What does Raceland need to do to improve in 2011? What do they need to keep doing to be successful? Remember, please be constructive.

RacelandFootball – 2011

 

1. Find a Quarterback.

Raceland returns players at mostpositions with experience. The runningback positions have experience and receiver positions have experience. The Offensive line will have a few new facesbut as a unit returns experienced players. The quarterback position, however, will be up for grabs. There are two leading candidates, but whowill get the starting position is still up in the air. Both candidates bring different things to thetable and determined by which one is the starter will be the direction of theoffensive scheme. I’m sure finding thestarting quarterback will be the first order of business for the 2011 Rams.

 

2. Stingy defense.

Like on offense, many of the defensive positions will return experiencedplayers. The defensive backfield willreturn many players that saw the field last season, as will the linebackerpositions. The defensive line will seethe most change, but should be alright after some experience is gained. Raceland’s defense will have to limit thepoints allowed to allow the offense to gain its confidence.

 

3. Poised offense.

The offense will have to give its new quarterback time to develop. The running backs and receivers will have tooverachieve and the offensive line will have to give the new quarterback timeto make decisions in the early season. For the offense to click, they are going to have to work together to allowthe quarterback to develop. The breadand butter of any offense is its offensive line. This year’s offensive line will develop intoa good group, but the speed of that development will have to be accelerated forthe 2011 Rams to be successful.

 

4. Special teams.

In recent years Raceland has had to overcome a less than perfect specialteam performance. Raceland, to besuccessful, is going to have to get better at special team play. Giving the opponents the ball on the 35 everytime wears a defense down and will eventually lead to points allowed. Development of special teams should be at thetop of the “Things to do” for the Rams.

 

5. Players to watch.

Marcus Reed (Sr. RB/DB/KR) – Reed brings great speed to both sides of theball. He needs to be a leader for the2011 Rams. Reed can play most positionson the field and on defense he could be used as a DB, or be moved to the LBposition. Marcus will be used in placesthat get him close to the ball.

 

Austin Blankenship (Jr. RB/WR/QB/DB) – Blankenship, like Reed, can play multiple positions and could beutilized in several different places. Look for Blankenship to be in a position to utilize his athletic abilityand make plays. You may even see him inseveral different positions each game. Teams will have to know where he is to make plays against him.

 

Zack Litteral (So. RB/LB)– Litteral proved in his freshman year that power can come in small packages. Look for Litteral to be in the second RBposition he combines determination and desire. Teams may look at Litteral as the second or third option in Raceland’soffense, but they will quickly realize that he is just as dangerous as anyother player on the field.

 

Bryan Caudill (Sr. OL/LB)– Caudill was the leader on defense last season and look for him be in sameposition this season. As a three yeardefensive starter Caudill be well be acclimated to that side of the ball.

 

Daylin Beech (So. WR/DB)– Beech worked himself into a starting position last season and look for him tobuild upon that experience. Beech willbe ready in to 2011 to play above his age.

 

Tyler Nethercut (Sr. WR/DB)– Nethercut plays beyond his size and a tough player who takes a licking andkeeps on ticking. Look for Nethercut tobe on the opposite side of the field from Beech to make each more difficult tocover.

 

Devin Thomas (Jr. OL/DL) –After making the All Area Team and HM All State as a sophomore, look for Thomasto make an impact on both sides of the ball. Thomas rose to a starting position during the season last year and neverlooked back.

RacelandRoster 2011

 

2 AJ Joseph WR/DB So.

5 Adam Elkins QB/DB So.

7 Andrew Salyers WR/DB So.

9 Austin Blankenship QB/DB Jr.

12 Zach Litteral RB/LB So.

15 Tyler Nethercutt WR/DB Sr.

16 Marcus Reed QB/DB Sr.

20 Daylin Beach WR/DB So

22 Timmy McComas WR/DB So.

24 Tomy Jones RB/DB So.

32 Colton Griffith RB/DB Jr.

35 Brady Harris RB/DB So.

40 Mac Boggs RB/LB So.

51 Alec Risner OL/LB So.

53 Brandon Rogers OL/DL Sr.

54 Bryan Caudill OL/LB Sr.

55 Doug Abrams OL/DL Jr.

56 Johnny Smith OL/DL Sr.

57 Michael Wolmack OL/DL So.

62 James Smith OL/DL So.

63 Austin Manis OL/DL So.

65 Nevan Johnson OL/DL So.

66 Brandon Boyles OL/DL Jr.

68 Logan Caldwell OL/DL Jr.

71 Monty Harris OL/LB Sr.

78 Devin Thomas OL/DL Jr.

85 John Valencourt WR/DB Jr.

Raceland Schedule 2011

 

