Penwarden joined the Willow Glen staff for the first time last year, serving as an assistant to Parker. The head-coaching responsibilities are not unfamiliar to Penwarden, who came to the Rams in 2002 after serving as head coach at Arcata High School for two years. Prior to that, he spent three years as a graduate assistant coach at Humboldt State.

Penwarden says he has "the utmost respect for coach Parker" and "will miss his Stanford mind" but plans on taking it one step at a time in the transition.

The Rams have only 29 players on the varsity roster, with nine of them returning starters from last year's squad that finished in the middle of the pack in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

Penwarden is encouraged by the group of seniors he has on the Rams. He says, "the seniors are never satisfied" and are always looking to "work harder" and "get better."

One of the biggest challenges that Penwarden faces for his offense will be to replace the potent passing attack that the Rams demonstrated last year. The Rams led the league in both passing and receiving in 2002 but lost both of those players to graduation.

Penwarden has confidence that senior quarterback Chris Hobbs (6-foot-2, 215 pounds), who is stepping into the starter role, will "lead by example." He believes that a "senior quarterback should provide the necessary leadership" to move a team towards its goals and Hobbs can definitely do that.

One of Hobbs' favorite targets should be returning starter and all-league wide receiver senior Alex Green (5-foot-10, 180). "He gets guys going, and we need that enthusiasm," says Penwarden. Green finished fourth in the league among the receiving leaders last year.

A passing attack is oftentimes only as good as the offensive line in front of it. The Rams have two solid returning starters who should provide a good foundation to build upon and protection for Hobbs. They are seniors Vince Lopez (6-foot-3, 260) and Andy Huynh (5-foot-10, 230).

With a limited number of players to draw from, as is the case with the Rams, many end up splitting time on both sides of the ball. Penwarden has several returning starters who went both ways last year and will be expected to do the same in 2003.

Defensive end Nick Barreto (6-foot-2, 203) will solidify one end of the defensive line, while Justin Ble (6-foot-4, 215) will anchor the other. They will be backed up by linebacker Lalo Garces (5-foot-9, 185), who also fills the role of a two-way starter.

On the offensive side of the ball, Barreto and Ble will share time at tight end and could be instrumental in helping Hobbs establish that passing attack that the Rams traditionally have executed. Garces will see double duty as a running back, looking to balance out the offensive attack.

The secondary will have some experience to build upon with the return of defensive backs Mario Montes (5-foot-10, 170) and Ricardo Munoz (5-foot-9, 185).

Even though he has some players with solid talent and ability returning, Penwarden realizes that with so few players on his squad, the pool of experienced players is limited.

"On a team of 29 players you need the young players" to step up and fill holes in many places, he said. There are several key young players coming up from last year's frosh-soph team that should be able to meet that need.

The Rams expect to get that type of performance from offensive lineman and linebacker Mathew Arvalo (5-foot-10, 200). "He leads by example and hustles nonstop," says Penwarden. Additional support on both the offensive and defensive line will be provided by Nate Torres (6-foot-2, 235).

One young player that Penwarden is particularly encouraged about is wide receiver Marcus Hill (6-foot-1, 180). He "has speed that we have not had in a while" at that position. Hill could prove to be an essential part of that traditional passing attack for the Rams.

When asked about where he sees the Rams finishing the 2003 campaign in divisional play, Penwarden's perspective is that it's "hard to say" because there are more unknowns and variables than usual in the West Valley Division this year.

Both Branham and Lincoln moved up and left the division. There are two new teams, with Del Mar moving down from the Santa Teresa Division and Evergreen fielding a varsity team for the first year ever after having a good frosh-soph season.

Add in the fact that Yerba Buena remained in the division even after going undefeated in league play last year and there are many unanswered questions that result in a whole lot of uncertainty as to what exactly to expect.

Penwarden and the Rams are not concerned so much about predictions on what is going to happen, but are focused on simply going out and meeting the challenge each week of the season. They have a "circle the wagons" mentality.

"We may have only 29 players, but each team can only put 11 players on the field at a time," says Penwarden. He has confidence that the Ram 11 will match up and be competitive.

Willow Glen 2003 Football Schedule

Sept. 13 at Fremont 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 19 at Overfelt 7 p.m.

Sept. 26 Silver Creek 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 3 at Mt. Pleasant * 6 p.m.

Oct. 10 at Evergreen Valley * 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 18 James Lick * 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 24 Leland 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 31 Yerba Buena * 2:45 p.m.

Nov. 8 at San Jose * 1:30 p.m.

Nov. 15 Del Mar * 1:30 p.m.

*Denotes Blossom Valley Athletic League West Valley Division game.