Leadership Key in Football Success

The football season is upon us and after a 9-3 season where the Spring-Ford Rams just missed the playoffs, the team is coming back to get in. Second-year head coach Chad Brubaker, who came from Wilson as a 12-year offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach prior to last year, said the playoffs and the league title are the team's main goals.

However, the team will be tested with multiple factors, such as a tough non-league schedule, less depth and most of all, the loss of about 15 key seniors from last year's team. The boys lost 10 starters on the defensive side of the ball and five on offense, with safety Matt Glowacki heading off to Ursinus to play and runningback Chase Stewart heading to Mount Union, as key leaders lost.

"We really miss the senior leadership last year. In terms of leadership, our class is still learning and that’s going to be important – how quickly they are able to take control of our team and set an example," Brubaker said. "Defensively, we’re going to be pretty young."

The team started out with three wins last year - West Chester East, Sussex Tech and Owen J. Roberts.

"We had a nice trip down there to Sussex Tech," said Brubaker. "We did it the right way. We took Coach buses, stopped for dinner and it was kind of a college atmosphere and we won down there. But, our biggest win was certainly Owen J. Roberts. We ended up tying for the PAC-10 and beat them at home here, 20-7."

The following week; however, the team suffered its biggest loss, which was to Methacton. Methacton was also 3-0 at the time, but Brubaker said the boys may have overlooked the local rival.

"We started thinking we were better than we were," he said. "We thought we’d roll over Methacton. We went down there and played very poorly and kept them in the game. We also lost our cool, which also lost us the game. We played undisciplined and that was something that could have easily been corrected and wasn’t."

This year's team comes back with some more key potential leaders on both sides of the football, including wide receiver Andrew Scanlon, who has received offers from Delaware and Akron already. Brubaker said Scanlon has done a lot so far to work on his leadership skills.

Ryan Conway will most likely play both offense and defense and is the only returning defensive starter from 2010-2011.

"We really try to have players go one way as much as possible," Brubaker said. "Last year we had that luxury and this year we don’t. So, Ryan’s going to rarely come off the field for us. We’re counting on him and his leadership as well."

On the offensive line, there will be three new starters. So, the Rams will have to rely on leaders Brian Tatum, who is moving from left guard to left tackle, and Brian Czop.

Brubaker indicated the first two games as being most important in gaining momentum and setting the tone for the season. Those games are against West Chester East, which comes back with a new coaching staff, and Daniel Boone, which won 11 games last year. He also sees Boyertown and Pottsgrove as big challenges.

"We feel like Pottsgrove is going to be real big and we’re not real big so that will be a tough matchup for us, but it will be the same people vying for the league," he said.

Overall, Brubaker believes the key is to stay healthy through the season to contend for the title and is confident in his team's ability to progress despite the loss of so many seniors.

"We feel good about our kids but we need to stay healthy," said Brubaker. "If we do, we expect to compete for the league title. We want to make District I playoffs, which will always be our goal. We have high expectations."

Rams Football 2011-2012 Schedule

8/20 - Scrimmage @ Council Rock South (10 a.m.)

8/26 - Scrimmage vs. Wilson H.S. (7 p.m.)

9/2 - Home/Season Opener vs. West Chester East H.S. (7 p.m.)

9/9 - Home vs. Daniel Boone (7 p.m.)

9/16 - Home vs. Pope John Paul II H.S. (7 p.m.)

9/23 - Away @ Upper Perkiomen (7 p.m.)

9/30 - Home vs. Pottsgrove (7 p.m.)

10/7 - Away @ Boyertown (7 p.m.)

10/15 - Away @ Methacton (1 p.m.)

10/22 - Home vs. Owen J. Roberts (2 p.m.)

10/28 - Away @ Pottstown (7 p.m.)

11/4 - Home vs. Perkiomen Valley (7 p.m.)

11/11 - Home vs. Pennridge (7 p.m.)

11/24 - Away @ Phoenixville (10 a.m.)