As Notre Dame coach Tim Bisci said, they "lack big bodies on the line."

"I've been looking around the school," he said.

But when he looks over the Fighting Irish's schedule, he likes his team's odds.

"Our chances aren't that bad," he said. "It'll be tough. We don't play many games so we want to win -- and win right."

The roster sits at 42 players and quarterback Jonathan Mataya, a Grade 11 student, will lead the offence.

"He's a tall and lanky kid. He throws a good ball," said Bisci.

Last year, the team went 5-2 and lost in the semifinals against Saint Paul 20-7. The Irish kicks off the 2008 campaign against the Premier Division defending champion Lakeshore Catholic Gators from Port Colborne on September 19 at home.

"Because we're such an old school, teams take pride in beating us," he said.

Earlier in the year, the Premier division's schedule was cut from seven games to five so Bisci wants his team to gel quickly and win as fast as they can. Their second game is on the road against Denis Morris. The last time they faced the Redmen the Irish defeated them 42-7. In week three, they face another school suffering from offensive line problems: the Saint Michael Mustangs.

"We have guarded optimism, because we've had a lot of players graduate," said Mustangs coach Dominic Scozzafava. "Last year, we had a big, experienced offensive line. This year, we have more athletic kids, but less experience. They are very athletic that they make up for lack of size on the line."

Notre Dame can gear up for some playoff revenge against the Saint Paul Patriots in week four. They close out the regular season in Grimsby against the Blessed Trinity Thunder.

2008 FIGHTING IRISH SCHEDULE

WEEK 1 - vs. Lakeshore Catholic Gators (1pm)

WEEK 2 - at Denis Morris Redmen (1pm)

WEEK 3 - at Saint Michael Mustangs (1pm)

WEEK 4 - vs. Saint Paul Patriots (1pm)

WEEK 5 - at Blessed Trinity Thunder (1pm)