RHS Football Team Looking to the Past - Both Good and Bad - as it Aims for the Future

Rockville High School football coach Rob Scholtz did not step in at the proverbial 11th hour to take over a Rockville High School football program to sit complacently.

No … he knows the recent history. After going 8-2 in 2004, he said, there have been "too many 1, 2 and 3 win seasons," including a 1-9 mark last fall.

He summed up his feelings with a short sentence.

"It's not Rockville football," he said.

So what does he do? For one, get some attitude - look to the state championship squad of 1990 as an example and live by it, he said. Charles Russell, a teacher at Vernon Center Middle School and a member of that team, is on the coaching staff.

The other thing? Keep looking ahead, he said.

"In previous years, the team would get down a touchdown or two and started wondering what happened," Scholtz said. "So do we fold, like in previous years, or do we suck it up and do what it takes to get those touchdowns back?" 

So the goals?

Scholtz said the state tournament, but added a more immediate concern is beating rival South Windsor, which the Rams host on Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m., and playing competitive football.

"If we work at it, we can get there," the coach said.

Rockville is scheduled to open the season tonight against vs. Rocky Hill.

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Scholtz said the key players for the Rams are Senior running backs Devon Charles and Trenton Shelton, junior quarterback Dan Wheeler, and linemen Geoff Barry and Tim Wilson.

"Our keys to success are holding the ball offensively, getting to the outside with our speed, setting up the tone early and often with our running game with Devon Charles and Trenton Shelton and playing good sound offense without turnovers and mental errors," Scholtz said.

One area of concern on defense is Rocky Hill's main back, Chris Young.

"He is a good, tough runner," Scholtz said. "We need to swarm the football, keep him from breaking tackles. We need as many Rockville hats on the ball as we can get each play."

He added, "We also need to use special teams and the return game and coverage to our advantage, this will be truly a test for all three phases of football offense, defense and special teams."