Rams took lumps in 2019, but gained valuable experience
Ringgold head coach Darwin Manges makes a point during practice.
Ringgold players practice at Joe Montana Stadium.
In a sign of the times, Ringgold coaches make sure pads are cleaned and disinfected between player transitions at practice.
Ringgold's D.D. Dotson runs the ball on a play during practice.
Ringgold鈥檚 Wyatt Nicklow makes a diving stop of Trinity鈥檚 Micah Finley during a game at Joe Montana Stadium on Sept. 13, 2019. Nicklow returns to the Rams for his senior season.
A year ago, Ringgold went 2-8 under first-year head coach Darwin Manges.
Manges, a Ringgold graduate, knew it was going to take time to turn around a program that went 3-16 over the two previous seasons combined.
Playing the 2019 season with a young and inexperienced team, Manges and his squad took some lumps but gained valuable experience.
鈥淲e have seven or eight starters back on both sides of the ball and others saw significant time,鈥� said Manges. 鈥淲e were dealing with a lot of freshmen and sophomores and in a perfect setting, those kids would have played JV (last year), but nothing can replicate varsity football.
鈥淲e were baptized by fire as far as that goes.鈥�
The Rams took two weeks off after last season ended, and while Manges and his staff wanted to give the team a little more time off, but they players insisted on getting the offseason going.
鈥淭he kids wanted to get it rolling,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e saw a tremendous growth in lifting and the mild winter helped.鈥�
Then, the coronavirus hit.
鈥淲e had 30 to 35 kids involved up until March 13,鈥� Manges said.
鈥淚t was a buzz saw and slowed us down, but we had been able to get things accomplished,鈥� continued Manges. 鈥淓verything halted and was at a standstill until the voluntary workouts could begin.鈥�
When asked to elaborate more on the young players that had to gain varsity experience out of necessity, Manges spoke positively.
鈥淲e are looking for those kids to take the next step, mature and become the players we think they can become,鈥� said Manges. 鈥淎 lot of the players, both older and younger, put on 10 to 20 pounds, their strength has improved and hopefully that leads to improvements on the field.鈥�
Manges spoke highly of his returning starters, as well as other key players who could see time.
Among the players mentioned were seniors Julien Altamare (center, defensive line), Wyatt Nicklow (quarterback), nationally-ranked kicker and punter Clay Rosensteel, Jacob Walsh (cornerback), and Jason Walsh (quarterback), and juniors John Polefko (fullback, linebacker), Braydon Fine (slot and outside linebacker who could see time at quarterback), Donte Kinds (back, safety), Dante Compagni (offensive tackle and defensive line), Jacob Frahlich (guard, defensive line), Jacob Meyer (guard, defensive line), and D.D. Dotson (running back, outside linebacker).
The Rams are competing in the Class AAAA Big Eight Conference, and Manges is aware of how talented the top of the conference is.
鈥淚t is a tough conference and it is starting to resemble the same section when I was a player here in the 1980s with the local rivalries, said Manges. 鈥淢cKeesport, TJ and Belle Vernon have programs that speak for themselves.
鈥淲e aspire to be at that level, and we know that there is not one Friday night where we can look at the schedule and can say it is an easy win. It will be intense. There is no wiggle room and it really is a tough conference.鈥�
Other teams in the conference include Laurel Highlands, Trinity and West Mifflin.
鈥淲e want to see growth from year one to year two,鈥� Manges said of his expectations for the 2020 season. 鈥淭he players are now comfortable with our system and understand why we do what we do.鈥�
Manges spoke highly of his players.
鈥淚 love our kids, respect them and they are totally committed,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen you have to kick kids out of the weight room and off the field, those are good things and we weren鈥檛 seeing that last year.
鈥淲e are who we are and have what we have, and I wouldn鈥檛 trade these kids for anyone.鈥�
Ringgold opens the season Sept. 11 at Trinity in conference play, but the first game will be bittersweet for Manges as his father passed away May 23 and won鈥檛 be at the game.
It was his dream to see me as the head coach at Ringgold,鈥� Manges said. 鈥淚 am thankful that we were able to make it happen, and he was able to see it.鈥