By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Poof.
The moment last season ended it was time to move on for Mount Rainier football head coach Tremain Mack.

After being winless in the 4A South Puget Sound League, it was gone and forgotten.

"The minute last season ended I was focusing on this year," said Mack. "Don't want to focus on the negative. And, also, turn the negative into a positive is my philosophy."

Then, that said, the Rams lost their opener to Tahoma, 42-14, Friday but it's non-league, for one thing.

For another, it's just as well as it never happened, at least the negative of it all, because that's not the way Mack thinks.

"In my eyes as a coach, we are going to take it one game at a time, that's the mindset," said Mack.

For the last three years, Mack's been building this Rams program, instilling things into kids' heads that get them to believe in pride and other stuff.

"I tell the kids, 'Once A Ram,' in practice, and, they finish it, 'Always a Ram.'"

Mack explains.

"I went to Miami, I'm a 'Cane (Hurricane)," said Mack. "We said, 'Once a 'Cane, always a 'cane.' And, I want these kids to know, whether they just graduated or are coming back after 30 years, that once you're a Ram, you're always a Ram."

Elaborating further, Mack said, "We want the kids to graduate, to be men of impeccable character."

Mack noted the website, too, "mountrainierfootball.com." There's news stories on there and all kinds of other things for players -- past and present -- to peruse, and everyone else out there, too.

Mack noted that in the area of Des Moines a good group of players comes from a tougher neighborhood, less income, and more challenges. And he wants those players, and all the players on the team, to know that he can be what they might not have at home, with "that" being family.

"My mom was a single mom. I had no father growing up for most of my life, and a lot of kids on our team have that situation, too," said Mack. "When I went to Miami, Chuck Pagano, who is now the coach of NFL Indianapolis Colts, was my defensive backs coach. And he was not just a coach to me, he was like family. With that kind of coaching I received, I want to give that to the Rams kids."

Mack, eventually, got to talking about his players, and what good things, indeed, he could say about them. But the story is not through yet with how the foundation is building year by year for Rams football in this Mack's fourth season.

"A lot of these kids are not used to structure. They have not learned that behavior, but they are buying into the program," said Mack. "And the ones who don't buy in, they are out."

That's, on a side note, why the Seattle Seahawks have become so successful. Coach Pete Carroll does not put up with problem players, they either buy in or they are not playing for him. That's what Mack is wanting to bring to the Rams.

On this day, the Seahawks were opening against the Green Bay Packers, and everyone and, their grandmother, so to speak, was tuned into that game, not just in Seattle, or Washington State, but, in the USA, since that NFL game opened the season.

And Mack was busy speaking until 5:45 about his team, and one can guess he likes Seahawks football, too.

"Yeah," Mack said. "But I don't watch the Seahawks tonight. I will be here for awhile, getting ready for tomorrow (Tahoma game)."

The Rams lost that game to Tahoma Friday, and it's already a figment in Mack's imagination but for the positives carried out like the fact that after Tahoma led, 14-0, in the first quarter, the Rams equaled Tahoma in points in the second quarter. The Rams and Thunderbirds each scored two touchdowns, so, it was Rams trailing, 28-14, at the half, thanks to Renato Contreras' touchdown pass to Kyle Sadettan and Contreras' 15-yard TD run.

So, there's a beam of light there, and the fact the Rams played the game on the road and Tahoma's a pretty good football program, too, through the years.

Players that Mack mentioned giving the Rams more than just a little ray of hope for the future, start with seniors, and team captains Brogan Meyers, a center/nosetackle, weighing 250 pounds to go with a 5-8 stature, and Sumner Storey, 6-1, 180, playing tight end and linebacker.

"They are natural leaders," said Mack. "They are about leading by example. They both went through past coaching seasons with me. No, we didn't do as well as I would have liked last season, but we're not focusing on that. I know it takes time to build programs, taking little steps. Stepping stones. We have a long ways to go, but we are going in the right direction."

And, Meyers and Storey are leading the way?

"Yes," said Mack.

"Brogan, he's the catalyst, the voice of this team," said Mack.
"Sumner, when he came out, he was more hefty than not. He was not in the best of shape, but he came out and played some. And, now he's our starting middle linebacker. I thought he was quiet when I met him. He first played for me his sophomore year, but I learned he's involved with everything in the school, ASB, has a 3.8 GPA, etc."

Just doing things right, in the foundation that Mack said he is wanting to lay "the right way."

