Briar Cliff football coach Dick Strittmatter is hoping patience pays off as they get set to open the season at Peru State of Nebraska on Saturday night. This will be the third season of varsity football at the school and after a 3-7 season last year Stritmatter says the Chargers want to take the next step. He says winning three or four games this year will not be good enough.Stritmatter says with and older and more experienced team the Chargers will be a more physical team. He says they have 21-year-olds on the field compared to 18 and 19-year-olds his first two years. He says they’re more mature mentally and physically. Stritmatter has made the Chargers competitive by focusing on defense. He expects the offense to carry more of the load this season.This will be a homecoming of sorts for Stritmatter who was the head coach at Peru State for six years. Also, the game will be played in Auburn, Nebraska, where he was once the high school coach. He says the game isn’t about him coming home though, he says it’s about getting a victory.