The players on the 2016 Mercer Island football squad want to win, but they know the name of the game is staying on the field. The importance of player health couldn’t have become more clear after last season, when the Islanders saw their roster decimated by injuries.

“I felt like every guy we lost was a huge blow and it was really hard to come back from that at times,” said senior receiver and linebacker Blake Swanson. “By the end of the season, with all the injuries that we had, it really took its toll and it was really hard.

“But it was also a great learning experience for all of us that kept playing through it.”

And so Mercer Island went into its offseason with an added emphasis on nutrition and conditioning with the hope that this fall, the injury bug that bespelled the Islanders last year will not happen again. The team brought on a nutritionist to help the players with dieting and hydration.

So far through the team’s fall camp and first week of practice, the signs have been encouraging to both players and coaches.

“Our team is in the best shape that I’ve ever seen them,” said head coach Brett Ogata. “It’s hard to overcome if you don’t come [into the season] in shape, and our guys did their work in the offseason eating the right way, working out the right way and it shows. That has been a positive.”

“I’m definitely more energized and more alert than I’ve ever been,” said senior guard/linebacker Matt Padgett, mentioning some of the helpful eating and hydration tips that have been preached to the team. “Before, I would just start drinking water the day of [a game]. Now, I do it all the time.”

Another offseason tweak saw the Islanders move their team camp from the beginning of summer to just before the start of practice this season.

“One of the nice things about doing camp late is that we’re rolling strong into the season,” said starting linebacker Will Krause. “We didn’t forget everything we learned at team camp over the summer. We just go straight into practice again.”

Junior signal-caller Nikhil Nayar will lead Mercer Island’s triple option spread offense. Nayar saw starter minutes at quarterback as a sophomore last fall before battling injury problems of his own.

“He’s really come a long way and is doing really well at quarterback,” Ogata said. “Last year, we went through so many quarterbacks, it was really hard on the team. Keeping Nikhil healthy is a big key for us to be successful.”

Returning starting running back Jordano Mark will also play a large factor in Mercer Island’s offense. Ogata called Mark, who took on a lion’s share of duty amidst the rash of injuries last season, “a solid rock” for his offensive unit.

“He’s the known commodity on the team that other teams know about,” Ogata said. “He’s a guy that we can get the ball to and he’s gonna make plays for us.”

Mercer Island is starting the year with 65 players turning out, the lowest turnout Ogata has seen in his eight years at the helm. He said Mercer Island will field its varsity unit as well as a “C” team of sophomores and freshmen, while scrapping their JV squad. The Islanders also had to cancel the JV season in 2015 due to injury call-ups.

“It is what it is,” Ogata said of the low turnout. “I’ve talked to a lot of other coaches and that’s kind of the trend this year from a lot of youth programs and high school programs.

“In terms of our kids, I’m not gonna make that an excuse for not being successful. We’re gonna go at it and [play] hard, and the kids know that. They’re up for the challenge.”

The senior players echoed their coach’s sentiment. And as they approach their final prep campaign on the gridiron, the senior Islanders hope they’re able to accomplish more than staying on the football field.

“I’d definitely say a goal for us is to make the playoffs,” Swanson said. “The varsity team did when we were freshmen … and I feel like that group of seniors is really similar to us. [They were] sort of light on guys, but really worked hard in the offseason and really came together as a unit and were able to make the playoffs. For me, that’s inspiring and it shows us that it can be done and is very doable.”

Mercer Island opens its season against Yakima’s West Valley High at 7 p.m. Friday at Islander Stadium.