Quote of the Summer: “We were young last year, and the thing is going into this offseason we were set to return eight to nine starters offensively, but a lot has changed with everything going on. There is genuine concern form some parents, and those parents quite frankly don’t feel the same with their kids being up here. On the offensive line, we lost just one starter, our center. But now we had a kid leave for Texas and other kids fearful of what’s going on. We now only have two returning starters up front.” — Marcus Yanez, Richwood head coach

Overview: Richwood isn’t the only team that’s taken a hit to its roster due to the pandemic, but Yanez is one of the few coaches who will speak bluntly about it on the record.

The reality of the situation is teams like Richwood that went through struggles a year ago with its own youth movement did so in hopes of having a more mature, experienced team in 2020. The Rams still have experience in many spots, but with the departures on the offensive line, Richwood will be thin on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

And given the unsure nature of football in 2020, that’s a concerning talking point for all Rams fans given the physical play of District 2-3A.

Has that lowered the ceiling of Richwood’s growth following a one-win season?

The Rams got their junior varsity program up and running again in Yanez’s first season as head coach. How will that benefit Richwood moving forward?

One thing is for sure, the Richwood Rams aren’t lacking in the storyline department.

Offense: Yanez is as candid as they come. So when The Ouachita Citizen sat down with the second-year Richwood coach and previewed the upcoming football season, it’s not a surprise Yanez shot from the hip when it came to his veteran quarterback Michael Sherman.

“To be honest with you, I don’t mind calling him out, because with this being his senior year, I thought he would have embraced the leadership role a little bit more,” Yanez said. “Mike has two years of experience under his belt, and when he’s here, he puts in the work. He has good work ethic, but I just wanted him to take more ownership of this team.”

Sherman will have a nice array of talent surrounding him at the skill positions. For starters, Calvin (C.J.) Henderson returns at wide receiver. Last season, the 6’3”, 170-pound athlete tore it up on both sides of the football, including a season-opener that featured three interceptions.

“There’s a pretty good chance he won’t come off the field this year,” Yanez said.

Richwood’s senior athlete committed to Texas State as a safety in the offseason.

Joining Henderson at wide receiver will be juniors Antonio Taylor and Devin Hampton. Hampton scored 11 touchdowns for the Rams last season.

Sherman (athlete), Henderson and Hampton were all First-Team District 2-3A performers a season ago.

In the backfield, Richwood will feature Terry Meneweather, who rushed for nearly 500 yards last season and got hurt toward the middle of district last season. Linebacker Wesley Williams will get some carries as a bruiser. 

And speaking of bruisers, Richwood took its fair share of bumps up front during the offseason. Still, Richwood returns Myron Thomas, who started as a freshman last year, and junior Isaiah Matthews, who played a few games as a sophomore. Collectively, the unit will still be relatively inexperienced as the coaching staff mixes and matches different combinations of big bodies.

Defense: The prospects of Richwood’s defense are certainly high, even if the Rams are a lot thinner along the defensive line than Yanez would like to be.

If the Rams can stay healthy at that spot, the Rams will boast players like junior Justin Wilson, who very well may have to play both sides of the line in 2020. Senior Jacobi Singleton could have to play some ironman football, as well, but both Wilson and Singleton made their fair share of plays on the defensive front in 2019. One defensive lineman Yanez is hoping makes a big leap in 2020 is sophomore KeShawn Reed.

“He has a chance to be one of those highly recruited kids too,” Yanez said. “We expect big things out of him this year.”

At linebacker, Williams returns as the team’s leading tackler. Senior Jamauri McNeil will stand alongside him in 2020.

In the backend, the Rams return mostly everyone, including Henderson at the safety position. A wealth of experience returns after playing mostly freshmen and sophomores like Xavier Wright and Deveryn Brooks a year ago.

District outlook: District 2-3A might very well be a crapshoot in 2020. Sure, we know teams like Sterlington and Union will be fighting for supremacy at the top, but Carroll is coming off of a surprise year, Wossman has a new head coach and Richwood figures to be better after taking it on the chin in 2019.

And what will this district look like a tumultuous offseason for every team in the state, given the restrictions and challenges COVID-19 provided?

The more chaotic it is, the better that will be for teams like Richwood that look to make that huge climb in the district standings.

The Rams did not win a district game last season in a rebuilding season, but don’t forget Richwood is only three seasons removed from beating Sterlington in the playoffs and clinching a state championship berth.

Can the Rams pull off some that 2017 magic this season?