The time for talking is over.

The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys under Athletic Director and 15-year Head Coach Steve Mullins, opened its 97th season of football Saturday at Arkansas-Monticello.

Although the Wonder Boys fell in the season opener, 38-31, there is still a lot of football left as Tech competes for the first time in the new Great American Conference.

Here is a preview of what to expect as the season continues.

Tech returns 10 starters and 41 lettermen from last season’s team. Tech has been selected to finish this season tied for third with Ouachita Baptist, behind Henderson State and Harding in the Great American Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

Tech, which finished with a 4-7 overall record last season in its final year in the Gulf South Conference, will be looking to reach the playoffs and become the first team to win the newly formed Great American Conference. Tech will need weapons on both sides of the football in order to reach that goal. The road to the playoffs continues Saturday when the Wonder Boys travel to Bolivar, Mo., to face Southwest Baptist. Game time is 6 p.m.

This season the Wonder Boys have six players on offense and defense named to the Josh Buchanan Scouting Service “Player to Watch” list. (www.jbscouting.com).

The six players to make this seasons “Player to Watch” list for the Wonder Boys are, junior running back Tavin Davis of Memphis, Tenn. Davis carried the ball 85 times for 237 yards in 2010 and enters this fall as the team’s top returning rusher from a year ago.

Also making the “Player to Watch” list at wide receiver is junior Roger Jackson of Siloam Springs. Jackson caught a team-best 50 passes for 644 yards and scored eight touchdowns in 2010. Last season, Jackson averaged 12.9 yards per reception and caught at least one pass in all 11 games, including catching 11 balls for 126 yards against Henderson State. The 11 catches tied for sixth-most on the school’s single-game charts.

Anchoring the “Player to Watch” list is junior left tackle Daryl Ward of Memphis, Tenn. Ward played in and started 11 games last season at left tackle. He enters the 2011 season having started a team-best tying 11 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Senior Hayward Howard, of New Orleans, La., makes the “Player to Watch” list playing defensive tackle. Howard played in 10 games last season as a back-up on the defensive line. Last season, Howard recorded eight total tackles, including six solo stops and also had one tackle for a loss.

Senior linebacker Brandon Keaton, of Russellville, earns “Player to Watch” honors this preseason after playing in and starting 10 games at linebacker in 2010. Keaton, who is one of the Wonder Boys' two returning starters from last year, recorded 38 tackles including three tackles for loss and a quarterback sack. In addition, Keaton had two quarterback hurries and one interception.

Rounding out the list for the Wonder Boys is senior defensive back Joe Means of Cordova, Tenn. Means was selected as a “Player to Watch” this preseason after starting in and playing all 11 games in 2010.

Last season, Means recorded 27 tackles, including 19 solo stops and had one tackle for loss. In addition, he broke-up one pass along with two interceptions for 73 yards.

In last week's game Tech led 31-10 after three quarters before UAM's comeback. The loss snapped Tech's winning streak of seven straight opening-season wins.