BRAINERD — With three returning sophomores, Central Lakes College head coach Jim Russell has a lot of new talent to incorporate in his 28th season.

Last season, the Raiders finished 11-1 in the Northern Division of the Minnesota Collegiate Athletic Conference and 20-10 overall.

The Raiders 14-man roster has 12 players who are from Minnesota, including two from Brainerd.

“We got a couple local kids here with a fresh start and that’s exciting,” Russell said. “We had a lot of sophomores last year, but this year I have a lot of freshmen. I’ve had to go back to the basics and spend more time on our defense. It’s been about more reps. Last year was smooth, the sophomores ran the practice and knew the drills. This year, we’ve had to slow those things down and explain why we do things.”

Lake D

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