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After losing the only football coach to have taken its team to the playoffs in the last decade, Rockville filled the vacancy with a recent state champion, Sherwood assistant coach Kevin Bernot.

Rockville athletic director Paul Fahrner announced the hiring on Monday, nearly three weeks after former helmsman Mark Maradei took the open head coaching position at Northwest. Maradei manned the Ram sidelines for the last three years, taking them to the playoffs in 2006.

Bernot comes to Rockville fresh off not just one, but two perfect football seasons. He not only worked with the 14-0, Class 4A state champion Warriors' varsity squad, but co-coached the JV team to a perfect season, as well, outscoring opponents 317-54 in nine victories.

The 1990 Sherwood grad, who coached the football team for five years, was one of seven to interview for the position.

"But there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was the one we wanted," said Fahrner. "He interviews very well, he was very confident in what he was doing, and just knowing where that Sherwood program has been the past five years was big. The feedback I got from Al Thomas and the AD (Jim Meehan); they said he was very capable and had a lot of nice things to say about him."

Fahrner said he expects the new head man to justify the hiring rapidly. The Rams finished 5-5 a year ago, and return rising junior halfback Crusoe Gongbay, the fourth-leading rusher in the county with 1,401 yards.

Where the Rams hope to go, Bernot has been each of the last four years.

"Really, we'd like to get into the playoffs every year" said Fahrner. "That's our goal. Coach Maradei came in here and did everything we asked of him, got our program moving forward again, and got us into the playoffs. Basically I told Kevin that we want to be competitive with all the teams on our schedule."