Trae Rambin is the ultimate safety blanket for Iota trainer Josh Andrus.
Andrus’ senior quarterback knows the Bulldogs game book so well that Rambin can spot the mistake if Andrus, as Rambin would say, has a rare “brain fart” when calling up a piece.
“There are a few times that I call a track and he looks at me crazy because it’s the wrong formation or the wrong direction,” said Andrus. “So we try to get these things during the week where they don’t happen in the game. But when you have someone you trust and know that they know the offense so well, you can be sure that they will change the correction if you make a mistake entering a game to get us in formation or to bring it in the right direction of play. ”
At this point in time, Rambin knew Iota’s verbose playbook like the back of his hand. It didn’t happen overnight. He’s essentially a four-year starter, though he missed almost all of his sophomore year due to a first season clavicle injury. He was put into action as a freshman when the second starter retired injured about a week before the first game of the 2015 season.
“He’s taking over as a newcomer, everything is thrown at him, I think he handles it really well,” said Andrus. “It kind of made him do it. He picked it up pretty quickly.
Ironically, his own injury the following year helped his spiritual growth just about anything within the offense. He spent the entire second season delving deeper into the game book and training his two backups.
“The second year was a setback for me, but it was also more of a year of learning,” said Rambin via SMS. “I kept studying the plays and who to read on the defensive and when I came back in junior year I had no second thought about what to do.”
Indeed, Rambin is now in full control of the Bulldogs offensive as Iota, unbeaten and top seeded, prepares for a fourth seed semifinal game against Sterlington. A year after reaching their first winning season since 2008 – the Bulldogs were without a win in the 2013 and 2014 seasons – Iota is in the semifinals for the first time since 2002.
And Rambin was largely Andrus’ man in the spotlight – from three overall victories in the first two years of Andrus to the front door of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Rambin. “I’m starting as a newcomer and I’m going to the semi-finals unbeaten as a senior with 1: 9 so far. I can certainly speak for all seniors when I say it’s just amazing.”
Rambin’s stats in 2018 won’t amaze you. Iota’s on-site success this year – behind an offensive line that brought back four starters and two jams that tied up over 3,000 yards and 39 touchdowns – has allowed the Bulldogs to stick with what is in most games works. But Rambin’s steady hand, knowledge of the offense, and leadership make him an unsung hero in this remarkable turnaround story.
In the truest sense of the word he is a trainer on the field.
“I know we threw the ball a little less this year, but if you have that much success at running you’ll get away from that,” said Andrus. “Even if he’s not throwing the ball and is probably not having his best year, he’s still on the field leading the team.
“When you have someone like this, the attacking line, running backs, receivers, they want to play for him. I think that carries over to the locker room with the defensive side of the ball, just being a captain and leading by example than him having to tell a lot about what to do.
“Having someone like this is almost irreplaceable when talking about the leadership and the ability not just to throw the ball but to lead the team.”
Despite the difficult years 2015 and 2016, Rambin and the Bulldogs had little doubt about their abilities. They weren’t as experienced as this year, returning 13 starters, but they weren’t quite young either. In addition, they had an all-state performer in the backfield at Kaleb Guillory, who totaled nearly 2,500 meters in 2017.
Rambin said Guillory served as a mentor.
“I looked up at him,” said Rambin, who accounted for a total of 17 touchdowns. “Not just because he was a high school student, but because he was a team leader. He’s helped me understand things I never understood and he was just a great ball carrier. “
Despite losing Guillory to the deal, Iota’s previous 13-0 record shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
In addition to welcoming 13 starters, two All-District actors joined the group: Luke Doucet and linebacker Tayte Langley. Doucet has spearheaded an offensive that averages 36.1 points per game, hitting 2,198 yards and 25 touchdowns in 196 carry games. Kaleb’s younger brother Kollin added 1,049 yards and 14 touchdowns to 89 carry.
“We on the team and in our fan base refer to Luke and Kollin as ‘thunder and lightning,'” said Rambin. “Luke is ‘thunder’ because he will hit everyone in his own way. Kollin is ‘lightning’ because with his speed nobody can catch him on the sidelines.”
With an experienced line in front of them and “Thunder and Lightning” behind them, Rambin and the Bulldogs are trying to return to the state championship game for the first time in 16 years. At least the 14-strong senior class has left its mark.
“We believe we made iota football what it used to be,” said Rambin. “Last year was a breakout year for us. Last year’s end of the season was a mark for us, a mark we wanted to raise, and that’s exactly what we’re doing this year. Our coaches always told us, “Get out of this place better than you found it,” and that’s exactly what we do. “
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