2025 Raceland Rams

[DevilMayCare]

Raceland Rams 🐏 

2024 Outcome: 10-5, Class 1A Runner-up 

2025 Outlook: After being denied the brass ring for the third straight season and fourth time overall, you couldn't blame a community for allowing a little self doubt to creep in.

What's it going to take?

Is our best good enough?

Your not likely to hear those questions uttered aloud in the blue collar rail city of Raceland, where #keeppounding is a mantra kept close to the heart.

They'll quickly turn the page on another state runner-up finish that sees the departure of only a handful of seniors.

🎓 Linden Sammons (DL) | Jaxon Rister (WR) | Kenneth Litteral (DL)

The pieces returning form the nucleus of a strong case for pre-season #1 in class 1A.

🔙 Jacob Waller (QB) | Shannon Marushi (RB/DL) | Landen Stiltner (RB/LB) | Jonah Arnett (ATH) | Parker Ison (ATH) | Bryson Rowsey (WR) | Logan Lockwood (LB) | David Headlee (DL) | Landon Bloss (LB) | Landyn Goodall (DB) | More or less the entire OL

Waller will have options at every turn, feeding the ball to the powerhouse backfield tandem of Stiltner and Marushi, with the trio of Arnett, Ison, and Rowsey making for tantalizing targets in the passing game. The return of a seasoned o-line rounds out an offense in the running for 1A's best.

A quick glance at the schedule reveals the subtraction of two marquee opponents from the previous cycle, Highlands and LCA. Despite an overall downgrade in SOS, there are still a few games to generate heat: local rival Ashland remains, as do fellow small school powers NewCath and Hazard, as well as 1A's great white shark, Pikeville. 

Class 1A's loveliest bridesmaid has grown tired of catching the bouquet, only to be ghosted at the altar. Is 2025 finally the year of the Ram? 

[Ram]

You know, we look at things different as we get older. 
 

The younger me is pretty mad and is not happy with “great” and wants more. The Rams have been playing great football for a long time and was always second tier to programs like Beechwood, Mayfield, NCC and LCA.  With those programs now, mostly, in larger classes and not obstacles, the Rams should be top of the mountain and dominating the class. 
 

The older me looks at it a little differently. The Rams are a dominate program. Have they won the big game?  No, they haven’t. But, they have been there three years in a row and will be a favorite to return for a fourth consecutive time. And likely many times to come. How many programs can say they have done that?  Ever?  Without looking, I would say the group is pretty darn small. 

My predictions for the Rams in 2025:

1.  The Rams will be a force in Class 1A and will likely return to the State Championship Game. People will pick against them and rank lesser teams ahead of them, but the Rams will dominate most. 
2.  The Rams will continue to menace larger schools in the regular season, no matter the size of the school.  It’s the number of players on the team, not the number of boys in the halls. 
3.  Local schools will continue to refuse to play the Rams, a school many used to call, “Little Brother” making fun of the size of Raceland Schools.  But, now they fear playing that little school down the road. Funny how that works. 
4.  Raceland will still have one of the nicest campuses in the commonwealth, bar none. 
5.  Raceland will play anyone. Period. 
6.   Raceland will win a State Championship, at some point. Will it be in 2025?  I don’t know, but there is something to be said for consistency and program development and I would challenge anyone that says Raceland has cut corners with either. 

[Ram]

🔙 Jacob Waller (QB) | Shannon Marushi (RB/DL) | Landen Stiltner (RB/LB) | Jonah Arnett (ATH) | Parker Ison (ATH) | Bryson Rowsey (WR) | Logan Lockwood (LB) | David Headlee (DL) | Landon Bloss (LB) | Landyn Goodall (DB) | More or less the entire OL
 

To be quite honest, this group returning should worry a lot of people. 

[Ram]

For those on the hill and those up US 23 that fear losing to the Rams, it’s not about losing, it’s about program success and school culture. 
 

[Ram]

I have to say, I am kind of excited about first time ever match-ups with PRP and Mercer County.  

[Purple88]

14 hours ago, Ram said:

I have to say, I am kind of excited about first time ever match-ups with PRP and Mercer County.  

I love those games for Raceland @Ram!  The logistics alone are fascinating.  And the football should be very entertaining as well!  Good luck Raceland in 2025!  I hope you hoist the big trophy!

[snakesnot_2000]

16 hours ago, Ram said:

You know, we look at things different as we get older. 
 

The younger me is pretty mad and is not happy with “great” and wants more. The Rams have been playing great football for a long time and was always second tier to programs like Beechwood, Mayfield, NCC and LCA.  With those programs now, mostly, in larger classes and not obstacles, the Rams should be top of the mountain and dominating the class. 
 

