OXFORD – Jeff Newton played his high school football at Norwich, four years of college football at Ithaca, and for the previous nine seasons, served as a head coach or assistant coach at Sherburne-Earlville.
The Marauders play in Section III, so Newton freely admitted he did not keep close tabs on Oxford football. "Being in Sherburne, you're worrying about your own team and what's upcoming there," Newton said. "So I really didn't follow Oxford on a weekly basis."
If Newton had followed Oxford football, he would have seen a once proud program that has performed significantly below its usual standards. Since John Curtis' last year at the helm in 2006 – one that yielded a 6-3 record – Oxford has followed with just one winning season over the last seven, and zero playoff appearances.
Yes, zero appearances in the playoffs on the heels of an 11-year run by Curtis in which Oxford won three Section IV championships, and appeared in three other sectional championship games.
Oxford is coming off a one-win season, so it would be natural if Newton and his coaching staff looked to make baby steps in the rebuilding process. "My goal this year is for us to make the playoffs and to go far in the playoffs," Newton said. "The ultimate goal is to reach the dome (Carrier Dome) for the state championships. What was clear to me early on is that there is talent here. Our first week of practice was about setting the tone, and to teach the kids about dedication and hard work."
One thing sorely missing from recent Oxford football teams was noticeable team chemistry. Newton believes he has things headed in the right direction to create that elusive chemistry.
"The coaches and the kids, it's a great mix this year," Newton said. "We're all working hard, and it shows. The kids and the staff are dedicated, and we're all pushing each other."
Below is a position-by-position look at the 2014 Oxford football team:

BACKFIELD
Out of the predominance of losing seasons the past seven years usually came at least one exceptional running back who finished among the area leaders. This year should be no different as senior Bryan Simpson was tabbed early on in practice as the go-to back. Simpson rarely carried the ball until the final two games of the season when he showed promise with a pair of 50-yard-plus games against Unadilla Valley and Bainbridge-Guilford. "Bryan has the speed and the power of a big guy, and he hits the hole hard," Newton said. Last year's opening-day starting quarterback, Angelo Gonzalez, is back bigger and stronger. Gonzalez started about half of the games last year, and his backup this year, Lane Barry, started the rest of the games. Gonzalez possesses a strong arm, and Newton said his signal-caller is picking up the offense quickly. In a shift of positions, third-year player Richard Ryan brings his 225 pounds from the offensive line to the fullback spot.

RECEIVERS
On the outside, Gonzalez will have no shortage of playmakers on the receiving end of his passes. Nick Neer, who spent most of his time at running back a season ago, will work out of the slot, and has the best hands on the team, Newton said. "Nick is an explosive player, and we will want to use him a lot in space," Newton said. A welcome addition to football is soccer import Kevin Davis, an athletic 6-foot-5 junior with good hands and speed to stretch the defense.Trenton Lyons and Francisco Quintana, returning receivers from last year, will also see their share of snaps on the outside.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Despite Richard Ryan's defection to the backfield, Oxford has plenty of size and experience. Tom Ryan, Mike Martin, and Corey Marshman are all back from last year, and they're bolstered by upstarts Phillip Smith and Tom Marks. "With the line that we have and the backs that we have, we should be able to dominate in the running game," Newton said. "There's experience, and with coach (Mickey) James working with them, he'll bring the best out of the linemen." Richard Ryan may also work back into the offensive depending on injuries or illness.

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Defensive stops came in short supply last season. Aside from the Blackhawks' lone victory, the team gave up 30 or more points in seven of eight losses, and gave up 37.2 points per game overall. "We plan to be very aggressive on defense and have 11 kids swarming to the ball," Newton said. "We want to punish offenses." Jon Heggie, who will work as a backup running back on offense and a tight end on offense, will specialize more on defense starting at the free safety spot. The rest of the offensive starters will likely see minutes on both sides of the ball. "We just have to have kids line up in the right place every play, and put them in the best position to make plays," Newton said. "It's a new year with new techniques and a new mindset for the defense." For the special teams, Neer will offer a weapon as a deep kickoff man and punter. Neer is regularly hanging punts with four to five seconds of hang time. "He kicks the ball like a college punter," Newton said.

OUTLOOK
The fact is that Oxford is coming off a one-win season, its worst season in anyone's memory. But Newton fully expects his team to be better, if not contend for a playoff spot. "We have the talent in place and the coaches in place, so I see no reason why we shouldn't push for a playoff spot," the Oxford coach said.

QUOTABLE
"We are going to bring back winning to Oxford, that's not even a question. We'll have a very fundamental team that will be exciting to watch." –– Jeff Newton

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Due to early-season injuries, several players have been moved to different positions since Newton was first interviewed for this article.