The Shelbyville Rams played one of their worst games of the season in its first-round loss to Belleville Althoff Catholic in the first round of the 2A high school football playoffs.

That loss has left a bad taste in the mouths of the Shelbyville football program and Coach Bill Duckett says it is definitely fueling his team this offseason.

According to Coach Duckett, his team loses a lot of experience in the skill positions. They bring back their quarterback from last year so the summer has been about getting skill position players and the new faces on their defense the reps they need to be up to speed this fall.

Coach Duckett likes the experience his team has and looks forward to the players they have returning taking a step forward and hopefully avenging the first-round loss in the playoffs last year.

The Rams travel to Newton to open the season. Coach Duckett has loaded the non-conference portion of the Rams' schedule. They host Eureka in week two, and St. Louis Roosevelt in week three before finishing the season at Nashville in week nine.