By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
STAYTON, Ore.– The Regis Football team enters the season with a strong senior group.
Those five seniors, they were freshmen when the Rams reached the 2A State Semi’s and despite the last two years being tough, going 3-8 as sophomores and 1-8 as juniors, they’re hoping to leave their marks this year as Regis looks to bounce back and get back on track as a program this year.
For Owen Eaton, the seniors from their freshman year stick out as the standard barriers of the kind of leader he wants to be this Fall for the Rams.
“We just remembered what all the older guys were like, we just got to be like that for the younger guys. The seniors that year were very good role models for us, so we got to emulate that this year,” said Owen Eaton.
“Everyone played last year. It was really big for us, all the young people and me, Korben (Schumancher) and all the seniors, just getting out here and we’re already going for this season.”
Regis will enter the season under first-year Head Coach Tanner Mannen, and coming off the jamboree this past week, the Rams have been piecing things together as they start the season with a grueling slate of games.
They start with Lowell on Friday at home before heading to Monroe and St. Paul. The game against the Buckaroos on September 18 starts league play before the Rams return hom September 25 against Willamina and they’re hoping this week from the jamboree will help them in preparation for what is to come.
“Our pass protection I felt was pretty good. We didn’t give up a sack in 36 plays, which is a huge thing for us. I think we had some lapses in coverage, so working on our coverage was a big thing this week. Working on our coverage is a big thing, working on alignment. Lowell ran some unique formations, making sure we are aligned properly and pursuit angles, that was a big thing too,” said Mannen.
Those breaking down and containment drills have been big. The focus defensively is keeping everything in front of them and not giving up anything deep and giving their offense a chance to roll, something that has Mannen excited to see as they kick off the season officially on Friday night at home.
Kickoff against Lowell will be at 7pm.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
