The Fresno City College Rams Football team is gearing up for next season. The Rams lost the last game of the 2023/2024 season to Contra Costa College in the Gridiron Classic Bowl.
FCC Football Head Coach Tony Caviglia is emphasizing their offensive game in their spring practices.
“We gotta be more consistently efficient, we made some mistakes at some crucial times last year that we gotta clean up,” Caviglia said.
Caviglia knows his team turned the ball over a little too much for his liking, but is still confident in their defense.
About half of the players are preparing to go to four-year colleges, while the other half prepares for the next season at FCC.
The remaining players are also preparing for the incoming freshmen, and will act as mentors to the new players.
“It’s their job to lead the freshman when they come in here and guide them along,” Caviglia said.
With community college football being a two-year program, the recruiting process is crucial in making the team whole again. Caviglia says they’re recruiting “hard” and keeping an eye on local talent.
The new players have made sure to have a Student Education Plan when they come in and also receive priority registration. It is important for the freshmen to be on top of their academics and that all starts with
recruiting.
“Most of the guys that come to our football program with aspirations to move on to four-year colleges,” Caviglia said. “You can’t do that unless you take care of your academics.”
Team building can be hard when the team is still in high school but the incoming freshmen get to practice with the rest of the team in the summer, and that’s when the excitement for the season starts.
Caviglia shouted out his running backs, linebackers and quarterbacks as standouts in the spring practices. Ah’marion Gaines-Smith, running back for the Rams sat out last season due a back injury, but is fit for this next season.
The team is doing well on fronts, but in the quarterback position, a problem arises on which player to pick.
“We have a really good battle of the quarterback with three good players,” Caviglia said.
Caviglia believes good coaches and good players are the key to win. He feels fortunate to have both here at FCC.
He would like for more students to show up to the games. They haven’t gotten the roll out they used to get before COVID at the home games and Caviglia hopes that can change.
“If they don’t have anything to do on a Saturday afternoon or Saturday night, they love to come out and play,” Caviglia said.
