When Northeastern head football Antonio Moore gazes around the practice field, it’s right there ... he can see it:

The next level.

In Moore’s five previous years at the helm, the Eagles have won two Northeastern Coastal Conference championships and made the state 2A playoffs every year, but never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs. He expects the 40-some guys working out in green-and-gold uniforms to change that.

“We’ve won the conference, we’ve been going to the playoffs, now it’s time to get to the next level and compete for a state championship,” Moore said. “I keep thinking this group is the one that is going to get us there.”

He’s not alone in his thinking. Senior quarterback Terry Williams said the players recognize they could be special.

“We talk about it a lot,” he said. “We’ve got the same team back from last year and we feel like we can go all the way, from conference championship to state championship. We know there’s a lot of expectations, we just have to step up to the plate and take care of business. We‘re really hungry.”

While Northeastern doesn’t return the exact same team that went 7-5 last year, it’s pretty close. All of the offensive starters are back, along with a half-dozen regulars on defense.

“I feel really good about the offense,” Moore said. “We’ve got guys there who have been on the varsity three, four years and know how we want things carried out.”

The 6-foot-5, 187-pound Williams is among the veterans in the know. Last year he passed for 1,426 yards and 17 TDs and ran for another 389 yards. He is receiving significant interest from Division I schools. Williams feels he is a better player than a year ago after attending numerous camps over the summer.

“I’m better at knowing the game and running the system,” he said. “And my throwing is better.”

Williams has plenty of targets. Last fall, Jermaine Williams caught 39 passes for 710 yards and seven TDs, Austin Fowler had 43 catches for 753 yards and 10 TDs and fullback Denzel Ward chipped in with 15 receptions.

Northeastern was hardly one-dimensional. Running back Mason James, a preseason All-State pick on one website, rushed for 1,372 yards and 10 TDs while Ward accumulated 487 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns.

They’ll all operate behind an offensive line that includes vets Jerrod Grace, Hunter Smith and Kyle Andrews.

“A lot of the line is stronger and quicker than last year, they‘ve been working really hard,” Terry Williams said.

Graduation robbed the defense of some key players, but Kareem Felton, Quinton Roach, P.I. Etheridge, Ja’Quay James and Grace are back and Lorenzo Holley and Jaquan Shaw have surprised Moore with how much improvement they’ve made.

The addition of former Pasquotank head coach David Brinson as the Eagles defensive line coach should also help.

In a season of great expectations, Moore isn’t going to back down from being open about what is possible.

“I’m trying a different approach this year,” he said. “I’ve always been a Lou Holtz kind of guy — you know, don’t talk too much, underplay your kids, underplay your season. I think that can negatively rub off on the kids some times, though. You have to know your kids. I know with this group, the more I tell them how good they are, the more they put out.

“These kids are used to winning, used to being motivated. They can handle it.”

Barring catastrophic injuries, Moore said there are only a few things that could derail the Eagles’ bid to reach the next level. One is being overconfident.

“That’s definitely a concern and something the coaches will have to monitor,” he said. “Everyone we play will be preparing to win, no one wants to lose and anything can happen in a game. Some things are out of your control.

“If we are unfortunate enough to lose, we have to make sure we don’t take it the wrong way instead of looking at it and learning.”

And Northeastern could easily have some of those losing experiences in the non-conference portion of their season. Moore has front-ended the schedule with games against strong opponents, beginning with Friday’s opener at Southwest Edgecombe, which went 13-1 last year and drubbed the Eagles 42-6.

“I’ve been doing that for the last couple of years because people say a tougher schedule can help you have more success in the postseason,” Moore said. “I can see the logic in it, but I haven’t experienced it yet.

“Hopefully, this is the year that it happens.”