Aug. 5 Meet theRams 7:30pm

Aug. 13 EKC Grid @Fairview

Racelandvs. Lewis County 6:00pm

Aug. 20 EastCarter (EKC) 7:30pm

Aug. 26 @Ashland 7:30pm

Sept. 2 @Pikeville 7:30pm

Sept. 9 @ Greenup County 7:30pm

Sept 16 @ PorthsmouthEast 7:30pm

Sept. 23 @ LawrenceCounty 7:30pm

Sept. 30 Open

Oct. 7 NicholasCounty (EKC) (D) 7:30pm

Oct. 14 Fairview (EKC)(D) 7:30pm

Oct. 21 @Paintsville (EKC) (D) 7:30pm

Oct. 28 Russell 7:30pm

 

Nov. 4 Playoffs 1^stRound

Nov. 11 Playoffs 2^ndRound

Nov. 18 RegionalChampionship

Nov. 25 Semi-Finals

Dec. 2 StateChampionship

Raceland JV Schedule 2011

 

Aug. 22 @ East Carter 6:00pm

Aug 29 Boyd County 6:00pm

Sept. 5 Lewis County 12:00pm

Sept 12 Greenup County 6:00pm

Sept 26 Lawrence County 6:00pm

Oct. 10 @ Russell 6:00pm

Oct. 17 @ Fairview 6:00pm

 

 

Raceland Freshman Schedule 2011

 

Aug. 25 East Carter 6:00pm

Sept. 1 @ Ashland 6:00pm

Sept. 8 @ Boyd County 6:00pm

Sept. 15 @ Greenup County 6:00pm

Sept. 22 Lewis County 6:00pm

Oct. 6 @ Russell 6:00pm

From what I understand about this years Rams is that with only 6 seniors and 7 Juniors this is still a very young football team. Raceland has loaded younger classes with 14 Soph.. Also, with this Soph class from what I have been hearing is that the Freshman class may have the most potential of all. With a team dominated by soph.(some which got significant pt last season as fresh.), some good returning upperclassmen and a great Freshman class that may come up and help by seasons end this years Rams will be much better later in the season,which is what all teams strive for.

All one has to do is look at this 2011 Rams schedule and see that it is loaded (and that is an understatement). With 4 former state championship teams in Ashland, Pikeville, Russell and Greenup. What that tells me is that those teams, although some years ago have strong football traditions. GCHS has had better teams in the last couple of years so I have to think that is a program rising up back to sucsess known in the past. Russell,Ashland and Pikeville traditions speak for themselves with multile state titles. Lawrence County is back to the powerhouse football that they have enjoyed in the 70's, 80's and 90's. The fine folks in Louisa love football and know how to win. I believe that LCHS should have/could have won a couple of state titles themselves. So, this o.o.d. schedule is imo as tough as any schools in our NEKY area, regardless of size and no doubt will be one of the very toughest if not the toughest schedule for a 1A team in the state.

Our district, although LCA has moved up to 2A still has Fairview. The Eagles are no longer a weak link on a schedule, they are a very,very good football team that are very well coached. Nicholas Co. was a much improved football team last season and they could be a factor. Paintsville is new to the district and they have been down but the Tigers have a past history of playing some very good football. I would tag the Fairview Eagles as the District Favorite.

With the brutal schedule the Rams may not have an impressive W/L record heading into district play but if they can remain healthy should be competitive in the district and in the "Rail Cities Bowl" with Russell to end the regular season. That game will be a good one for heading into the playoffs.

Overall, if the Rams have 11 players left after the pre district games they can and will compete for their 18th (I think) district championship in the 36 or years since the district playoff format began.

The Players, Coaches, Student body, Communities of Raceland and Worthington and all Ram football fans everywhere always expect to win and this year is no diffrent than any.

As you said oldrambler, the Junior and Senior classes are small in numbers, but do have some players. The Sophomore and Freshman classes are much bigger in size and have some great players. As you said, I expect the Rams to be much strong at the mid point of the season then they are at the start. Not a bad thing.

 

As for the schedule, I think this schedule was made for maturity. This out of district schedule is built to give experience and maturity to this young Raceland team before the district and post season parts of the schedule.

We are so young this year I am petitioning the school board to change our mascot to a Lamb.............

We are so young this year I am petitioning the school board to change our mascot to a Lamb.............

 

:lol: They actually had a lamb out at school on the last day, maybe they got your request .

:lol: They actually had a lamb out at school on the last day, maybe they got your request .

 

That was for Ram Patty Bingo, I believe.

That was for Ram Patty Bingo, I believe.

Is that anything like tossing cow chips?

Is that anything like tossing cow chips?

 

They mark off the field into squares and number them. Then they sell raffle tickets and the winner is determined by what square/# the animal drops it's patty.

That was for Ram Patty Bingo, I believe.

 

Yeah it was. I was mad no one told me about it. I would have loved to put some money down for it. Heck I would have donated most, if not all of it back to the team.

That's ingenuity.

It's not a bad fundraiser considering we have to fertilize the field anyway.