Mt. Vernon Register-News

Sports

Related Photos

  • MVTHS football coach Dan Mings (right) rallies his team during last week’s 28-7 win against Triad. The Rams (1-2) play at Althoff Friday night. Jeremy Hall/Register-News Jeremy Hall/Register-News

    images_sizedimage_260021119
September 17, 2009

Rams seek .500 plateau against Althoff

By JOHN ROARK

john.roark@register-news.com

BELLEVILLE — If the game’s all about momentum, then Mt. Vernon Township High School’s football team has a full head of steam heading into Friday night’s South Seven Conference opener at Althoff.

But despite last week’s 28-7 win against Triad — plus his team having won three of the last four meetings with this week’s foe — Rams coach Dan Mings realizes it’s time to bring the heat once more.

“It’s gonna be a by-product of the rest of the season,” said Mings, whose team sits at 1-2. “The is the first of five spread offenses we’ll see the rest of the year.”

The Crusaders are 2-1, having beaten St. Louis Northwest Academy and Mascoutah around a loss to crosstown rival West.

Never one to beat around the bush, Mings said Althoff’s offense creates tons of concern for his team, which won its first game last week after losses to East and O’Fallon.

“They’re averaging 40 points a game,” Mings said, “and they can score from just about anywhere on the field.”

Whereas East and O’Fallon used quickness and size to get to the edges against the Rams’ defense — and Triad used an option attack — Althoff spreads the field and forces personnel matchups.

“They have a 2 1/2-year starter at quarterback (Brady Nowak),” Mings said. “Althoff has people they can get the ball to (back Pat McGlynn and receivers Brendan Phillips, Carson Sonnenberg and Jabari Taylor).”

Mings said if the receiving corps wasn’t enough, Paul Cefaratii is the top rusher, and Nowak isn’t afraid to tuck and run himself.

Mings said his defense will have to be aggressive, as it was against Triad. Time after time last week, the Rams were in the Knights’ backfield, blowing up plays.

“We have to bring the heat,” Mings said. “Because their quarterback can sit back there and dink and dunk you to death.”

And?

“You can’t sit there, either, because they’ll run the football on you, too,” he said. “The spread offense is the new football. And we’re going to have to scheme it in order to be successful.”

As will be the case week in and out, MVTHS’s offense on Friday night will try to sustain long, clock-consuming drives — as it did against Triad, when the Rams rolled up more than 400 yards.

In reflecting on last week’s win, Mings said he liked “everything” about his team’s game film against Triad.

“i liked the way we played defense, I liked the way we threw the football when we wanted to — and not when we had to,” Mings said. “I was happy with the way our kids were on the sidelines, and I liked how we didn’t get a lot of penalties called on us.”

Mings used last week’s practice and victory against Triad to give other players a look or two.

“Hopefully, we’re at the point where we can work some kids in,” Mings said. “We have to realize that it takes a full team, not one or two kids, or even 10. It takes all of us.”

The Rams will welcome back Victor Brooks to the defense after a two-week layoff due to an injury.

Text Only
Sports