MOUNTAIN RIDGE MINERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 5
Mountain Ridge: Smith is a 4-year starter CONTINUED FROM 4 The Miners return three players on the offensive line in 2019, which will certainly be a welcome sight for a firstyear quarterback. Mountain Ridge brings back Peyton Porter (5-foot-9, 250 pounds, senior) at center, while Aaron VanMeter (6-2, 255, Sr.) and Josh Winner (6-3, 290, Sr.) return at offensive tackle. The two spots between each tackle and the center are where Mountain Ridge’s biggest question lies on the offensive side of the ball. “O-line is definitely going to be our challenge,” said Patterson. “Three kids ended up not coming out and it left us a little thin. We really like the first seven or eight kids, but then it’s a pretty steep drop off.” At guard, the Miners have a four-way battle going on between seniors Caleb Dante (5-11, 250) and Mason Warner (5-11, 185), junior John McConnell (6-1, 260) and sophomore Maddox House (5-9, 220). “We have our guards moving around so much (in this offense),” Patterson said. “These four kids are just so solid, but they need to turn themselves into a cohesive unit. The two that pick up the chemistry (with Porter, VanMeter and Winner) quickest will win the job.” Senior Steve Sickle will also bring some size (6-2, 335) as a rotational option on the offensive line. At tight end is a player that, unless you weren’t paying attention last season, you should be very familiar with. Tre Smith (6-3, 292, Sr.) returns to start for the fourth consecutive season amid a slew of offers to continue his career at the collegiate level. “He’s a rare four-year returning starter,” Patterson said, “and should be at the top of the area as far as recruiting goes. He has five D-1 offers, a who’s who of FCS teams that have offered, as well as plenty of Division II schools.” According to 247sports.com, Smith has offers from Maryland, Syracuse, Temple, Villanova, Kent State, Old Dominion, Delaware State, Elon, James Madison and Richmond. “Tre is as-advertised,” Patterson added. “He’s big, likable, smart and
hard-working. He’s been my quintessential player. He came in with me when I took the job. He kept me plenty busy in the offseason with his recruiting. He ran a laser-timed 4.84 40-yard dash at Maryland, which is impressive for a kid his size.” Smith caught 12 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns last season. “Talk to him for a minute and you can see why college coaches love him,” said Patterson. “His grades are there. Everything is there. “Watching him grow over the past four years has been so enjoyable. I’ve gone on plenty of recruiting trips with him and his family. You wouldn’t spend that much time if you didn’t care about a kid that much. He’s been so great to work with.” Jacob Wildesen (6-2, 190, So.) will be brought up from the junior varsity team to spell Smith when needed and also be a threat in the passing game when the Miners run two-tight end sets. Moving out to wide receiver, where Patterson thinks will be the team’s strength, is three fairly diverse players expected to see plenty of targets this season. “We have three that will play a ton, and they’re some of the best this program has ever seen,” Patterson said. “If I had to hang my hat on something, it’s our speed. This is definitely the fastest team we’ve ever seen at Mountain Ridge.” John Custer (6-2, 175, Sr.) is a returning starter, with David Morgan (6-1, 171, Sr.) and Sean Brown (6-1, 200, Sr.) joining Custer at wideout. “John has the size at 6-foot-2,” Patterson said.” He’s long and fast — he placed fifth last spring in the state track and field meet in the intermediate 300-meter hurdles. “David has good size and length. He was the 400-meter dash champion in the West Region. I think you can notice a trend here. We’ve very much appreciated the work our kids have done and the coaching of our track and field team. “He came late to the program last
SEE MOUNTAIN RIDGE — 9
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6 MOUNTAIN RIDGE MINERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019
Head coach Ryan Patterson Season: 4th After going 3-7 in his inaugural season, his second season nearly ended prematurely. After falling to 0-3 on the season after defeats to Hedgesville (61-28) and Allegany (63-7), Patterson wasn’t sure if being a head coach was his forte. “We had a really slow start (to last season),” Patterson said, “and I contemplated whether I should stay in this, in particular after the Allegany game. We weren’t going in the right direction.” The Miners had just allowed over 400 yards and nine touchdowns, including two 95-yard kickoff returns for scores and a pair of pick sixes, against the Campers. “We showed up Monday after the Alco game and we were all embarrassed,” Patterson said, “players, coaches, trainers ... everyone. We started with hitting drills that day, and it kind of took everyone’s timid thing and set it all aside. As coaches, we obviously didn’t try to get kids hurt, but we pinned our ears back and let the kids get physical. You could see the lightbulbs coming on.”
