Even when discussing the option offense, Kennard-Dale quarterback Duncan Leftridge goes to the same recipe for success he uses on the practice field.

"Repetition, repetition, repetition," the senior signal caller said Wednesday afternoon.

Leftridge didn't necessarily need to say the word three times, but his point was driven home that much stronger. When it comes to mastering Kennard-Dale's offensive system, the key is going through the motions over and over and over again.

The Rams have been taking repetition, repetition, repetition to a new level during training camp this year.

After failing to win a single YAIAA Division II game last season and finishing 2-8 overall, Kennard-Dale brings back a positive attitude and more experience running the option after debuting it last year.

Now, the Rams just have to master the system.

"Our option looks OK right now," Kennard-Dale coach Doug Wilkinson said. "We still have some work to do with timing and stuff like that. But conceptually, the kids understand what we're doing, which is good. That's always a big step for us."

Wilkinson said his team "should have been 5-5" last year, blowing multiple leads and turning the ball over in crucial situations. Against otherwise winless Eastern York, the Rams led by 21 points before suffering a defeat against the Golden Knights.

Limiting turnovers will help Kennard-Dale avoid squandering leads, and mastering the option will lead to fewer turnovers.

"A lot of the

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turnover problems came from indecision," Wilkinson said. "They weren't at the exchange, they were at the snap. And ball security is important for any option football team."

So it all goes back to repetition, repetition, repetition.

"It's a timing issue," Wilkinson said. "So much of the option depends on timing and the quarterback reads and stuff like that. Every quarterback on the team now (understands), even the kid that's coming up from the freshman team because we ran it down there last year.

"They've all got a year of looking at those reads, so the option has slowed down for them some."

During Wednesday's practice, Wilkinson had Leftridge open the early afternoon session running several different plays without a defense, just to increase his reps and continue to get him comfortable with the offense.

"It's all about thinking," Leftridge said. "You have to think as much on run plays as pass plays. You can't just

turn around and hand the ball off."

The offensively focused practice wasn't as effective as the Rams' earlier sessions, according to Wilkinson. He told his players he was upset with their lack of effort multiple times, but said afterward that he has otherwise been pleased with what his team had done on and off the field since practice began on Aug. 11.

"Our senior leadership has been great and this team really likes each other, much more so than most of the teams we've had in the past," Wilkinson said. "A couple of years ago we had a football team that was really close and we had a really good season, for us at least. We're seeing the same type of camaraderie from this group."

Among other things, the Rams are united behind winning several more games this season, especially in the division. Leftridge and his teammates have dubbed it the "year of retribution."

Considering Wilkinson put the number of games the Rams should have won at three, perhaps it should be called the year of retribution, retribution, retribution.
smclernon@ydr.com; 771-2045