MADISON TOWNSHIP — In more than two decades of coaching Madison soccer, Tim Lord has never seen a team like this.

It’s not just that the Rams (9-1) are off to their best start since 2019 and alone atop the Ohio Cardinal Conference standings. It’s the way Madison plays the game that distinguishes this squad from the others Lord has coached.

“I don’t know that I’ve had a team that passes the ball like this team,” said Lord, a 1995 graduate. “It’s great to watch.”

The Rams have outscored their opponents 33-8 through the first 10 games of the season. Madison has given up more than one goal in a game just once and has shut out three foes. 

“I think we play very well together,” junior midfielder Randy Jamieson said. “This is a great team to be a part of.”

Jamieson is one of 14 juniors on Madison’s 20-man roster. There are five seniors and just one sophomore.

“There’s, what, 10 juniors on the field (at any given time) and we’ve played together since we were this big,” Jamieson said, gesturing to an imaginary tyke-sized measurement. “I love these guys.”

Madison is 3-0 in OCC play after Tuesday’s 7-0 win over West Holmes. The Rams are the lone remaining unbeaten OCC team and have a half-game lead over conference heavyweight Lexington (3-0-1). The Rams, whose only OCC title came in 2011, visit Lex on Oct. 1.

Before then, Madison hosts Wooster on Tuesday and visits New Philadelphia on Thursday. The showdown against Lex won’t mean anything if Madison doesn’t take care of business between now and then.

“Everybody in the OCC is tough competition. We can’t look past anybody,” Jamieson said. “Our goal is to win the OCC title. That’s our first step.

“We want to keep working hard every day and see how far we can go.”

Madison will play in Division III during the new-look, five-division soccer postseason. The Rams will be joined in the Norwalk district by Mansfield Senior, Lexington, Ontario, Ashland, Tiffin Columbian, Norwalk, Sandusky and Sandusky Perkins.

Madison hasn’t won a district title since 2000. The Rams reached the district final in 2019, the last time Madison competed in Division II. 

Could this be the year the Rams breaks down the door?

“This team is good. We’ve got work that we’ve got to do … but that’s every team,” Lord said. “There are things that you can work on and I think they realize what they need to work on and they pick each other up.”