By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
There are new faces. There are veterans. And Del Rio Rams Head Football Coach Rod Taylor and his staff are working to bridge the two and create a program that will just grow stronger for the next couple of years.
Monday the newest chapter of Del Rio Rams football got underway under the Texas sun. With the all-weather track at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium undergoing replacement, Taylor and his players have taken up residence at the grass soccer field located adjacent to the Queens Softball Field.
Despite the new surroundings, Taylor is confident the field will be ready by the home opener Friday, Sept. 3 against Odessa High.
Right now, his focus is putting his team together. Last year’s team went 4-5 and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But Taylor also lost a large group of seniors from both sides of the ball after a season that saw several players also sit out due to COVID.
Taylor is also concerned that some of his projected starters or contributors will start the season unable to contribute due to grades, but their absence means it’s next man up and the first two days of practice have shown there are plenty of players ready to step up and be the leaders the Rams need.
Zachary Taylor, Coach Taylor’s son, has established himself as the man to beat for the starting quarterback position. Tall and lanky, the younger Taylor saw some action last year in the Rams’ playoff game, but he was kept out of the spotlight during the season. After a strong track season, Taylor returned to the team for spring football where he showed he wasn’t just speed, but had an accurate arm as well.
Only a sophomore, Taylor brings a dimension to the program that hasn’t been seen in many years. In practice, he goes through his progressions until he finds the open man or just wisely dumps the ball out of bounds. If the heat gets too much in the backfield, Taylor hasn’t been shy about pulling the ball down and letting his legs do the work. According to his father, and at least one other coach, the younger Taylor was clocked in the 40-yard dash at an eye-popping 4.4 seconds. He matched that time more than once on different watches, showing he has the speed that the Rams offense will no doubt need.
Taylor also spent the summer working with the Rams’ 7-on-7 team, going unbeaten in Uvalde and dominating at Carrizo Springs. While Rams coaches aren’t allowed to coach that team, they were on hand to watch the future of the program in Taylor, his running backs and receivers.
Defensively, the Rams are going to be led by linebacker Jesus De Luna.
A First Team All-District linebacker as a junior, De Luna has shown the same fire and tenacity that has become a hallmark of the Rams’ linebackers over the years. With big brother Alejandro, also a unanimous First Team All-District linebacker last season, graduated, the stage is set for Jesus to carry the De Luna legacy to greater heights in 2021.
De Luna’s football IQ is apparent as he reads the Rams offense and calls out changes on the fly to his fellow defenders. Once the ball is snapped, he becomes a guided missile, locked onto whichever person is lucky enough to carry the ball. He finds them and tags them. No hitting for right now as pads won’t be incorporated until later this week, but the intention is there. In De Luna’s eyes, he got that ball carrier.
His intensity is obvious to his coaches. On Monday, as the team went through their drills, De Luna barked out it was his field and warned any offensive player who dared invade his space. Rams co-offensive coordinator Davin Hawkins had a simple reminder for his players regarding De Luna, “He talks all that noise, but remember that he can back it up.”
The biggest problem facing the Rams is low turnout, but part of that is due to the numbers of players that hadn’t gotten their physicals yet. Head athletic trainer Brad “Doc” Dixon said the first district-wide sports physical clinic was a big success, so much so that they had to turn families away. A second clinic will be held Saturday, Aug. 14, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Del Rio Middle School gym. Cost is $25, cash or check only, but no appointment is needed. A parent or guardian must be present, though.
