[tps_title]Harriton Rams [/tps_title]
PETE BANNAN DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Harriton wide receiver Brian Stewart eyes a pass during August practice.
Rams return promising players on defense
LOWER MERION >> Although Harriton had a winless campaign (0-10) in 2016, the Rams return some promising talent this fall, particularly on defense.
Their brightest light on the defensive side is senior free safety Jack Thomas (5-8, 160), who earned second team All-Central League honors the past two years. 
Up front, the Rams feature a couple of promising players in senior nose guard Nick Molineaux (5-10, 170) and junior linebacker Harry Thomas (5-10, 160).
Harry Thomas, the younger brother of Jack Thomas, received All-Central League honorable mention last fall, missing All-Central second team by just one point. He was the Rams’ Defensive Player of the Year last fall, edging out older brother Jack, who had won it the previous year.
“Harry has great instincts and a great ability to show up at the ball,” said head coach Justin Mellor.
Molineaux is moving from middle linebacker to the nose guard spot, and likes his new position.
“Playing nose guard is fun,” said Molineaux. “You can just run at the ball; whereas at linebacker, you might have to drop back in coverage.”
“Nick has a great motor,” said Mellor. “He is a total team guy who will do whatever is best for the team. He is quick off the ball and works relentlessly.”
Size matters
Overall, the Rams’ biggest challenge this fall is size. The roster currently has about 50 players and only a few of them weigh more than 200 pounds.
To meet that challenge, Mellor said the Rams invested a considerable amount of time and in the offseason to team building.
“We’ve spent a lot of time in the weight room, and setting goals in our weekly meetings,” said Mellor.
Rosenfeld at QB
The Rams’ offense will be directed by junior quarterback Jack Rosenfeld. He was held out of the early preseason drills due to a pulled muscle, but is expected to be ready by the start of the season.
“I’m looking forward to this season,” said Rosenfeld. “We’ll be throwing the ball, and we have a lot of wide receiver threats.”
Ready to receive
Rosenfeld’s main targets should be senior WR/CB Markee Marshall (6-2, 155), senior RB/CB Nate Nagvajara (5-9, 170) and junior WR/CB Brian Stewart (5-9, 135). Others include senior Nick Bumbera (6-4, 180) and senior Ian Sullivan (6-0, 170) who returns after being sidelined with an injury last fall.
Up front, senior Nate Wilkins (6-7, 250) is a two-year starter and in Mellor’s words, “an imposing figure.” Other offensive linemen the Rams are counting on are Molineaux, junior Ryan Dieudonne’ (5-11, 215), senior Arya Nanda, sophomore Mike Swartz (5-6, 171), junior Connor Block and senior Max Reed.
Serving his country
Nick Molineaux has applied for admission to the U.S. Naval Academy. He said, “Service to my country is what’s important [to me]. I want to become a Marine.”
By Bruce Adams; badams@21st-centurymedia.com
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