Ithaca Journal
Ralph Boettger is back on the sidelines at Dryden,
where guided the athletics department for 20 years and also coached in
the mid-1990s. He's hoping to take the Purple Lions back to the
postseason.
DRYDEN
CLASS C, DIVISION V
LAST SEASON: 4-5
The
Purple Lions were 4-2 after week 6 last year before suffering
consecutive divisional losses to Waverly and Edison, followed by a
crossover loss to Harpursville, to finish below .500.
Coach Dan
Fink has left and in his place is Ralph Boettger, who's certainly no
stranger to Dryden and Section 4 football. The 59-year-old retired
Dryden athletics director coached the Purple Lions in the mid-1990s, and
also coached at Ithaca High in the '80s before accepting the
administrative role at Dryden. As always, Boettger is excited about his
team and the season.
"This team reminds me of the 1995 team I had,
that was co-champs with Susquehanna Valley," Boettger said on the first
day of the preseason. "They were tough, they had some playmakers and
they said, 'Just tell me what to do and I'll do it.' Nothing seems to
offend them, they don't get rattled by criticism."
Boettger
returns 12 starters from last year's squad, including senior
quarterback/cornerback Noah Welgoss, a versatile playmaker with "great
vision running the option and passing," the coach said. Dryden will run a
lot of no-huddle offense, which Welgoss is excited about.
"It's a
lot of reading and reacting, which is great because there's no correct
play," Welgoss said. "A lot of different options can be successful,
which makes it easier on the offense and much harder on the defense."
Junior
Stuart Stahlman and senior Duran Joyce figure to carry the load in the
ground game, while junior split end Matthew McHerron "has great hands
and is tough over the middle" catching the ball, Boettger said.
On
defense, senior tackle Chris Simonet anchors the line and also plays
offensive guard. Junior Connor O'Brien will line up at the other tackle
position, while Joyce and Branden Decker are the top linebackers.
McHerron and Welgoss lead the defensive backs.
Key newcomers, according to Boettger, include sophomores Trevor Gardner (QB/CB), Denver Space (line) and Gavin Marsh (RB/CB).
Boettger
comes by his enthusiasm for the game and for kids honestly. "Somewhere
down the line, either from my mother or my father, I was blessed with
endless energy," he said.
He's hoping that translates into realization of both short- and long-term goals.
"With
a dedicated, hard-working staff and playmakers on both sides of the
ball," he said, "our long-term goal is to make the Class C playoffs
while our short term is to beat Bainbridge-Guilford on Sept. 5."
— Tom Fleischman
Date | Opponent | Time |
Sept. 5 | Bainbridge-Guilford | 7 |
Sept. 12 | at Oxford | 7 |
Sept. 19 | Watkins Glen | 7 |
Sept. 26 | Lansing | 7 |
Oct. 4 | at Oneonta | 1:30 |
Oct. 10 | Bye | - |
Oct. 17 | Thomas A. Edison | 7 |
Oct. 24 | at Waverly | 7 |