article Raceland Rams 2014 Football Preview

[Ram]

Raceland 2014

 

“The greatest team in school history”. That is the phrase used to describe the Raceland team of 2013. After winning their 19th District Championship, the Eastern Kentucky Conference Championship, the first ever Regional Championship and making their first ever Semi-Final appearance the Raceland Rams of 2013 deserves, at least, consideration as the best team in school history. But, in 2014 a lot has changed for the Rams, but, yet again, a lot will be the same. Gone is the biggest and best offensive line and defensive line in school history. Gone are three year starters at quarterback and running back. Gone is a group of 14 seniors. Gone are five players that will now be playing at the collegiate level. Gone is former Head Coach T.J. Maynard. Things are starting to sound bad for the Rams. But remember, “a lot will be the same”: Raceland returns a wealth of talent and the Rams don’t lose often.

Raceland alumnus Mike Salmons takes over as Head Coach after four years as Offensive Coordinator and several more as an Assistant Coach. Salmons was a stand-out player at Raceland before playing at the collegiate level at Thomas Moore College. After graduating from college Salmons immediately returned to Raceland to become an Assistant Coach under previous Head Coach Randy Vanderhoof. The Salmons transition has been a smooth one, one with little change, but much anticipation and high expectations.

For the first time in recent memory the focus of great expectations for Raceland will be the defensive backfield. Senior Conner Messer will be a four year starter at Safety and will be the best true athlete on the team after winning and setting a new state record at the State Track Meet in the Pole Vault and scoring first place in the High Jump and Long Jump, collecting 38 total points in the meet. Messer also recently won his first National Decathlon. As a sophomore Messer collected 12 defensive take-a-ways in the secondary, grabbing nine interceptions returning 3 for defensive scores and adding another three fumble recoveries, scoring on one. In 2013, most teams had learned their lesson and wisely decided to throw where Messer was not. The problem for opposing teams - Maverick Dixon. Dixon was the beneficiary of the avoidance of Messer hauling in nine interceptions of his own and showcasing his deceptive speed with some highlight returns. At the other corner will be Josh Young. Most teams last season saw Young as the “weak link” in the secondary. That mistake cost several teams severally. Young established himself as a “Lock Down” corner holding several team’s leading receivers to low outputs. Tall and lanky, teams thought Young to be slow, in reality Young is the second fastest player on the Raceland team, second only to Messer. The Ram Secondary will be a fun group to watch and will put Raceland is good position to succeed in 2014.

 

Offensively, there will be many new faces, but don’t expect a change of pace, Young will take over at quarterback and has been preparing for this assignment for a long time and patiently waiting his chance. Young is prepared. When needed, Young will bring a quality quarterback run game, but he will be throwing to 1,000 yard receivers, Messer and Dixon. Juniors Kane Snyder and Carson Christian along with Sophomore Bailey Walker will make a balanced and potent run game for the Rams. The running game will be much more balanced and will have multiple parts to cause problems for opposing defenses.

 

What does 2014 hold for Raceland? Will the Rams be able to repeat as District Champions? Will the Rams be able to repeat as Regional Champions? Will this be the year Raceland makes it to the State Championship Game? Many people are looking at the players lost to graduation and expecting a decrease in performance from the Rams, will it be a decrease or will it just be a “different” kind of performance?

[oldrambler]

As usual a very good analogy from Ram. Thank You.

Only the names change at Raceland, expectations remain the same. Due to last seasons Rams winning the schools first ever Region Championship I believe those always high expectations are even higher.

Reports that I have are that practices are going very well and Coach Salmons / staff are very pleased with the attitudes, work ethic and desire of this seasons Rams. Connor Messer should, imo be an All State, All BGP player this season. This kid is an amazing talent, look for him to line up at practically any position on the offense. I believe that coaches will use a variety of methods to get the football in this kid's hands. I can see him lining up at WR, RB, QB at any time during the game.

