sports CORRESPONDENT

There are always predictions in horse racing by columnists, and, with those educated guesses are also "sure things."

With the 2005 Des Moines Rams Junior Football League teams, there are five divisions but only one team that proves it can surely be a best bet before things are through in 2005.

The Pee Wees division coach, Bennie DeFils, has experienced success with the Rams organization even though every single team took last place last season. Most of the teams were winless in the eight-game campaigns. And DeFils was no exception to that slaughter. But look at this year and teams might start calling DeFils names, like "The man," "sarge," or, hey, this one fits best, "champion."

"I've been coaching for six years now," said DeFils, who was the winning coach on the championship Sweet Peas division team two years ago. "We have been to the playoffs four of those years."

But last year was not so good for DeFils.

"We had 21 rookies last year," said DeFils. "It was a learning experience. This year we have four rookies."

But it turned out toward the end to be a good season in the midst of many more losses than wins in 2004.

"The team fought through," said DeFils. "Late in the season, we lost to the eventual champions by just one point."

So, things look pretty good this season for DeFils.

"We're looking pretty good," said Bennie's son, Andre, who was on that championship Sweet Peas team in 2003. He is a leader as well as a fullback and linebacker on the Pee Wees this 2005 season. "We have a lot of veterans."

That explains the 17 less rookies part pretty well.

As far as the ones other than the players, they look like they will fill their roles well, too.

"We have an excellent coaching staff," said DeFils, naming offensive coordinator Joe Allen and wide receivers/quarterbacks/defensive backs coach Howard Carter and some others. "We are working on their fundamentals."

One player that is fundamentally sound is at quarterback for this Pee Wees team, John Slaughter.

"We have an outstanding athlete in John Slaughter," said DeFils.

Another skill position star should be at running back.

"We have one first year player, Irvin Gilkey, that is probably going to lead the league in rushing," said DeFils.

The players are ready to quit practicing and start playing, like a Pee Wees linebacker and tackle, Kelsyn Carruthers.

"I'm ready to hit," he said. "I don't care who we play, I will just go play as hard as I can, no matter who it is."

What's good about this Rams team is that the offense is similar to the high school around here.

"Andre is playing freshman ball at Mount Rainier," said DeFils. "We are running the same offense as the high school team is running. That way when they get out there and coach says a play they will know exactly what that play is and they will know exactly what they are supposed to do."

So, things look good for the Rams' JFL and for the Rams' high school team that gets these experienced players shortly and, in some cases, like with Andre, already gets them.

There are reasons to believe then and not bet that this Pee Wees team will do what they did as Sweet Peas a couple years ago. But whoa, don't get that money on the table just yet.

"Winning is up to the kids," said DeFils. "But we are going to put them into a position to win."

Another division that should get better play than 0-8 is the Bantams under Donald McGhee. He takes all the blame for what happened last year and is planning on his changes making the season turn around win-loss wise.

"I seriously think we will do better this year," said McGhee, pausing."No, I know we will do better this year."

Why?

"I 've had every minute of every practice planned up to Aug. 26 (end of pre-season practices)," said McGhee. "It's all about who prepares best. You can have 60 across the field from you but only 11 play. We have less players than other teams so I have to make sure my guys are physically ready. I run practices like a military style, and, I was in the military for several years."

Players to watch on the Bantams include the quarterback that McGhee is thinking will do good things, who would be Caden Rowland.

"He's doing great. He's a natural build for quarterback. He's an all-star in basketball and baseball his dad told me."

There's the one he will throw to, too, that should help this team grab more wins - wide receiver Ty Himmelman.

"He's a good catcher," said McGhee. "He runs hard."

Then there's the runner who runs hardest, according to McGhee, running back Eric Lewis Jr.

"He's the fastest runner on the team and he's at that all-out intensity stage," said McGhee. "He is always going full speed. He didn't like our practices going half-speed at first but went slower for the new kids."

Only four returners to the Bantams, speaking of new kids, so it's good McGhee is preparing himself well.

"I keep my playbook by my bedside every night," he said. "I have given all the kids playbooks too. I wrote down for them what every position is too and what every position does.

Coaches helping out McGhee are Miles Richardson, whose son Conner Richardson should be a good fullback.

McGhee also will motivate these kids with a pretty cool deal .

"I'm going to take my two MVP's of my first game to the Bellevue High School vs California top 10 Poly-Long Beach. Poly-Long Beach has put more players in the NFL than any other team." said McGhee.

McGhee has almost forgot about the sad last season. Almost.

