 |
| HEAD COACH KEVIN RAMSEY COURTESY: CAU PANTHERS ATHLETICS
ATLANTA, Georgia -- There is some extra pep in the step of Clark Atlanta University head football coach Kevin Ramsey this week.
|
The 2018 football season is just days away from kicking off at Mississippi College (Thursday, 8 p.m. EST) for Ramsey's Panthers and after all the preparation, he is ready to get things started.
"You're excited for another season," said Ramsey, in his fourth year as CAU's head coach. "It's just a blessing. I was telling the kids that this is my 34th year in football and the enthusiasm and excitement is still there. To see these guys put it on the field – with what we did from last year, winter workouts, and all the new guys we got here – is the ultimate test and that's what we look forward to.
"I'm excited for a number of reasons," he said. "When I look at a guy like Josh Banks who had an ACL injury, to see him make a comeback; I'm excited about Kenneth Morgan, who has been providing a lot of leadership for us. And I think of a Darius Preyer, who came here when I first got here. He was my scout team center at Alabama State as a true freshman and to see him as a graduate student contributing is very, very big and exciting. And the most exciting thing for me is my coaching staff. I think our continuity has been great since we've been here all together. And coach Willie Totten is a new addition, and that ball is still rolling."
The Panthers will hit the road Wednesday morning for the trip to Clinton, Miss., just west of the state capitol, Jackson.
Mississippi College is in their second year of transitioning into Division II and in the process of becoming full members of the Gulf South Conference. The Choctaws finished 1-9 last season, including a season-opening 32-29 overtime loss to Clark Atlanta at Panther Stadium last season.
After Johnathan McCrary's 1-yard TD run, Carlos Saldana converted the extra point to put the game into overtime. In the extra period, Saldana hit a 44-yard field goal to seal the victory.
Ramsey expects an even tougher contest this year.
"They have upgraded with transfers and got a new offensive coordinator and we're waiting to see what they are going to do," he said. "We don't know what they are going to do offensively. This first ballgame, the leading lady, is always about blocking on offense and tackling on defense. If we block well on offense, we're feeling pretty good. And if we tackle well on defense, we feel pretty good. And be sound in the special teams."
Panther Notes: Thursday's game will be aired live via web stream at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/mc/ … Last season's meeting was the first between the two schools….The Choctaws are led by John Bland, who is in his fifth season as head coach at Mississippi College….Of the nine Georgia teams that Mississippi College has played during their 106-year history, they have a losing record against six of them, including Clark Atlanta…. CAU offensive coordinator Willie Totten's first game at Clark Atlanta marks a return to his old stomping grounds. The College Football Hall of Famer made his mark a little over 90 minutes north of Clinton in Itta Bena, Miss., home of his alma mater, Mississippi Valley State University.
CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
No comments:
Post a Comment