Gridiron: Scott City reloaded and ready for redemption

After seeing the 2022 season end at the hands of Portageville, the Scott City Rams are hungry for redemption.

The Rams will return perhaps the premier 1-2 rushing punch in Southeast Missouri in Mark Panagos and Tyson Underwood, with hopes they can build on their success as seniors.

The Rams finished 9-2 a season ago and while losing some mainstays to graduation, the expectations are still high.

“We had a really big senior class last year and a lot of good players,” Rams coach Jim May said. “We had a good season but we have a ton to replace. We have a lot to figure out and find out about ourselves and that’s what we’re looking for inside (the locker room).”

With the way the playoffs ended for Scott City, they were eager to get back to work while also remembering the feeling of being eliminated.

“It’s not in the back of my mind, it’s in the front of it,” May said. “We’re ready to get started but it’s a completely different group with so many different people. So, we’ve got to forge our own way.”

Scott City�s Blake Wilburn makes a one-handed catch during a summer practice. (Photo by Tony Capobianco)

May said the Rams did a lot of self-reflection this winter and also looked at the way they do things to hopefully better themselves this season.

“We really self-scouted ourselves this summer and looked at tendencies and stuff we felt other teams were picking up on,” May said. “We’re working hard to try and break some of that stuff.”

On paper, having both Panagos and Underwood on the offense is enough to excite any coach.

With the rest of the group around them, May is excited about the potential offensively.

“Mark and Tyson are both returning and they’re both really good players,” May said. “Our receiving corps is going to be really good. We’re really tall, we’ve got a couple of kids out for football that hasn’t been here before that are going to be impact players for us.”

May feels that Underwood is going to have a better season than 2022.

Scott City�s Gavin Venable catches a pass during a summer football camp at Scott City High School. (Photo by Tony Capobianco)

“People are going to find out what Tyson can do with two arms,” May said. “He hurt his shoulder last year and he played with a hurt shoulder basically every game. I think he’s worked ungodly hard this winter and I hope he gets to reap the benefits of it.”

As the summer season progresses, May said the defense is a “work in progress” but feels they will get to the level they need to be.

“We graduated everybody,” May said. “I think we have a chance to be serviceable and get the job done but it’s going to take a lot of effort and a lot of guys learning to step up and do their role and they’re doing a good job of that.”

May and the Rams begin the 2023 season on the road at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 25, when they travel to take on the Dexter Bearcats.

The Rams will open the home portion of their schedule at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 1, when they host the St. Vincent Indians.

The highly anticipated matchup with Portageville will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 15 at Scott City High School.

__Scott City__

__Coach:__ Jim May (15th season with team; 75-73 team record; 78-81 career record)

__Last season:__ 9-2, 5-0 SEMO West

__Key returns:__ Mark Panagos, Tyson Underwood, Gavin Venable, Levi Senn, Lawson Graff, Blake Wilburn

__Key losses:__ Chase Venable, Trent Lathum, Dillon Donley, Dalyn Littlepage, Devin Keller, Colin Blaylock

__2023 Schedule__

Aug. 25 — at Dexter, 7 p.m.

Sept. 1 — vs. St. Vincent, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8, — at Hayti, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 — vs. Portageville, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 — vs. Malden, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 — at Kelly, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 — at Chaffee, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12 — at Charleston, 7 p.m.

Oct. 20 — vs. Doniphan, 7 p.m.