MT. VERNON — It’s back to work for Dan Mings and the Mt. Vernon Rams.

Mings says there’s nothing like getting back on the field for that first practice, especially on the brand new turf at Ken Hunt Stadium. Mings’ second season in his second tenure as the Rams’ football coach began with what has become his traditional opening practice–one focused on special teams.

The Rams won seven of their nine regular season games a year ago, but the team had to forfeit two of those wins due to an ineligible player on the roster. They still ended up 5-5 and made the program’s first playoff appearance since 2013.

It was quite a turnaround for a program that was 4-47 the previous six seasons and had won only nine games in the eight seasons since that 2013 playoff appearance.

This year’s Rams will open with three straight road games, starting at Waterloo on Friday night, August 25. Then comes back to back South Seven games at Carbondale and at Marion before the team returns home to play its first game on the new turf against Collinsville September 15th.