Metro West Daily News: "Framingham State Football Ram Tough"
Earning success can be a long and arduous process. For the Framingham State football program, that long process is finally starting to pay off. Coming off its first Bogan Division title last season and a heartbreaking loss in the New England Football Conference title game to Western New England University, expectations are high as this season gets underway September 1 against Endicott. It is unfamiliar territory for a program that was down for decades
Framingham State football ram tough
August 22, 2012
By Kevin J. Stone, Daily News Correspondent
For the Framingham State football program, that long process is finally starting to pay off.
Coming off its first Bogan Division title last season and a heartbreaking loss in the New England Football Conference title game to Western New England University, expectations are high as this season gets underway September 1 against Endicott. It is unfamiliar territory for a program that was down for decades.
"We've got a target on our back for a change and we're going to see how we react," said Rams head coach Tom Kelley, now in his sixth season at the helm.
The team was in disarray several years ago.
"When I first took over the program again, we had 28 kids on the roster," Kelley said. "That's not competing - that's surviving."
Kelley first coached Framingham State from 1982-1985. From 2001-2006, the Rams were a putrid 4-41, prompting Kelley, the school's athletic director, to return to the job. His second stint began in 2007, but it was more of the same as the Rams went 2-7. However, things began to change in 2008. Kelley led the squad to a 5-5 mark, its best record since 1986. After another solid .500 season in 2009, FSU went 9-2 in 2010, earning its first playoff berth.
Last season, the Rams went 7-4 overall (6-1 in the NEFC) and, despite the loss to WNEC in the championship game, continued to build upon their foundation.
Now, entering the 2012 campaign, the team down on Maple Street is thinking championship or bust, a far cry from the expectations (or lack there of) from years past.
"So far the talk over the duration of camp has been leaving a legacy," said senior defensive captain James Muirhead. "The last two classes have been the most senior-winning classes in Framingham, and we want to add to that. We have a bad taste from that final loss last year and the only way to do something about it is to win games."
Another positive stride from the recent success Framingham State has enjoyed is now some of the area's more talented players are beginning to look there as a more than viable college football option. There are 12 players from the MetroWest/Milford area on this year's roster.
Senior wide receiver and Milford graduate Alex Avery is one of them.
"It was all about Tom Kelley when I was deciding," he said. "He was the only coach who came to me and said he wanted me here. He's got a great staff around him and it was a real easy decision for me. We're building something here and I'm happy I chose to be apart of it."
Kelley believes that the boost in talented recruits stems from hard work, some salesmanship and competition on the field, thus creating a productive work environment.
"We've just sold this program really well," he said. "I think kids see the records over the past couple years and see the commitment from kids around the area to the program, and they want to be a part of it now. We're very proud of the effort we've put in to get talented players to come and play here and we have some great kids. I have an excellent staff around me that puts in tireless efforts. We know every football player in the state when recruiting and the younger kids have come in and pushed the older kids. As a coach that's all you want to see, that competition."
Kelley, beaming with pride at what his program has become, believes his team has a good shot at being successful again this season. He also knows it will not come easy.
"If I had to stop tomorrow I could leave happy with what we've done here," said Kelley. "But I keep telling this team that it's their program. If you want to be better than the past two classes, then go be better than them. If we work hard enough we have a chance to be a real good football team, but it's on them."
This is also going to be the final year of existence for the New England Football Conference, and the only thing the Framingham State Rams have on their mind is finding the final championship trophy at the end of the long road they've been on.
"We want to own it," said Avery with wide eyes. "We've worked so hard since I got here to build this up, and now if this is how the conference is going to go out, then we want to be the ones sitting at the top of it at the end."