While most students at Shepherd University are preparing for the end of the semester and getting ready for summer vacation, the football team is looking a little further into the future. With the start of spring football practice, the Rams have their sights set on the fall and the start of the football season.
After completing a great season, the Rams are going to lose a lot of talent. Shepherd will lose many seniors, including defensive end Howard Jones, six out of nine starting lineman, and many others. These seniors have aided Shepherd in earning three conference championships and numerous playoff wins over the past few campaigns.
According to head coach Monte Cater, spring practice is a time to figure out how to close all of these gaps. “We have a lot of seniors that we need to replace, so we need to see who steps up. There are only 15 spring practices, so we have to make each one count,” Cater said. However, the head coach still has faith in his remaining players. “We still have players with post-season honors and lots of talent. Now we get to see them step up and be the leaders,” the 2013 Mountain East Conference Coach of the Year said.
The players also have high hopes for the rebuilding of the Rams. Rising senior center Hussam Ouri is ready to help the new guys on the offensive line. “We still have some key players, but we are going to have a lot of younger guys on the offensive line,” the Broadneck High School graduate said. “One of my goals is to help push them and get them ready,” Ouri continued.
Rising senior outside linebacker Levi Barber, who is known as the leader of the defense among his coaches, also looks forward to leading the younger players. “I want to be a leader and help the other players get stronger mentally,” he stated. With the younger players having a lot to live up to, there are a lot of aspects that each one must work on. However, according to Barber, one of the biggest keys is confidence: “I want to help teach them not to be too afraid to make a mistake. That’s when you get nervous and make a lot of errors. Being loud helps, too. You have more fun when you’re loud.”
The Rams have also released their 2014 schedule. They will open their season on the road against West Liberty on Sept. 6, and their home opener will be against Fairmont State on Sept. 13. The home opener will also be Ram Gridiron Club/Ram Nation Day. The Rams will have their annual spring game on Saturday, April 11.
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