After graduating 16 players last season, the Oberlin football team faced adversity this year with a young roster. The team went 0–5 on the road and 3–2 at home, wrapping up this season with a 2–7 conference record, and a 3–7 overall record. Comparatively, last year’s squad tallied four wins, including a significant win over the highly ranked Wabash College Little Giants.

“We only won four games in 2013, but it seemed like we were more competitive. We lost a lot of talent and a lot of starters in key positions. We had some big holes to fill and our returners had some big shoes to fill,” Head Coach Jeff Ramsey said.

However, with a less than ideal record, players and coaches alike found the strength in one another to stay positive during rough patches. “It’s our job to always do our best. Our team motto is ‘Always compete and win forever.’ If we were to give up, we wouldn’t be practicing what we’re preaching,” said Ramsey.

The Yeomen certainly did not give up as they concluded their final season playing in Savage Stadium. The team defeated Hiram College in a 47–13 victory and said goodbye to the grass field that will be replaced by next season.

Savage Stadium is slated for a complete renovation, including a turf field and stadium lights. Though there is anticipation about the new facilities, some players expressed concern about the transition from grass to turf.

“It’s less of an advantage for us because no other teams have grass fields. But the turf surface is more desirable than anything else because of weather,” said Erickson Andrews, a junior kicker for the Yeomen.

Looking forward, the new surface will not be the only challenge facing the team next season. The Yeomen will look to bring in25 to 30 new recruits, according to Ramsey. He also shared that there are more early decision candidates than the team has ever seen.

“With a new stadium and facilities in the works, it would be awesome to see more people coming out to the games. I’m looking forward to everything about the new season,” said junior offensive lineman Josh Guisler.

Though the 2013 season did not result in much success statistically, a few players

stood out from the crowd. Senior Moses Richardson broke into the top-five rushers in school history in his last season. Senior Zach Kisley was selected for the All-NCAC First-Team. Joining him in earning conference recognition was fellow senior Kirby Livingston on the All-NCAC Second-Team; sophomores Nick Blaszak and C.J. Ihle and senior Kyle Kessler were named Honorable Mention All-NCAC.

“Zach Kisley and Kyle Kessler stepped up and really helped lead our young guys,” said Ramsey.

With a new batch of incoming freshman and an already young roster, the Yeomen have room for improvement next season. Coaches and players have expressed high hopes for the upcoming year and will look to come out with a strong start in 2014.