Jon Carpenter hopes for a smoother ride in the second season of his second stint as Capital’s coach.

Carpenter, who led the Cougars to nine playoff berths in 11 years during his first run (2010-20) -- including the 2014 Class AAA championship -- returned last fall and endured some bumps during a 3-7 season.

“When you get older and have done it for a while,’’ Carpenter said, “it’s easy to get back into it. But it was hard [last year] – like jumping on a moving merry-go-round.’’

This time around, Capital’s journey is bolstered by the return of players such as running back David Robinson Jr., a first-team AAA all-state selection last season, fourth-year quarterback Fernando Valdivia and top lineman Tomas Cintron.

“I feel a little more at ease trying to do the job again,’’ Carpenter said.

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