The older me looks at it a little differently. The Rams are a dominate program. Have they won the big game?  No, they haven’t. But, they have been there three years in a row and will be a favorite to return for a fourth consecutive time. And likely many times to come. How many programs can say they have done that?  Ever?  Without looking, I would say the group is pretty darn small. 

 

Mayfield won 4 in a row and played in 10 out 11 State title games. Beechwood I'm sure has done something similar.

That being said you have a good program and it's a matter of time before you get a Title.

[Ram]

6 hours ago, Purple88 said:

I love those games for Raceland @Ram!  The logistics alone are fascinating.  And the football should be very entertaining as well!  Good luck Raceland in 2025!  I hope you hoist the big trophy!

Thank you for the support @Purple88, we will take any well wishers we can get. 

[Ram]

6 hours ago, snakesnot_2000 said:

Mayfield won 4 in a row and played in 10 out 11 State title games. Beechwood I'm sure has done something similar.

That being said you have a good program and it's a matter of time before you get a Title.

Thank you @snakesnot_2000, when it comes to final appearances and State Championships, Mayfield and Beechwood are two of the teams that have set the bar.  After we get that allusive first one, we will work on chasing you all. 

[TCR]

First off, if I were a Raceland fan losing hope, remember - it's a process. Many schools in Kentucky would love to be in your position. A lot of kids would be deeply honored to have the opportunity to play in the state final, on UK's field. I may have mentioned this in another thread, but this is not the only school that has been to the state finals four times in a matter of eight seasons and lost all four. Boone County made the state finals four times from 1987 - 1994, losing in all four appearances, two of them in a close battle.

Raceland has an amazing story with their football program and this has to be taken as part of the process. Remember - it took until 2006 for Raceland to reach the regional final for the first time where they would lose to Newport Central Catholic. They lost by 19, but led by double digits early. Two years later when they reappeared in that same game, they would lead 20-3 against Lexington Christian who they defeated in the regular season, only to give up 24 points in a row to lose. They would still make it back the next year with a young team, losing again, this time big, to Lexington Christian. But the regional finals became more familiar territory for the Rams.

Fast forward to 2013. Raceland emerges victorious in the regional finals under T.J. Maynard and reaches the state semifinal for the first time ever. Mike Salmons took over the next year and he would lead them to the state semis again. Both times were large losses to Williamsburg. Then in 2017, a young Raceland team surprised many by reaching the state finals. Raceland struggled against a tough Beechwood team that they were big underdogs against, but they had the opportunity to reach Kroger Field for the first time ever.

Two seasons ago Raceland made it back but lost to Pikeville, last year a couple big plays Pikeville made hurt them and they struggled to convert in Pikeville Territory but they were more competitive, and this year they were knocking on the door and fell short. A loss like this can sometimes be what ignites a team to come back and play out of their minds. I'm sure this loss will sting with the returning players, and Raceland sure has a lot of them coming back. They have to focus on working hard in the offseason. Coach Roy Williams of UNC basketball would sometimes leave a note for his players in their locker room asking if they did what it took that day to win a national championship. That's the mentality Raceland has to attack their weight sessions and practices with. "Did we do today what it takes to win it all in December?" 

This has to be frustrating for Raceland fans, but it comes down to two parts. First, appreciating the opportunity that the school has had that hundreds of schools would jump on if they could. Second, continuing to grow as they have. Every step has been one step closer. And you see these success stories now - it wasn't always easy. Philip Haywood is known as the all-time winningest coach in Kentucky and an eight-time state champion, but he would reach the state finals in the 1980's twice and lose both times, back to back. It wouldn't be until 2003 when he returned and won it all for the first time and even then, his 2011 and 2012 teams were just a notch away from winning two more. Bob Sphire, who is now keeping Highlands in contention for the title, helped ignite the football program at Lexington Catholic in 1991 and it would take him 14 years to win his first state championship.

This may not, and it may be the year for Raceland. I do think with the pieces of the puzzle coming back and the renewed determination, that they will contend for the title again.

[Ram]

Well said @TCR  It has been a process for a long time for Raceland, since the 80s when Bill Tom Ross was brought to Raceland and that process has been built upon for a long time.   The work continues……

[DevilMayCare]

The bolded players made the Daily Independent (essentially covering the 16th Region) All-Area football team for the 2024 season.

They've got eight All-Area kids coming back next season.

🎓 Linden Sammons (DL) | Jaxon Rister (WR) | Kenneth Litteral (DL) | Evan Burroughs (OL) | Ayden Cooper (DB) | Austin McKee (DB)

🔙 Jacob Waller (QB) | Shannon Marushi (RB/DL) | Landen Stiltner (RB/LB) | Jonah Arnett (ATH) | Parker Ison (ATH) | Bryson Rowsey (WR) | Logan Lockwood (LB) | David Headlee (DL) | Landon Bloss (LB) | Landyn Goodall (DB) | Carson Bowden (OL)