ALTON — Alton Redbirds football coach Eric Dickerson likes to think big.

And despite a 1-8 season his first year guiding the Redbirds and Alton football not being a part of playoff football since 2006 under Joe Hook, Dickerson wants Alton to think big entering the 2016 season.

“Our expectations are to win and get to the playoffs,” said Dickerson, who will attempt to help the Redbirds to only their second winning season since 2006. “The seniors want to get there. Obviously the young guys do, too. Week in and week out, it’s a tough schedule, but there’s no reason why we can’t be competitive and win a lot of those games to get us into the playoffs. Our goal every year is to get to the playoffs. We might be selling ourselves short if that’s not our expectation.

“Numbers are good. I’d like to have 20-30 more, but we have a small senior class, so that kind of hurt us a little bit there as far as numbers go.”

Alton’s plan started a year ago when Dickerson was hired to replace Jeff Alderman, who became the program’s athletics director, and it began with Dickerson and his coaching staff’s system that winning football is on the horizon.

“I think we started it last year,” Dickerson said. “Granted, our record wasn’t what we wanted it to be, but we had to lay a foundation of our system and our beliefs. We measured our success last year game by game. We were competitive and we’d fight to the end and we did that last year and we’re able to build on that this year.

“We had a great summer. A lot of the kids showed up and worked hard in the weight room and on the field all summer. Going into camp, we were already ahead of where we were last year as far as having our systems installed and having our kids understand what we wanted from them. So we were able to hit the ground running in August this year.”

Offensively, Alton’s run-oriented game will rely heavily on an offensive line that will have to pave the way.

Senior center Cody Markle (6-foot-1, 277 pounds) returns to start a fourth season. Senior tackle Ben Rakoski (6-1, 285) and tight end/outside linebacker/defensive end Morris Adams (6-0, 165) anchor the unit.

“He’s been a three-year starter for us. We’re really expecting him to step up and take leadership of that line,” Dickerson said of Markle. “Those are three seniors, and we’re counting on them.”

Starting quarterback Keenan Stegall graduated, so the Redbirds have a two-way race for the starting job this year, along with a slew of new running backs.

“Our quarterbacks right now, they’re still neck-and-neck between Dyllon Proudie and Taylor Price, both juniors,” Dickerson said. “It’s been an exciting camp watching these kids push each other for that starting spot.”

Juniors Darrell Smith and Kiondray Samelton (5-9, 164), sophomore Izeal Terrell and senior Kalen Samelton (5-11, 192) will battle for time running the football.

Juniors Johnathan Bumpers (5-11, 155) and Kevin Caldwell Jr. are the primary receivers.

“We feel that we have some athletes out there, and it’s our job to try and get them the ball as best as we can,” Dickerson said. “That’s week to week, game plan a little but, but we’re more of a running team. We’ll throw when we have to.”

Defensively, it will be guys playing both sides of the ball, and Dickerson wants the unit to be a group of go-getters.

“Me personally as a defensive coach, I want our defense to be the strong point of our team,” Dickerson said. “Let’s face it, if the opponent doesn’t score any points, chances are we’re going to win the game. We’re going to be aggressive. We are going to be young with a lot of sophomores and juniors playing out there.”

Bumpers, Caldwell, Terrell (middle linebacker), junior linebacker Grady Womack and junior defensive tackle Ryan Kane (6-1, 271) will anchor the front seven.

In the secondary, junior Rashad Williams (5-10, 155) and sophomore Ahmad Sanders (5-9, 132) are expected to be key contributors.

“We’re still trying to figure out,” Dickerson said. “We’re got some sophomores and juniors battling it out there.

“There’s a lot of pieces to the puzzle right now. We’re still trying to get all of that hammered out before Friday.”

Dickerson, Alton’s fourth coach in six years when he took over in 2015 after holding down the job of defensive coordinator, gets the sense that the Redbirds, who graduated 22 seniors from last season’s roster, are anxious to get after it.

After playing Rock Island in the season-opener, Alton opens the home schedule at Public School Stadium in Week 2 against Quincy before the rugged Southwestern Conference slate begins, a conference Dickerson said is “tough week to week; there are no nights off.” He expects Edwardsville and East St. Louis to battle it out for the top spot.

“After our scrimmage Friday, our kids are very excited to play Friday night,” Dickerson said. “Three weeks of beating each other up, they’re ready to face somebody else.”

Reach Louie Korac at telegraphsports@hotmail.com