Of course there are unanswered questions due to last seasons graduation losses. These players that are stepping into these roles are more experienced than one may think. Due to the huge success of last seasons Rams all of this years starters has quite a bit of game experience due to playing a lot due to blowout victories. Coaches substituted freely to not run up scores as bad and to give reserves / now starters much valued game experience.

[Little Ram]

The big thing for this year's Rams is their focus. They need to stay focussed on the goal in mind, a state championship appearance. After last year's team, that is now the new set goal for Raceland. Last year, they got over the hump of a Regional Championship. The defensive back field will be just fine. Dixon, Messer, and Young will take care of the pass and screen game as long as they focus and prepare each and every week. What is to be determined in the front seven on defense? Who will step up and fill in for the three seniors last year? The leading tackler, Alec Risner, is gone. Who will step up and take his spot? Wallace is the only returning defensive line starter that is coming back. Last year he obtained some well deserved experience as a freshman and should be much better and faster this year. Wallace has drop about twenty pounds in the weight room this off-season. Seth Holbrook and Kane Snyder should be the heart and soul of the linebacking corp. Holbrook really showed up late last season. Earlier last year, Holbrook could read a play, but was too scared to fill the hole. Later in the year, Holbrook knew almost every play before the snap and finally started to fill the proper holes. This year, I am excited to see if he can fill the gaps hard- not just being there, he needs to get his nose dirty and fill the gap and knock anybody in that hole on their butt. Holbrook had a lack of physicality last year. Snyder needs to do just about the same thing as Holbrook- physicality.

 

On offense, Young will be the captain. Not because he's the quarterback, because he has taken the offend by is hands. In practice, he's screaming out the plays loud and proud. He has a business-like attitude right now and it needs to stay that way throughout the year. Snyder will be the only returning starter in the backfield. Snyder took the reigns of fullback last year after the injury of Zack Litteral took place. Snyder has a low sense of gravity, allowing him to break tackles left and right. He is not the fastest back in the world by any means, but you cannot arm tackle him. As a junior, he needs to focus on his ball control and discipline. Carson Christian and Bailey Walker will be the other two backs who will be in the toss up for the h-back. Christian played a lot last year in the Lawrence County game due to the one-game suspension of Beach. Christian played well and earned some well needed experience. Christian's coaching point he needs to focus is to hit the inside holes. During the Lawrence County games, you could see that he wanted to bounce every run outside. He needs to learn to take what the defense gives him. He has to focus on making the correct cuts and find the correct holes. He is fast and disciplined enough, just has to focus on the little things. Walker should be a great addition to both of them. One thing I am personally worried about is his speed. This off-season, Walker put on a lot of muscle mass, depleting his speed. He is a power back nonetheless, but he used to have a lot of speed as well. With camp approaching, I am anxious to see what he does at his position.

 

Now for the big talk-up, the offensive line. Lucas Bradley has been the talk of who the captain will be. Wallace will be the returning rotation player. He will, more than likely, be one of the guards. Christian Sargeant has returned to playing for the Rams after taking a year off due to health issues. Before he quit his sophomore year, he weighed close to 320 pounds, standing about 6 foot tall. He is now down to around 270. Sargeant is in mix for the other guard position, along with Morgan Carmen. Carmen is one of the strongest individuals on the team. As a freshman, Carmen obtained a knee injury in a freshmen game. His focus this year is his maturity. At the tackle positions, there is a toss up for right tackle. I believe that Greg Bowling, tall and lanky, but well focussed on his job, will be at the left tackle position. The right tackle is a toss up between senior Tanner Coffee and Caden Townsend. Coffee is a small kid but he works his tail off so hard it is almost unfair not to put him there. His set back is his size and strength. Not the biggest kid at all, maybe standing 6-1 and weighing 250. He isn't a kid that benches 300 either. Coffee is one of the hardest working kids on the team. Townsend is the strongest kid on the team but it seems like he can't quite transfer is strength from the weight room to the field. He works hard but he needs to work some on his maturity.

