Salem looking to turn some heads with a renewed commitment that touches every part of the program
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
SALEM – The Salem football team is playing basically the same schedule it did last year in head coach Kemp Carr’s first season, but if those opponents think they’re going to get the same struggling Rams team they saw last year – the last two years, really – they’re in for a rude awakening.
With the addition of some dynamic newcomers, a renewed focus and aggressive approaches on both sides of the ball, the Rams promise to be bigger, stronger, faster than the group that struggled to score and went winless in 2024.
| SALEM |
| Aug. 18: x-at Pennsville |
| Aug. 22: x-Haddon Heights |
| Aug. 29: Pleasantville |
| Sept. 4: at Cinnaminson |
| Sept. 13: Woodbury |
| Sept. 20: Glassboro |
| Sept. 25: at Schalick |
| Oct. 4: at Middle Twp. |
| Oct. 11: West Deptford |
| Oct. 17: at Woodstown |
| Oct. 25: Penns Grove |
| x-scrimmage |
“We don’t try to talk about last year,” receiver Kaden Robinson said. “We want to erase last year. It’s a new year, new season. Bigger, faster, stronger. It’s a completely different team, completely different program.
“It makes me hungry. I’m glad we have the same schedule. Want to dominate every team we played last year when I look back. Got a lot to prove. If they sleep (on us), it’s time for them to wake up.”
The Rams had one of their toughest seasons in recent memory, going a depressing 0-9 for their first winless season since 2012. They scored nine touchdowns all season and held a lead only twice – the first touchdown of the Cinnaminson game and halftime of the Middle Twp. game.
They slammed the book on that chapter the minute their last game against Penns Grove went final and they haven’t looked back.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Carr said. “(Last year) is expired. It’s already expired. Everybody’s expired. Everybody.
“A team goes 8-3 doesn’t mean they’re 8-3 this year, or 0-9. It doesn’t matter (what last year was). You’re in the 2025-26 football season. A lot happens within a year. A lot happens. Depending on how you address your program, you can get better or you can get worst.
“The only thing I do know for sure, this team has gotten better – personnel wise, mentally wise, the social dynamic of how they handle each other. You can take good teams and be great or take great teams and only be good. It usually happens by the mentality of the senior leadership and how they carry themselves. I think we have a good (group) of guys wanting to do the right thing.”
And a lot has happened since the Rams last played a game. They committed to being better. They intensified their offseason workouts. They picked up some new players to address their shortcomings. And they put a lot of miles on the road to text themselves. Carr called the difference he’s seen between last year and this one “night and day.”
“We’re not here to make the playoffs,” Carr said. “We’re here to win a championship, but we’ve got to get off the schneid. We’ve got to get a taste of that win. It’s gotta happen fast.”
The new mindset also is reflective of how the Rams will look on the field, having changed their approach on both sides of the ball. Think of it truly as basketball on grass, and the playbook has expanded accordingly to reflect the players’ abilities and aptitude.
The fast-break offense will have multiple options for dual-threat junior quarterback Desmond Thomas, who returns to his Salem roots after posting some big numbers in two varsity seasons in Georgia. He has looked impressive in the well-travelled Rams’ summer workouts and camps and will have as many as eight receivers and four running backs at his disposal.
“We’ve got a lot of depth, a lot of athletes,” Robinson said. “Anybody can play any position at any time. Everybody’s versatile.”
“We’ve definitely improved a lot,” center Wyatt Irvine said.
Carr called Thomas “the real deal.” The quarterback is smooth and fearless in the pocket, a strong runner and eager to get started.
“It feels great; I just wanted to be back home,” Thomas said. “I’m looking forward to a great season. I’m 10 times more excited (about this season starting). One, I’m being back home, being back with all my people. Ready to make history.”
On the other side of the ball, the Rams’ pressing defense will be rooted in chaos, with 6-5, 240-pound lineman Antwuan Rogers leading the charge. Captain Chaos, who committed to Temple earlier this summer, has his eye on the Rams’ single-season sack record (19) and he’ll be put in various spots to give that a better chance to happen.
That’s all right by him.
“I’m loving how everything is looking,” Rogers said. “We’re going to be good. We’re much more focused, locked in, working harder than ever. A lot of heads will turn. We’re going to shock the world.”
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