"I think I have done my homework for this year and will keep doing it all through the season, but I do still keep last year's playbook in my bedroom to remind me I was not there last year. I plan to win and then I will burn it at the end of the season."

Another team that could be hot despite being quite cool last year is the 89ers, the youngest division. The two coaches, head coach Fred Archie and assistant Kendrick Smith, look to be on the same page for first year coaches of this team.

"We only won one game last year but Kendrick and I plan on winning it all this year," said Archie.

They will win, too, with some things that most 89ers coaches don't dare teach the kids mostly about-throwing.

"We are throwing the ball," said Archie. "We are not basing everything on run, run, run. We have three passing plays."

If you teach them to drop back and put their ear to the ball, then what?

Kendrick was there, too, and explained.

"I was taught where I went to high school at Kentwood that way the other team cannot slap it away is if it's up high," said Smith.

Offensively, quarterback Marco Aguilar will handle the big duty.

"He's the leader, he's nine," said Archie of this team with seven, eight, and nine year olds on it. "His parents say he can do it."

There'll be some guys to take the load off his shoulders . When not throwing, the ball will be handed off likely to speedsters like Austin Hallmark and Devante Archie.

Wide receivers are not figured out yet but the tight ends are Anthony Teja and Tony Archie.

It's going to be a simple playbook despite what might seem like complications from trying to teach the youngest age division to thow and catch already.

"We are trying to teach them responsiblities now and they will take them with them throughout the rest of their lives," said Smith.

"We have given all of them their own individual playbook," said Archie.

It's going to be fun for the 89ers, as the coaches get into the practices with the kids from things said like, "When you're out on the field, the mouthpiece stays in," as Archie was saying and Smith was telling them what the center needed to do lining up against the offensive line as he took off on 'hut.'

"You got to be like a bulldog," said Smith, even doing some snorting and feet shuffling while in a down position. He definitely looked more like a bull than a bulldog but the player watching listened attentively and was soon down on all fours ready to rip and snort his way toward the quarterback.

Smith plans on these kids really liking football.

"We are going to have pizza, parties, one of those jumping things, you got to motivate them," said Smith, smiling.

This team is going to smile its way to victory seemingly and if they do it will be from Archie and Smith telling them what to do, simply.

"We have plays like 32-die," said Smith. "Players will know it from playbooks but it's simply a play where the three guy goes through the two hole. Simple. that's what we are teaching them. Quarterback is one, fullback is two....(Play not correct numbers so as not to give away stuff to other teams reading this story)."

And they will know what to do and this everyone can know.

"Our motto is simple: '89ers. Work hard," said Archie. "And, we work hard out there with them. One of us always runs with them when they do a lap . We don't want them having to do anything that we won't do."

Sounds like a nice combination for success.

The next team to talk about is the Sweet Peas. Assistant Tom Crawford explained that the season was one of reflection and not wanting to see that kind of stuff in the mirror again.

"We had some complex plays for the kids last year that were too much for them to understand," said Crawford. "We learned from that."

The players remember it, too.

The team's quarterback this year will likely be Wakemsie Atkins Jr.

"We got like stuff we can handle not like those reverses and other things we ran," said Atkins Jr., one of the 10 and 11 year olds on this level.

Crawford likes the level Atkins Jr. is at now.

"He went down to Colorado for a football camp this summer," said Crawford. "He got an award."

"I got the best quarterback award for my age group," said Atkins Jr.

So this team seems to be headed away from the winless negative of last year.

"We are going to play straight, tough football," said Crawford, mentioning running back Mo Lewis as one doing the most running straight through defenses.

"He will be our starting back," said Crawford.

He almost talked about defense.

"Tre Vaughn Sterling-Holmes will be one of the best guys," said Crawford. "He is strong and smart."

The remaining team to throw in there is the Midgets, still another team that had a drag of a season last year but hopes to reach the Promised Land of the playoffs this time around.

"We have players who are capable," said coach Dave Kutschara.

How do they expect to improve on a winless season and reach the playoffs?

"We have more experience out there," said Kutschara. "We have been running the wing-T offense. We have seven players returning."

There are reservations, however.

"We could use a few more players," said Kutschara. "But we are starting to get it together. We are still learning to execute plays."

Players like quarterback Brice Wade and center Brian Wade and running backs like Charlandez Powell shoulde make or break this team with their abilities to break through holes and hit wide receivers and tight ends down field.

Action opens Aug. 28 at Chevy Stadium in Sumner with the day's action starting at 8 a.m.