A Family Affair

By Jacob Werrick ’16

At the conclusion of every practice and game, the Rivers football team huddles together before leaving the field. And then the captains of the team break down every huddle with the same chant: “Rivers on three, family on six!”

That motto had extra meaning for Rivers football this year. In his third year as head coach, Randdy Lindsey P’23, ’24, ’26 knew that in order to have his team achieve the success they sought and attain the first bowl win in school history, they would have to bond like a family. Luckily, he could turn to his eldest son, Kalyl ’23, a senior wide receiver and defensive back who will continue his football career at Brown University in the fall, to lead the team both on and off the field.

The family spirit that the Lindseys bring to Rivers football has not gone unnoticed. Keith Zalaski, director of athletics, said, “While each individual person in the Lindsey house is unique, they share central characteristics that show how connected they are to each other and Rivers; they’re competitive, loyal, hard-working, and extremely fun to be around. Their family finds the balance between taking what they do very seriously and being able to laugh at life and at themselves—which helps our community do the same.”

After Covid wiped out his first year as head coach, Coach Lindsey and company turned heads last year in their first real season, compiling a 6–2 regular-season record in 2021 and making an appearance in the NEPSAC Moose Curtis Bowl—the second bowl appearance in school history and first since 2010. The team ultimately fell short, losing to Dexter Southfield 45–36. But the loss motivated the team, and from the first practice of the 2022 season there was a palpable level of confidence and determination amongst the team members. The first game of the season was against St. George’s, the only ISL school that had beaten Rivers the year before. Rivers showed itself and everyone else that they were back and better than ever, traveling to Rhode Island to roll the Dragons 42–7 and setting the tone for the season.

The Red Wings finished the regular season with a 7–1 record and were rewarded with another berth in the Moose Curtis Bowl, this time at home. On a beautiful day in late November, they broke through with a 27–9 victory over visiting Canterbury School, for the first bowl win in Rivers history. Lindsey’s sons, Kalyl and Amir ’24, teamed up for three touchdown receptions for the Red Wings.

“It was awesome,” Randdy Lindsey said. “Any dad that’s in my situation and has their kids play for them, they want to have that deeper connection with their sons. We have the same mindset, and we can do this together. It’s fun to see my boys happy. It’s fun to see that we can talk about things outside of just school, like football and relationships with friends and life. Football made that happen. That’s why I think it’s one of the best things in the world.”

Under Coach Lindsey, the program has made remarkable strides. The successes of the past couple of seasons (6–3 last year and 8–1 this year) are especially impressive given that, just five years ago, the team was winless.

“It was going to be hard work,” Lindsey said of taking the reins. “If you want your life to be the way you envision it, you have to work harder than anybody else.”

Rivers football, and the Lindsey family, exemplify the philosophy that hard work pays off.