The Rams women’s soccer team still holds a positive attitude and outlook despite having an unsuccessful season with a 4-12-2 record and a few games remaining in the year.

“I have a little bit of mixed feelings,” said Head Coach Cassandra Cunningham.

“We went into the season optimistic. However, the overall mentality compared to last year is awesome.”

The women’s soccer program is only in its second year. The coaching staff and players agree that the team, as well as the program, is still in its building stages and it is only a matter of time before they experience success and stability.

“It’s still a building team, there are parts of the puzzle that are not complete. We haven’t been successful but we’ve come a long way from last year,” Captain Emma Larkin said.

The Rams had a great pre-season.

Early in the season, the Rams were dealt a blow as they lost three key players to injury and personal issues. The team was then faced with enduring the season with a smaller team.

“It changed the dynamics of the squad,” Cunningham said.

The team proved they could compete on the same level as their opponents. They had significant wins against Mission College, Canada College, College of the Redwoods and Marin College.

Although their record may not show it, the team has made big strides in improvement compared to last year.

“Our scores don’t really show what our players are like. This is definitely a team that can compete,” Larkin said.

Cunningham notes the individual success of many of the players on the team as one of the highlights of the season.

“The successes were watching individual players. There were some amazing games,” she said.

“This is a good group of ladies that I have worked with.”

A definite strength of the team is the solid chemistry they share. Many of the players are friends on — and off — the field.

“Our chemistry is good and by next season we should be even better,” said Mateza Cheatham, right midfielder.

“The team is a unified front,” Cunningham said.

The players and coaching staff look forward to next season as well as a bright future for the program.

“I hope years from now the program will be moving,” Cunningham said.

Although the team did not get the results they expected this season, they still want to finish the year strong.

“We want to finish our season with pride,” said right-back Veronica Gonzalez.

“Being patient is the key to success. You have to exist before you can move forward,” Cunningham said.

 

E-mail: jgutierrez@theguardsman.com

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O'NEAL PROVIDES OFFENSIVE OUTBURST FOR RAMS

BY JENNIFER LOPEZ

EDITOR

Credited by head coach George Rush as being "the fastest player on the field", Kenny O'Neal leads the Rams in receiving yards. MELISSA MA / GUARDSMAN

The night before a game, Rams receiver Kenny O’Neal stretches while listening to Tupac Shakur and Jay-Z, preparing his mind and body for what is to come.

Shakur’s “Ambitionz az a Ridah,” is his favorite.

“It makes me feel like I’m unstoppable, and whoever is going against me has to prove that I’m not,” O’Neal said.

The Oakland native has found a new beginning with the Rams football team after being dismissed for “conduct detrimental to the team” from Florida State University last year.

O’Neal says that he was dissatisfied with the program.

“I didn’t really vibe with the coaches. I wasn’t being used the way I would have liked, so I’m kind of starting over again,” O’Neal said.

He seems to be getting along fine in his new surroundings. Head Coach George Rush had nothing but compliments when asked about O’Neal.

“He’s a real good guy and doesn’t have a big ego,” he said.

 Rush also said he was impressed with O’Neal’s modesty and pleased with his positive attitude.

“It’s more important for him to contribute to the team rather than be the star of the team,” Rush said.

The slim, 195 pounds, 6-foot-1-inch cornerback is a defensive and offensive threat, and also sees time on kickoff return. O’Neal also ran track and field in high school and at Florida State.

“He had an outstanding high school rep and he’s an outstanding college prospect,” Rush said.

O’Neal grew up in East Oakland, in a neighborhood referred to as the “Murda Dubs.”

He credits his mother, Rochelle Darden, for helping him get through.

“It was tough. My mother was on welfare, but her being strong helped me see the bigger picture,” O’Neal said.

His mother sent him to Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia in 2000, though O’Neal didn’t want to reveal why.

“It wasn’t like jail but it was close to it,” O’Neal recalls.

O’Neal would wake up at 5:30 a.m., attend class and study hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then practice until 9 p.m.

After his junior football season, he came back to Oakland and graduated from Skyline High School. 

“When I got back, I was more focused on football and not being the same Kenny that had to be sent to Benedictine. I was totally opposite from what I was.”

