Though Jack Gati’s Salem High School football squad entered summer practices with potential holes, the mentor said he has players ready to fill the voids of a Blue Devil team that finished below .500 in Division I last year.

“You have guys who start the season off, and you see question marks,” said Gati. “But then you start seeing progressions. There are surprises during the preseason.”

One of the returning starters who Gati has no questions about is Max Jacques, who amassed 800 yards during his sophomore season in 2008.

But the offensive line raises questions that the mentor expects to see answered in the affirmative – and soon. Ray Coleman, Craig Lawlor, John Pascal, Dillon Cohen and Andrew Ivas have the task of blocking for the Salem offense.

“It’s a work in progress,” said Gati. “They’re the leaders of the offense, although unfortunately they don’t always get the credit they deserve. They don’t have everything down yet, but I think they’re going to gel. I see them developing and getting a little smarter.”

Behind center is quarterback Matt Cannone, a junior who completed 50 percent of his passes last year.

Darren Brown may become one of Cannone’s favorite targets, as he switched from fullback to tight end this year. Gati said Brown’s clean routes and good hands make him a threat to catch passes.

The tight end position is one of the deepest spots for the Blue Devils, with Kyle Henrick, a senior with outstanding blocking abilities, joining juniors Mike Lorez and Jarred Matthews on the depth chart.

Two athletes who asserted themselves with impressive preseason performances are Joe DiPalma and Ricky LaRhette. Gati said DiPalma, a junior, is likely to see snaps at linebacker, while LaRhette was strong in the final days of preseason at cornerback.

Salem opens up with nonconference action in its first game, something that Gati believes will aid his team’s development.

“It’s a regular-season game, but it doesn’t count in the standings,” said Gati. “That’s an important game for us. We’re trying to find some depth. We’ll be able to get some game experience for some of the guys who are playing for the first time.”