When you look at the nine teams the Greene County Rams will play in football this fall, then examine the number of returning players and their statistics, it’s clear to see why the players and coaches feel like 2018 should be a season where the wins out number the losses. That hasn’t happened since in for the Rams in a while. And, clearly, just because a player returns from the previous season doesn’t mean more wins than before. Put the second year coaching staff and off-season training program with the countless hours spent on the game of football, plus the number of players coming back, plus the drop in class size from 3A to 2A, and it’s easy to understand why excitement has been in the air at practice.

Returning letter winners lead the way, as they normally do. That group includes four players who were Class 3A District 2 all-district selections in 2017, when the Rams were 1-6 in the district and 1-8 overall. Senior Trey Hinote was was on the offensive all-district team as a receiver, and junior Xavier Hayes made the team as a defensive back. Junior Tyler Miller, a two-way lineman, was an honorable mention choice, as was senior Clint Dennhardt, who quarterbacked the team. That quartet is joined by a host of others that saw considerable playing time a season ago.

The Rams will hold their first full contact practice tomorrow. They’ll host North Polk (Alleman) on Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Annual Sports Drink Scrimmage. The regular season opener is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 24 at Dewey Field in Perry vs. the Blue Jays in the annual Battle for the Cowbell, which Perry won in overtime last year at Dewey Field.