Hut-1, hut-2 ...... Hike!

Ryken snaps ball on new varsity football program

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008

The Leonardtown Catholic school launches its brand new varsity football program today with preseason practices unfolding, as the Knights build toward their groundbreaking opening game on Aug. 29 at Annapolis Area Christian School.

All 10 of Ryken’s varsity games will be played on the road during this inaugural football season. The school does not break ground on a stadium until next spring and has plans for the structure to be completed by the beginning of next season.

Four of Ryken’s opponents hail from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, while the six others are Christian and private schools at a similar level of competitiveness. Last year at the junior varsity level, Ryken went 6-3 to provide plenty of momentum heading into its first foray in the varsity ranks.

‘‘Our JV team was very good, and the kids realized they can play football,” Ryken athletic director Mike Vosburgh said. ‘‘We’ve scheduled four WCAC teams and six outside the conference, so we’re hoping to be very competitive.”

Vosburgh added that he believed Annapolis Area Christian was only in its second year as a varsity outfit.

Just two years ago when Ryken began its football existence at the freshman level, it captured just one win. So there was great improvement last year given the junior varsity’s success.

‘‘There were a lot of kids that had never played football two years ago until their freshman year,” Vosburgh said. ‘‘They’re hungry to play football.”

Ryken also fielded a freshman team last year, but will not have one this season with a varsity and junior varsity system in the works.

Vosburgh did state there is ‘‘a very good possibility” of adding the freshman level back to the mix down the road.

About 110 players are expected at today’s preseason kickoff, and Vosburgh expects the varsity and junior varsity teams to equally share the turnout with about 55 at each level.

‘‘This is going to be a transition year –– it’s Year 3 of a five-year plan for us to be competitive,” Vosburgh said about how the varsity program is being groomed along. ‘‘Anytime you start a program, it’s going to take some time. That’s why we have a five-year process of building, of being very competitive in WCAC.

‘‘This is our first year of playing real football at a high level. Realistically, we know this won’t happen overnight. It’s a process.”

Bob Harmon, who coached the freshman team two years ago and was at the helm of junior varsity last season, is Ryken’s head coach in the varsity world. Ray Terrell, an assistant to Harmon the last two years, is the junior varsity frontman at Ryken.

Ryken’s junior varsity team will have six home contests among its nine-game schedule, hosting visitors at Lancaster Park.