NEWBERG, Ore -- The 10th full season of Bruin football officially kicks off on Saturday, with hours of preparation, practice, and grit leading up to the opening kick-off at 7:00 p.m. in California.

The Bruins will be facing a familiar non-conference opponent to begin the 2024 season in Redlands; Fox has faced the Bulldogs seven times in their nine full years as a program, facing each other every season from 2015 to 2022, excluding the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. The last meeting between the two teams saw an explosive Bruin offense race by the Bulldogs to a 38-31 win.

That offense was led by the dynamic connection between QB Haiden Schaan and WR Leon Johnson III; now, the Bruins turn to quarterback DeMontre Thomas II to lead the way. Thomas II threw for 1,406 yards, recording seven touchdowns and three interceptions, and running for an additional 89 yards and three scores in 2023. The senior quarterback was involved in a deep quarterback battle but now is the clear frontrunner. Backing up Thomas II will be 6-4 freshman Austin Katapodis.

The two-headed duo of Taylor Saben and William Moffitt will be in the backfield in the season opener, with Saben officially getting the start at tailback. Saben led the team with 377 yards rushing and four TDs, while Moffit was the team leader in yards per carry, averaging 5.0 yards per rush attempt.

River Osen will start for the Bruins in the slot, while Elias Polanski will be out wide. Sheydon Iokia is listed as a starting wide receiver, but will likely spend his time at his natural tight end position alongside starting TE Cobey Aldrich. All four Bruins saw significant time in 2023, with the quartet pulling in five total touchdowns.

The offensive line will see four familiar faces starting, with Lawa Ah Yat (right tackle), Kyle Osowski (center), Michael Echtler (left guard), and Zach Luworo (left tackle) returning after starting for the Bruins in 2023. Dylan Pires steps in at right guard after appearing in one game as a freshman.

On the defensive side, the same five names will be in the defensive backfield: Zak Holsey and Austin Harrison will be at cornerback while Ty Borde, Kiegan Schaan, and Nolan Martin will be at the safety position. 

It's a similar story for the linebackers, with All-Region middle linebacker Nash Wylie cementing the middle and All-NWC athlete Noah Tack on the edge. Joining the two experienced players is senior Dustin Kunze, who steps into the starting position after appearing in four games for the Bruins as a junior.

Fox takes a hit on the defensive side, with All-Region talent Jacob Erickson out of the lineup; the junior recorded a George Fox record 10.5 sacks in 2022 and had seven in 2023. Three seniors will look to fill in the defensive void left by his absence, with Blake Mazurowski, Aaron Boyea, and Bryce Goetz slated to start up front.

Ben Rembisz will handle the kicking duties for Fox's special teams. The sophomore was named All-NWC Honorable Mention and was tabbed as the Northwest Conference Special Teams Player of the Week twice during the season. Riley Rutledge will join him as both the backup kicker and starting punter for the Bruins' trip to California.

On Redlands' side, the game against Fox harbors a special connection for head coach Jim Good — while four-year letter winner at Linfield, Good was coached by current Bruin head coach Chris Casey. Since their days in McMinnville, Good has been a coach for the Bulldogs since 2012 and head coach since 2021, compiling a 17-13 record.

The Bulldogs will be led by junior quarterback Tyler Tremain, who will return to the field after missing the last five games in 2023 due to injury. While Redlands went 5-5 on the year, the team finished 3-1 in games that Tremain played in full; the junior played in five games, throwing for 984 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions. 

Tremain will have several new players to target in his receiving room. Evan Aquon is the top returning receiver, pulling in 30 catches for 346 yards and four touchdowns. Aquon could get a boost from Citrus College transfer Julian Walker, who pulled in three touchdowns for the Owls in 2023.

At the running back position, Redlands will be looking to replace their workhorse back in Tony Williams Jr, who ran for 999 yards in 2023. David Myers will start for the Bulldogs limited action as a freshman — rushing for just 32 yards.

The Bulldog defense was a force to be reckoned with in 2023, holding six opponents to under 20 points — including the Linfield Wildcats, who scored a season-low 17 points against Redlands.

Jax Lee will lead the Bulldog D after a standout year at defensive end. Lee earned an All-Region selection after posting 12.5 tackles for a loss (TFL) — 84th in the country at 1.2 TFLs per game. Of his TFLs, nine of them were sacks, good for 25th best in the country. Lee also added 32 total tackles and three pass breakups.

Other key returners for the Bulldog defense include Jaeden Thorn, Cole Smith, and Laurence Williams, who start at linebacker, safety, and cornerback, respectively. Unlike a fresh offense, Redlands retains many of its top contributors on the defensive side, save for one All-Region player in defensive back Scott Tinsley.

The game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PDT, with live stream and live stat links available on the Bruins' website.