Last season the Oxford High School football team, playing its innaugural season in the always rough and rugged OAA, finished below the .500 mark for the first time in nearly three decades.

Don't expect it to become a trend.

The 2011 Wildcats are primed to make a statement this fall and that statement is; WATCH OUT!

"This squad is very experienced and very talented," said legendary Oxford head coach Bud Rowley of his current team. "We have a lot of seniors in the mix and that has traditionally translated to a good deal of success for this program on the field. We're all hoping that this season brings more of the same and we can end up showing our new league what Oxford Wildcats football is all about."

Starting his third straight season under center, senior quarterback Vito Gianola will lead a potent Wildcats' offense, featuring two D1 studs and possibly more in the near future.

Running back Prescott Line verbally committed to SMU and will be a tough bring-down for Oxford opponents while rushing the rock. His brother Zach, a Wildcats alum, is currently a starter in the SMU backfield down in Dallas and was named all-conference in 2010. Clearing the way for Line and delivering grade-A protection for Gianola is Central Michigan-commit Collin Goetz, a colossal force in the trenches checking in at 6-7 270.

Gianola's No. 1 threat in the Wildcats' passing game will be Matt Economou, a fast and strong presence on the end getting a number of D1 looks for his hard-hitting play at safety. Augmenting Economou at receiver will be durable Grant Ingalls and underrated tight end Tyler Hunsucker.

Senior Ryan Reason and juniors Logan Money and Zach Ahdorn start on the O-Line alongside Goetz. The Oxford D-Line will be headed by Goetz, Hunsucker Dakota Westmoreland and Marty Gianola, Vito's little brother.

Besides being an all-league running back, Line is a standout linebacker as well, a position he might wind up playing in college. With Line captaining the Wildcats' linebacking unit and getting help from the likes of aggressive ballhawks Matt Anger and Matt Cappucello, opposing ball-carriers should be in trouble.

Economou's playmaking in the secondary will give quarterbacks and receivers in the OAA fits. His presence in the team's defensive backfield will also serve to tutor emerging freshman standout Glacier Wallington, who recently earned the nod at starting right cornerback opposite Ingalls on the leftside in practice.

TEAM ROWLEY hasn't made a trip to the postseason since 2008, an unusually long absence for a program that before 2010, had put together 28 consecutive winning seasons.

Oxford opens the season at home against defending state champion Lake Orion on August 26,  a game the Wildcats will be debuting their brand new blue turf alas Boise State.

Coaching at Oxford since the mid-1970s, Rowley has racked up over 220 career victories roaming the sidelines. Between 1990 and 1993, Rowley took the Wildcats to three state finals, bringing home the 1992 Class B state championship.

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