The Benedictine football team began spring practice March 24 to begin preparing for the 2009 season. There will be 120 members participating in this year’s spring practices.

The Ravens’ spring will consist of 15 two-hour practices on the field and also weight sessions twice a week for both offense and defense.

The team met four times a week during winter conditioning to improve their strength and speed in preparation for this spring.

“We have had an exceptional off-season thus far, probably the best we’ve ever had, and this is a great time to prepare us for next season,” head coach Larry Wilcox said. “The spring practices give our underclassmen a chance to integrate with our seniors and build on the success we had from last season.”

The Ravens are returning ten starters on offense and three on defense from a team that went 7-4 in 2008. They are hoping the experience and hard work this spring will earn them their first playoff berth since 2003.

BC was 2-4 halfway through last season before stringing together five straight wins. Hopes around Wilcox Stadium and the Amino Center are that the Ravens won’t wait to kick things into gear this fall.

An intense set of workouts in the spring is as crucial a step as any towards meeting that goal.

Although all 11 teams in the Heart of America Athletic Conference participate in spring practices, the Ravens feel they can gain an edge with their intense off-season.

“Everyone is looking forward to getting back out there and getting some early work done,” said junior quarterback Ryan Kelly . “Hopefully our hard work in March will pay off when the season rolls around in August. We all know that if we want to win then, we have to start now.”

The Ravens believe they can do nothing but improve on offense.

“Last year we put in a new offense and given one year under our belt makes us that much more comfortable,” Kelly said. “Hopefully this spring we’ll be able to iron out all the kinks, giving us great confidence leading into the season.”

The Ravens begin next season with a HAAC opponent in William Jewell College on Saturday, Sept. 5 in Liberty, Mo. The Ravens defeated Jewell Last season at home by a score of 47-3.

The Benedictine Football Spring Game will be held Sunday, April 19 at 2 p.m.