"We have a program that's based off of Rashaad Norris' work, he works at Highline Community College outreach," said Mack. "The program is called 'Barbershop,'where I take 12 kids into the office and give them notecards and tell them to say what's on their heart. It allows kids to be able to open up about things they are going through. We listen, and talk, whether it's shed a few tears, or have some smiles, or laughs."
And there are stories about players, too, and, though one of the youngest members on the team, Justin Martinez, does not play young.

"One word, 'unbelieveable,'" said Mack. "He came to our players' meeting the first day that eighth graders could come and he was able to listen to me introduce the new defense. And, by the end of the meeting, Justin knew all the answers to the questions. He's very football saavy."
Another player Mack mentioned was Contreras, who is a 5-11, 200 pound linebacker and running back and plays a little QB, too, as the TD pass he threw to Sadettan against Tahoma in the Rams opener tells.
"He's very athletic, and a hard-nosed football player," said Mack. "He's a leader, very versatile."

And Shawn Mammon.

"Best hands on the team," said Mack. "I love the kid to death, an all-around good kid. He's going to get everything that comes to him. He runs the best routes on the team."

Alex Metros was next.

"He's a kid who's matured, blossomed," said Mack. "I believe he can play tight end in college."

And Jersiah Tafia is who Mack labeled as the team's quarterback.

"He came over as a transfer from Evergreen High School," said Mack. "And, ever since he's been here, it's night and day with our passing attack. He's very comfortable in the pocket. Special kid. Real leader. He was voted team captain, too."

Keegan Piper gets some words.

"He's a three-year starter," said Mack of Piper, a 6-1, 210 junior, on the line. "Not really ready physically when he came out but mentally was all there. He came into his own and is a starter now."
And one more story, about Martinez.

"In combine, we were doing squats as a team," said Mack. "And, he's a young kid, not as strong. So we put 240 pounds on. He gets under it and goes to lift the weights and it dropped him to his knees. He got up, gets in there again, and gets it. Then he said to put on 10 more. So he moves up to 250 and then 260 and 270, 280, 290. This is where he won over his teammates. He did not stop until he didn't get 310 pounds lifted. That's the kind of kid he is."

This team is going to be the kind of team under the leadership of players like Storey and Meyers, and, Martinez, whom Mack did not name as a team captain because he's too young, but, at least to the defense, he's a somebody, for certain.

"In the eyes of the kids, Justin is the defensive captain," said Mack.
And, back to Meyers and Brogan and change they see on the team.
"He's been trying to make things consistent," said Meyers.

"He's putting things together with good intentions," said Storey.
"We have a new offensive coordinator, Steve Fenton, he's trying to change the football culture around here," said Meyers.

"Our class is set to help bring change," said Storey. "We are trying to get the support of the faculty and student body, having support from more aspects of the community."

Both Meyers and Storey did things to help bring change to the players' thinking, too, that is, academically speaking.

"We started last spring having team study halls," said Meyers. "We offered to help any of the players that were needing help in subjects and such. Those who took advantage got dividends."

"Those who didn't are paying the price now," said Storey of players who are academically ineligible to start out the season or just aren't up to speed with learning and, consequently, this school year is going to be tougher on them, one can imagine.

And Storey and Meyers helped out in other ways, too.

"We helped with a 'Back to School' drive through King County Library System, organized things, put stuff back into storage," said Storey.
"Lending our muscle," said Meyers.

And so things are going to be starting up for the Rams now and Mack's ready to win. Forget the Tahoma game, it's gone. From now on, win. And, if not win the game, at least, small victories --steps -- in a positive direction drawn from games.

"We are going to play football, and, play to win," said Mack. "And, let the chips fall where they may, but we are going to play to win."

And, Storey was asked about winning, too. Win or lose, what should the team feel like after the game. Storey's answer was abrupt.

"Win or lose, I want to win," said Storey.

And Meyers was a little more conservative.

"Win or lose, it should feel like we improved, worked as hard as a team, and can be satisfied that we gave it our all."

Mack said, "The kids were willing to all go through a full off-season program. I can't pick out one kid that is not buying into the program. These kids want to be here."

And that kind of investment will always pay off.

The Rams move to the SPSL 4A Northwest division this season, playing Federal Way teams -- Todd Beamer, Decatur, Federal Way and Jefferson, instead of playing the Kent schools like last season.

The Rams' first home game is against Bethel this Friday Sept. 12 at Highline Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m.