When it comes to talk of winning championships, a lot of teams try to play things close to the vest. They don’t want to jinx it, get caught looking ahead, or get overconfident.

Sharkey-Issaquena Academy takes a far different approach. When you’ve had the type of recent success the Confederates have, it’s kind of a necessity.

SIA has won the last two Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Eight-Man championships, 28 consecutive games and 34 of the last 35. All of that winning has created a culture of success that players and coaches can’t hide from, so they’ve chosen to embrace it.

“We talk about it a lot during the summer. We’re the team people are looking to beat. We haven’t lost in two years, and the seniors on these other teams haven’t beaten them in two years so that’s something they want to do,” SIA coach Hunter McIntire said. “We try to talk about it a lot and make sure we’re in the right zone mentally. With winning a couple of championships, it’s something you expect. We don’t run away from it.”

SIA will embark on its quest for a threepeat — and a third consecutive undefeated season — with a largely new cast of characters. Six senior starters who led the program’s resurgence from an 11-man also-ran to an eight-man superpower graduated.

There are six seniors on this year’s team, but some will be stepping into new roles. Only one offensive starter is back at the same position he played last season.

Austin Herraney, a wide receiver and backup quarterback, will become the full-time quarterback this season. Cole Delaney, the No. 3 option at running back in 2014, will be the full-time starter.

Herraney threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns last season. Delaney was third on the team with 650 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, and also caught five TD passes.

Linemen Nathan Nichols, Ty Daves and Alex McGee will be back in their regular positions, but taking on a bigger leadership role.

McIntire said success has helped prepare all of them to take the reins. Of their 14 wins last season, only one was by less than 20 points. A lot of players saw game action during those blowouts and aren’t coming into this season untested.

“They got a lot more playing time than people think. Our second group got a lot of reps, a whole lot of second-half reps,” McIntire said. “That’s confidence building, when you feel like you have a team that knows what they’re doing.”

The linemen figure to be the strength of the team on both offense and defense. Nichols and McGee both weigh more than 250 pounds, and Daves is about 225. In the world of eight-man football, the combination of size and experience across the board is a huge advantage.

“We are a lot bigger. We might not be as fast, but we have a lot of strength,” Nichols said. “When you average 250 (pounds) on the line, that’s good. Last year we averaged 200 pounds on the line and this year it’s 240, 250.”

The Confederates figure to once again be a force to reckon with in the MAIS’ eight-man division. How much of one remains to be seen.

McIntire admits that getting to Mississippi College for a third consecutive state championship game is a goal. So is winning the season opener Aug. 21 against Hebron Christian. That would stretch the winning streak into a third season, which is an accomplishment he dearly wants on the program’s resumé.

“We finished a season without a flaw, and that was great. After two seasons, it’s something special. I can’t think back to little league and remember many teams that did that,” McIntire said. “If we win the first game, that’s three seasons people can say they were a part of that streak. That’s special.”

The streak, though, isn’t everything. It’ll end eventually as all streaks do. The final goal is to once again be the team hoisting the trophy on the turf of Robinson-Hale Stadium. That would really be something to talk about.

“Every team is coming after us,” Herraney said. “We’ve got a target on our back. We’ve got a lot of work to do to back up these last two years. I think we’re going to keep it going.”