HOOKSTOWN - Every year the schedule pans out differently.
Sometimes a team begins its season with a few pushovers. Other times the schedule is not so kind in the first few weeks.
According to South Side coach Rich Schneider, the Rams - who travel to Springdale tonight for round one of the Class A WPIAL playoffs - should be well prepared after finishing the season with a few heavyweight battles.
"(Springdale) had a tough part of the season at the beginning," the South Side coach of eight years said. "We started easy and finished tough. I'd rather have the tough part at the end."
The Rams (6-3, 4-3) began the 2008 campaign with two easy victories over Burgettstown and Brentwood, scoring 10 touchdowns while only allowing three.
"We started off like a ball of fire," Schneider said. "We scored 70 points and our opponents scored, but only against our (junior varsity players)."
Week 3, however, brought the Rams back to reality.
Traveling to Laurel, South Side suffered a difficult double-overtime loss, 27-21.
"That was a real setback," Schneider said. "I knew that would come back to haunt us."
The Rams responded by beating Neshannock, Union and Shenango in the next few weeks, but losses to Monaca and Rochester had South Side clutching to playoff hopes entering a Week 9 showdown with perennial power Western Beaver.
Behind a strong performance from sophomore running back Luke Shaffer, the Rams upended Western Beaver, 21-14, securing a playoff bid.
"(Western Beaver) had a shot at being the first place team," Schneider said. "We were playing more for pride than anything else. I think we surprised a lot of people. It was a big game for us. Hopefully we use that as a springboard into the playoffs."
Springdale (6-3, 6-1) started the year with two tough road losses to Monaca and Western Beaver, leaving its playoff hopes already in doubt after just two weeks.
The Dynamos, however, would drop only one more game the rest of the season - a 22-21 loss to Avonworth in Week 5 - and averaged over 48 points a game in the final four weeks.
Sprindale, which boasts 18 seniors, will provide South Side with a stiff test, and according to Schneider the game will be decided in the trenches.
"Our offensive line has been playing well," he said. "You can't score unless your (offensive line) is doing the job."
Luke Shaffer has been one of the beneficiaries of the Rams improved line play, rushing for 177 yards and two touchdowns in the final week of the regular season.
"We weren't sure what to expect from him," Schneider said. "We knew he had a good offseason. We felt he had the potential to do well and he has. As a sophomore, you're not sure what you'll get, but he's done very well."
As an added bonus, South Side now has Luke's brother, senior quarterback Michael Shaffer back to 100 percent after suffering a leg fracture during the preseason.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams have seen linebacker Jordan Potts, nose guard Dusty Steckman, tackle Bill Everetts and safety Colin Checkan step up their play along with others according to the coach.
If the Rams are to pick up a road playoff win tonight at Veterans Memorial Stadium, they will have to be clicking on all cylinders.
"We thought we'd make a run at the playoffs from the beginning," Schneider said. "We thought all along we had a shot. Our kids never quit. They just kept coming back."