From Skyline, he went to Florida State where he played in 11 games, caught five passes for 110 yards, and led the team in kickoff yards before being dismissed. He then came to City College because of friends who had attended.

He’s hoping coach Rush can be as helpful to him as he can be for the team

“I think I should get the ball more, but it doesn’t really matter as long as the team wins,” O’Neal said.

The dimple-faced, charismatic Ram hopes to start a career in broadcasting, similar to his idol, Deion Sanders.

He has begun taking some broadcasting courses at City College and hopes to transfer to the University of Southern California, the University of California at Berkeley or Tennessee State University.

Though for now, his ambitions lie in taking the state championship. 

“I just want to see us shine as state champions.”

         

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BUTTE VICTORY KEY FOR RAMS

BY JENNIFER LOPEZ AND MILES HARWELL

EDITORS

Receiver Adrian Hilburn catches one of two touchdown passes. MELISSA MA / GUARDSMAN

Prior to the City College Rams football team’s final regular season contest, Head Coach George Rush recognized the team’s need to maintain aggressiveness, despite facing the unranked Butte College Roadrunners whose record is currently 2-7. 

“All we have to do is win,” Rush said. “I’m not underestimating Butte by any means. They’re still very strong in certain areas.”

After a 35-34 loss to Santa Rosa Junior College on Nov. 4, the Rams came into the game with an 8-1 overall record. The Rams shared the no. 1 rank in Northern California with the Santa Rosa Bear Cubs and the Foothill College Owls.

The Bear Cubs’ sole loss of the season came at the hands of the Owls on Oct. 21, who the Rams defeated 27-24 the following week.

With an unmatched offensive attack, and defensively holding Butte to 25 yards of total offense, the Rams tallied a 29-12 victory which earned them a spot in the Dec. 2 Hawaiian Punch Bowl against Fresno Junior College to decide the NorCal champion.

“This is something to be proud of,” Rush said. “Our players take away a lot of pride from winning this game.”

After completing only 4-of-9 passes on the Rams’ first two drives, quarterback Zac Lee hit receiver Jonathan Smith with a 29-yard pass. This set up a 15-yard scamper by tailback Tyreece Jacks, who evaded three Roadrunners defenders while running towards the left sideline, before diving into the end zone.

Despite this run, Jacks was held to only 61 yards on 15 carries as the Roadrunners minimized the Rams’ ground attack.

Where the Rams were limited in rushing, they succeeded through the air, with Lee throwing three touchdowns in the contest with 281 yards on 21-for-35 passing.

Lee completed a 28-yard touchdown pass to receiver Adrian Hilburn, who was maimed in the end zone by two Roadrunner defensive backs while running up the right sideline; this put the Rams up 15-0 going into the half.

The Roadrunners attempted to respond in the second half with a semi-successful rushing attack.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” said linebacker Paul Ferarri, who had six tackles in the contest. “We tried to stop the pass and just assumed we would stop the run.”

The Roadrunners scored on their second drive of the second half, which went 16 plays and concluded with a 2-yard run by tailback David Sims, who provided Butte’s only two touchdowns.

“I just wanted to play as hard as I could,” Sims said. “I tried to help, but it didn’t come out.”

The Rams responded with a decisive score following Sims’ second touchdown, driving from their own 20-yard line. Lee utilized Hilburn, as well as receivers Kenny O’Neal, Deric Davis and Andre Wells for 80 yards of offense.

The drive concluded with Hilburn revisiting the end zone on a 15-yard pass from Lee with 6:20 remaining in the fourth quarter.

O’Neal was the primary target for Lee, catching nine passes for 120 yards and a 23-yard score to begin the second half. O’Neal, somewhat disappointed with the Rams’ lack of offense in the game, was pleased with the regular season-ending victory.

“It meant a lot to win. I wanted to put more points on the board, but you win some, you lose some,” he said.

This early game against Fresno resulted in a come-from-behind win with the Rams down by 21 points early in the second quarter; City College ultimately managed to slip away with a slim 34-31 victory against Fresno.

The City College Rams anticipate a less closely fought battle on Dec. 2.

“Hopefully, we’ll be better prepared this time,” Ferrari said.

 

E-mail: sports@theguardsman.com     

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