the juniors and seniors are a tightknit group, which comes in handy since the classes are about equally represented at least on the offensive side of the ball.

Another thing the younger class brings is talent. Junior Brannon Barry, already 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, has the spunk and physicality carried by his older brother, Bryce, off that 2009 club. He made 50 tackles starting at free safety last season and moves over to play wideout this year.

Fields likes the toughness and attitude of junior quarterback Jimmy Mitchell, and said about all he needs to excel is game experience. In front of him Mitchell has classmates Ben Smith and Cullen Cady and a sophomore guard, Brennan Bosch, who — believe it or not — already has a verbal offer from Illinois. Bosch, who started defensively for the Saints sophomores as a freshman, is the kid brother of St. Francis’ Kyle Bosch, a 315-pound Michigan offensive line recruit.

Those linemen will be mentored by two of the Saints’ few returning starters, seniors Tommy Wilson and Nick Asquini, son of St. Charles East baseball coach Len Asquini.

Fields likes what he’s seen of junior back Erik Anderson. He had a cup of Gatorade on the varsity last season, 62 yards rushing in 2 games, then got injured and spent the remainder back on the sophomore level.

Defensively the Saints are more senior oriented. They return starters Hoscheit, defensive end Andrew Szyman, linebacker Anthony Sciarrino and defensive back Justin Cameron, among an experienced group of returnees.

Around Hoscheit, defensive coordinator Brian Teresinski initially places juniors Michael Candre and Jon Finn, a 195-pound junior, who Fields said was a pleasant surprise.

“He’s not a real vocal leader,” Fields said of Finn, “but he lets his play do his talking for him.”

The talk around the Saints’ summer activities, the word they printed on their T-shirts, was “Trust.” It will take a joint effort, by young and old, to achieve their goal.

“I think it’s a really good group, I think they’ve got a lot of upside, I really do,” Fields said. “I’m optimistic about our possibilities and our goals don’t change. We’d like to be in the hunt for a conference championship.”