#HSFT18: Stop No. 1 – Vardaman Rams

VARDAMAN, Miss. (WCBI) — Vardaman aims for a third straight playoff appearance in 2018.

The Rams finished with a 6-6 record in 2017, and have to replace fourteen seniors including quarterback Trae Owen.

“We spent the spring trying to piece the puzzle together with new people,” said head coach Larry Gann. “Young guys moving up, and we’ve got three returning starters in the backfield, but we are looking for a new quarterback. One offensive lineman returns, and so we have some gaps to fill, and we are trying to get the pieces fit to give us the best chance to win.”

Those chances hinge on how quickly the new faces adapt to new places.

The Rams have been putting in the work this off season and look forward to building off last season’s success.

“Just getting better really because we lost a lot of seniors,” said junior receiver Kody Townsend. “A lot of young guys are going to have to play that haven’t played really before, and me and a lot of older guys are going to have to step up.”

“Just try to come back and win and have a winning season,” adds senior teammate Patrick Pratt. “Since we didn’t have a spring game, I feel like we’ve gotten better and smarter, and they can fit in.

The Rams have a rich tradition of making the playoffs. Last season, Vardaman made the playoffs for the 29th time in program history.

Head coach Larry Gann hopes this year the team can make it three straight.

“We’ve tried to get the tradition back of going to the playoffs, in which we’ve able to do the last two years,” Gann said. “Anytime you are building off that you have something positive to start with. It’s just a matter to get these young kids familiar of how we do things. What the expectations are, and them finding their role on the team.”

Last season Vardaman was moved to the 1a south region due to the reclassification, but now the team is familiar with whoever they face heading into the fall.

“All of them are good,” Townsend said. “We just have to work hard and beat every single team that we play. Every week we have to practice hard.”

“It’s tough, but we can play with them,” Pratt adds. “We just keep working hard and we can beat them.

“They are going to be well prepared,” Gann said.  “They’ve got real good players. It’s just a matter of stepping up to the challenge and you know they are going to be ready week end and week out, not the teams up north were not, but from top to bottom it’s pretty strong.

Vardaman opens their season at home on August 16th when they take on South Pontotoc.