 

After everything is all said and done, none of the above is a "for-sure". Camp starts tomorrow and anything and everything can change during camp. Team camp is a four day long h3ll fight of three-a-days. It certainly is not an easy period of time but it's where the team is made. The Rams have to work hard. They need to focus hard. It won't be like last year. You have to work harder than last year in order to achieve more than last year. If you want to get back to the semis, you're going to have to work harder. You're going to have to work even harder if you want to win. It won't be given to you! You have to prepare for each and every game. Study the scouting reports every week, watch film every day of the week, and take care of your grades in the classroom. You are a different team who will be playing different teams than last year. But remember, it is Raceland. Success is expected. There is no excuse for not winning another regional championship the next five years. It is your time to shine and seize the moment. Make this season a season to remember. People are starting to say this year will be a "rebuilding year". Change their minds. Names change, expectations don't.

 

GO RAMS! TCB!

[oldrambler]

^ Great to hear, Thanks LR. :thumb: (go get-r-done at G-Town)

[Ram]

Great information Little Ram.

[Little Ram]

The team is to report to camp tomorrow at 4pm! I'll be there every day, every practice. Football starts tomorrow!!!

[sidelinedoc]

Everything mentioned above is true. If our line works hard, the sky is the limit. I love our skill kids. If the line gives Young time to throw, that'll help the line block to open holes for our running game. Teams will not be able to load up 8 in the box. Team camp starts tomorrow and we will see who steps up and earns playing time. Coach Salmons told them Thursday night that playing time will be earned starting Sunday. There is no guaranteed spots, regardless if what you did last year.

[Little Ram]

Everything mentioned above is true. If our line works hard' date=' the sky is the limit. I love our skill kids. If the line gives Young time to throw, that'll help the line block to open holes for our running game. Teams will not be able to load up 8 in the box. Team camp starts tomorrow and we will see who steps up and earns playing time. Coach Salmons told them Thursday night that playing time will be earned starting Sunday. There is no guaranteed spots, regardless if what you did last year.[/quote']

 

Playing time is never guaranteed. Always earned during team camp. There is 22 positions opened right now. They will be filled by next Monday.

[Little Ram]

I heard a couple days ago that Bryce Wellman has quite. Any confirmation?

[oldrambler]

19......Days to Game 1

[oldrambler]

The team is to report to camp tomorrow at 4pm! I'll be there every day, every practice. Football starts tomorrow!!!

 

Camp Ram will tell who "wants it" and who doesn't !

 

GO RAMS !!

 

Attack Every Play.....NO PRISONERS !

Edited August 3, 2014 by oldrambler

[Little Ram]

Camp Ram will tell who "wants it" and who doesn't ! GO RAMS !! "Attack Every Play!!"

 

I will let each and every one know who wants it and I will break down each practice. Last year, we scrimmaged every night so that will be a good time to indicate who is playing well.

[JOHNDUNHOFT]

Good Luck to the Raceland Rams and Coach Salmons from your Erlanger, Kentucky fan. I wish you well and hope to get to see a game this year scheduling right now is an issue. Good Luck again. JD

[oldrambler]

^ You would be welcome JD, we hope that you can make it. (remember..do not get in an eating contest with Ram, unless he's buying )

[JDEaston]

Raceland should be just fine, even with the loss of the linemen and head coach. They have a good system in place, they always have talent in place to replace graduating players, there never seems to be a dropoff in talent.

 

I expect them to sweep their district games and have a good chance of winning the region. After that, as spindoc said, the sky is the limit. Once you get that far anything is possible and the Rams have been knocking on the door lately.

 

Passed by the football and baseball fields Friday, both look great. Cheers to another season like last, or even better. I've been pulling for you guys to get a championship, with the class program you have you deserve one as much as anyone.