Ringgold hoping talent, experience add up to big season
Ringgold’s Tyler Walters catcher a pass during practice
Ringgold’s Tyler Walters catcher a pass during practice.
Ringgold football coach Nick Milchovich teaches math during the day. While the finer points of variables and digits differ somewhat from audibles and proper tackling form, he has noticed similarities between both settings when it comes to finding the best approach to develop groups of different skill levels.
“Sometimes you have a class of kids that really know the math, and it’s exciting because you can get in there and show them a little bit more math than you normally would,” Milchovich said. “Sometimes you have classes where the kids struggle, and you really have to teach and work hard and work with them and practice and practice until you get it.”
While Milchovich described both situations as rewarding and equally enjoyable, there’s no substitute for aptitude. The pupils he’ll have in pads in his third season in charge have the high-level skills and more to push Ringgold, which has six straight postseason appearances but no WPIAL titles during that time, to Heinz Field.
“When you have a great group of kids that really get it, you can move forward and enrich them,” Milchovich said.
Senior quarterback George Martin said what separated Ringgold from the teams that ended the Rams’ seasons with lopsided defeats the past two years is chemistry.
“We need to really focus on our leadership and our trust with one another,” Martin said. “If we do trust in one another, then we’ll be able to beat any team in the conference.”
With just three starters lost to graduation, the offense figures to be the strength of this year’s team.
Milchovich plans to start seniors across the offensive line.
Further helping the offense are replacements for graduated receiver Chad Livingston and tailback Chacar Berry have emerged.
Brendan Small earned all-conference recognition at back at a sophomore last year.
Martin enters his senior year after throwing for 1,184 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. He said he often became tense last season from the pressure of starting on varsity for the first time.
“This year, I feel like it’s a little bit easier on me knowing I have my team to back me up,” Martin said. “I can throw those jump balls to them.”
Neither he or Milchovich expect the offense to change much as a result of former offensive coordinator TJ Plack’s move to head coach at Peters Township. Despite some minor alterations to the system, most of the terminology is staying the same. Brady Barbero, the new offensive coordinator, spent last season as Ringgold’s receivers coach. “We’re not going to miss a beat,” Milchovich said.
How the Rams line up with the ball will differ this fall, though. After Martin received the snap from a shotgun formation “99 percent of the time” last year, he will stand under center this season.
Milchovich said this change is a response to Small’s skill set. Small runs with power and can absorb contact, while Berry relied more on agility and sideways movement.
“I grew up under center,” Martin said “So I didn’t have to learn anything new, just get back to my roots.”
While he acknowledged the possibility for some confusion on offense at points with the change in formation, Martin is confident he and his teammates can handle it well, having spent the summer going over the playbook at workouts and on dry-erase boards.
The options Martin will have to choose from have a range of attributes that make him excited about the possibilities.
“Whether they’re short, fast and can really get around people or whether they’re tall and can jump over the top of people,” Martin said, “I really have anything I want here.”
Martin said junior receiver Darius Tyree is one of the fastest people he’s ever met. Junior tight end Mark Maciejewski transferred back to Ringgold after a season at Seton-LaSalle. He, along with senior Easton Fine, stand over 6-2 and have displayed impressive jumping ability, according to Martin.
The defensive lineup remained mostly unsettled before the start of camp. Of the seven starters who graduated, defensive lineman Daylen Penn and linebacker Ben Cole were all-conference picks. Both of the Rams’ starting middle linebackers graduated. Martin said Justin Nemec, a junior, could be a capable fill-in at one of those spots. All-conference defensive back Dalton Holt, who also will be featured on offense, is back.
“We have a lot of moving parts,” Milchovich said.
Milchovich stressed that he’s confident players are on the roster who will support the defense, they just haven’t had enough opportunities to prove it in the offseason.