McCullough, staff moving Rams in right direction
Ringgold's Daryl Tolliver (13) deflects a pass intended for Laurel Highlands' Antwan Black during a game last year. Tolliver returns to the Rams for his junior season.
Ringgold wide receiver Szyair Dungee (6) looks for running room against Laurel Highlands during a game last year. Dungee is back with the Rams for his junior season.
When second-year Ringgold head football coach Marcus McCullough was hired to take over at his alma mater for the 2022 season, he knew it was going to take time to get his program going in the right direction.
Time is exactly what McCullough and his staff have been putting in as they are looking to get things turned around, as the Rams have won a total of six games over the past five seasons.
A plus, according to McCullough, is the number of young players that have come out for the team this season.
“There is a lot of interest in younger kids, and we have a big class of freshmen coming in,” said the man known as Coach Mac. “We only have nine seniors, and we lost 13 to graduation from last year.
“We have a young team, and while we don’t have a lot of experience at key positions, the kids have been putting the work in.”
The Rams’ roster consists of nine seniors, along with 12 juniors, nine sophomores and 20 freshmen.
McCullough has made some changes to his staff since last year, and the most notable hire is bringing in Mikey Blainefield as his defensive coordinator.
When McCullough was an assistant at Monessen two decades ago, he coached Blainefield and spoke of his former player with passion in his voice.
“It is like my son is coming home to help me raise my grandkids,” McCullough said with a laugh. “He is a man of his own and I have the ultimate trust in his abilities.”
McCullough said his expectations for the team, and goals, are one in the same.
“We want to win more games than last year, and we want to get a conference win,” he said. “I expect our players to grow each day, each snap and each game.”
The Rams return three All-Conference players from last season: junior wide receiver/cornerback Daryl Tolliver, senior offensive tackle/linebacker Zach Cheplic and junior punter Aidyn Whaley.
Cheplic is moving to linebacker from the defensive line, while Whaley, who also plays soccer, will also take on more of a prominent role at wide receiver and safety, according to McCullough.
Six other players return as starters on offense, or played a lot of snaps, including two other offensive linemen joining Cheplic, senior Xavier Crenshaw and sophomore Gordon Altemare.
“Having three players back up front is a big key for us,” McCullough said.
The other returners on offense include senior running back Jamar Bethea, H-backs senior Zach Winberg and junior Austin Pehowic, and junior wide receiver Szyair Dungee.
McCullough pointed out that three underclassmen are vying for time at quarterback in sophomores Matt Behanna, Ty Anderson and Will Toprani.
“Matt had some varsity experience last year as a freshman has taken the majority of the snaps this summer,” said McCullough. “Ty has tried out for quarterback this year, and Will is a promising freshman.”
Altemare and Crenshaw return up front defensively, Winberg and Pehowic will see time at linebacker with Cheplic, and Bethea and Dungee join Tolliver and Whaley in the secondary.
The Rams are in the Big 7 with Trinity, Thomas Jefferson, McKeesport, Laurel Highlands, Latrobe, and Connellsville.
“McKeesport and Thomas Jefferson are the top teams on paper,” said McCullough. “Trinity isn’t too far behind as they laid blocks last year and are growing.”
The Rams open the season in Week 0 when they heads to Elizabeth Forward, who is under first-year coach John DeMarco.
“John is a great coach and will continue to keep them going in the right direction,” McCullough said. “It is going to be a tough opener for us.”