Merced College football trying to keep level heads

Don’t expect the Merced College coaching staff to leap onto its own bandwagon anytime soon.

Two highly touted Division I prospects, defensive back Devron Davis and defensive lineman Kamilo Tongamoa, thrust the Blue Devils into the national spotlight during the spring and summer. Schools from the Southeastern, Big 12, Pacific-12, Big Ten and Mountain West conferences regularly visited campus. And despite a 5-5 record last season, the attention helped earn Merced the No. 26 spot in JCGridiron.com’s national rankings.

But coach Bob Casey is the first to point out a little hype does not guarantee wins.

“It’s great having the program out there and getting talked about in such a positive way, but it doesn’t mean anything,” Casey said. “We like what we have, but we have to deal with the same things as everyone else. Do we have enough depth? How are new guys going to respond when they’re in for the first time?

“Our main goal is to win a conference title and get to a bowl game. We think we have the pieces to achieve that, but we still have to put in a lot of work.”

The Blue Devils took to the practice field Monday as students flocked for the first day of school. Despite the sweltering August heat, the players energetically went through their reps as a new season approaches.

“We’re excited to be back out here putting in work,” sophomore safety Earl Chambers said. “I really believe we shouldn’t lose a game this season. We have the talent at every position to do it.

“Last year, we learned we have to finish up games and cut down on our mistakes.”

Merced is looking for its first winning season in 18 years. The Blue Devils were close last year, finishing .500 for the first time since 2003 and losing its five games by 19 total points.

With a good core of returning players and promising talent at the skill positions, there’s plenty to be excited about. Still, Casey is tempering expectations. The Blue Devils still have a number of holes, including picking a new quarterback after Juwan Brown transferred following his freshman season.

Merced has two intrasquad scrimmages in the next two weeks to help finalize the starting lineup. The Blue Devils open the season at Los Medanos on Sept. 5.

This story was originally published August 17, 2015 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Merced College football trying to keep level heads."