Rams ready to chase another high school football title
Gavin Cobb is the Swiss Army Knife of high school football, playing receiver, quarterback, defensive back and returning kick-offs and punts for the powerhouse Mount Douglas Rams.
The Grade 12 all-rounder will also join a list of 24 Rams alumni who have gone on to play college football since 2010, having offers on the table so far from the SFU Clan and Regina Rams, and interest also expressed from the UBC Thunderbirds and Guelph Gryphons.
“I want to keep the tradition going and perform at a high level like they do [Mount Douglas alumni in CIS football],” said Cobb.
He is certainly elusive and hard to pin down on a football field.
“When you are a smaller player, you have to be fast,” said the five-foot-10, 165-pounder, who runs the 40 yards in 4.40 seconds.
The Rams won the B.C. tripleA high school championship at B.C. Place Stadium in 2011, 2012 and 2013 before losing to South Delta in last year’s provincial title game.
“That’s motivation for us . . . it’s incentive, for sure,” said Cobb, who also plays on the Rams basketball team.
The Rams began the quest for redemption with a 46-22 victory over Mount Tahoma High School of Tacoma, Washington, last Friday to start of the exhibition season. The pre-season continues with a game Saturday against Mount Boucherie from West Kelowna at 2:30 p.m. at Mount Douglas.
Rams head coach Mark Townsend makes sure the players focus as much on the class room as on the field. Although Rams product Alex Anthony began the CFL season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and fellow Mount Douglas-grad Alex Carroll is currently suiting up with the Riders, Cobb knows players need a backup to their pro dreams. A good student, he has law school in mind after university football. But that’s all a long way off. Cobb and his fellow Rams have their eyes set on regaining the B.C. crown that was wrested away last year.
“When you have had the success we have, you become the hunted,” said Townsend.
The Rams fell prey to the hunters in the B.C. final last year. They don’t plan on that happening again.
“Players like the Davis brothers [recent Rams grads currently in the CIS with the UBC Thunderbirds] are hard to replace. We’re smaller in size this year but we’ll be hard working,” vowed Townsend.
Mount Douglas this season will do what few high school varsity teams have done — start a Grade 9 player at quarterback. Gideon Kremler will take the majority or reps, with Grade 12 seniors Cobb and Manny Lopez also expected to rotate in for snaps under centre.
The Rams will continue the pre-season on Sept 19 when they host Lord Tweedsmuir. Mount Douglas opens the regular season on Oct. 9 when they host Notre Dame.