Before the season, Rams’ head coach Terrance Banks talked a big game about his team. It had some wondering if he was just being arrogant or if there was actual truth to his words. The Rams just lost their last game of the season, going 2-1 in the playoffs, but it seems Banks was right about a lot.

Back in June, Banks sat down with this reporter to talk about his first year as head coach and the then upcoming season in an exclusive Q&A.

“We gotta continue to show our rivals that, as I tell my kids, we run this county. We gotta continue to remind Alcovy every year that we run this county. It’s one high school and y’all are extras. We don’t play Eastside anymore, but we want Eastside to know from the way we play this year is it’s in y’all best interest not to play us in the regular season. (Rockdale High School head football coach Venson Elder) knows. Me and him are good friends. He’s like a mentor to me. Game 10 we’re going back to Rockdale, and Elder has a trophy that belongs to me. I need to remind him that last year was a fluke and that’s why y’all didn’t make the playoffs. We can’t sneak up on anybody this year. If we make game 12, it’ll take care of itself. When you get to 16 teams, everybody is good. We’re on the right track,” Banks said back in June.

They are on the right track. In fact, they’re probably on the best track south of winning a state championship.
Banks and his team backed up all the talk before the season, beating Eastside in a scrimmage, decidedly beating Alcovy in a region matchup and taking the trophy back from Elder and the Bulldogs. Then the Rams made it to the playoffs and upset Valdosta in a 27-14 victory allowing Newton to reach its goal of making it out of the first round of the playoffs.

Newton took it a step further by beating Central Gwinnett and advancing to the third round, another first for the Rams. The dream of a state championship or at least a trip to the semi-finals was deferred against Etowah.

The Etowah Eagles played smashmouth football and punched the Rams in the mouth with its power running game. Newton lost the battle in the trenches, which was a huge factor in the loss to Etowah. Banks said before the season that Newton’s success depended on the play of its line, and he was right.

“We have the potential to be a great football team if some things fall into order between now and August. We gotta get better line play, not that our line play was bad. I’m gonna start probably three sophomores on our defensive line. This is their first time playing varsity, so they’ve got the potential to be fantastic. But it’s just potential until you do it,” Banks said in the Q&A.

“Our season really depends on how well our line plays.”

All true. The offensive line played well, well enough to win. It was the defensive line that needs the most improvement, and with the youth that Newton had on its line, getting better shouldn’t be a problem.