Rams gear up for 2024 season under new leadership [Video]

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – After the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Jack French, the Rams head into the 2024 season under new leadership, as long-time Opelika coach Erik Speakman takes the reins.

For Speakman, the biggest adjustment for him after making the jump from 7A Opelika to 5A Faith Academy has been the number of kids on the roster.

“That’s part of the learning curve for me, is dealing with a smaller roster, you know, really cutting half of what we had at Opelika, so just making sure we’re getting good quality reps on both sides with all these crossover kids. At Opelika, you’re 6A/7A all those years, and really nobody is playing both ways. So you really separate your offense on one side of the field and defense on the other end.”

After spending spring training with this Rams team, Speakman says Faith Academy’s strength will be the offensive and …