The lightbulbs, indeed, came on — Mountain Ridge went on to win four of its next five and finished the year 4-6. The Miners flipped the script a little bit in Patterson’s third season, going 6-4 behind one of the best seasons the area has seen from a running back in Sefa Pua’auli, who is continuing his football career at the Naval Academy. After losing its first two games of the season, Mountain Ridge toppled Allegany to start a six-game winning
SEE PATTERSON — 11
MOUNTAIN RIDGE MINERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 9
Mountain Ridge: Snyder starts at QB CONTINUED FROM 5 year,” Patterson said of Brown, who is the son of Frostburg State University men’s basketball coach Sean Brown. “Sean really came into his own during the offseason. He’s got great hands, and he’s big, strong and fast.” Also seeing some time at wideout will be Ethan Ray (5-11, 170, Sr.), Dalton Reed (5-8, 140, Jr.), Shane Likens (5-7, 150, Jr.) and Dalton Skidmore (6-0, 150, Jr.). Running back is a position the Miners have had some star power at in recent years, with Tristan Pinto getting 1,400 yards in 2017 and Pua’auli just south of 2,000 last year. This year, Patterson admits, having that star running back is something the Miners lack. But that’s not to say they’ll be absent in 2019. The big returner is Jared Horsman (5-8, 185, Sr.), who provided an all-around game for the Miners as the team’s third-leading rusher with 42 carries for 226 yards and two touchdowns to go with 10 catches for 158 yards and a score. Of all the team’s running backs, Patterson says Horsman will likely get the most touches. The backfield will also feature Jeff McKenzie (5-10, 180, Jr.) and Jay Miller (5-11, 205, Jr.), who will be a fullback in the Miners’ flexbone sets, with the other two being halfbacks. Also getting playing time in Mountain Ridge’s committee of running backs will be Colin Lowry (5-10, 165, So.), Nate Worgan (5-9, 170, Jr.), Austin Skidmore (6-0, 180, Sr.) and Devin Lissau (6-0, 180, Jr.). Replacing Deremer at quarterback is a talented young player that Patterson and the coaching staff are very excited about in sophomore Bryce Snyder (6-1, 185). “He throws the ball very fluidly,” Patterson said. “He has good athleticism.
He can run our option sets as well as throw the ball around. We’re super excited about him. “He was the Player of the Year in the youth league (Cumberland Area Youth Football League) as an eighth-grader. We’re very excited to be able to work with him over the next three years.” There is, of course, a need for someone to step up if the starting quarterback ever needs to be spelled. For the Miners, that will come via Noah Merling (5-9, 160, Sr.) and Austin McKenzie (5-8, 140, Sr.). Handling kicking, punting and kickoff duties will be returning starter Ashton Shimko (5-8, 160, So.). “He’s done the camp circuit over the summer,” said Patterson. “He consistently put kickoffs into the end zone last season. We’re very excited to have him back.” Lissau will be one of the team’s main punt and kick returners, with Custer and Horsman joining him in return duties. Leading the defense for the Miners, who will run a 6-2, is Smith and Porter at nose guard. Patterson said Smith, who is being recruited as a defensive tackle, will play some defensive tackle as well, but mostly will play nose guard in 2019. At defensive tackle will be VanMeter and Winner. Just like at guard on offense, Patterson has a bit of a four-way battle at defensive end, with Jeff McKenzie, Austin Skidmore, Lissau and Wildesen vying for time there. Dante, McConnell, House and Sickle will also see time on the defensive line. At linebacker will be Horsman and Miller. Also battling for time at the two linebacker spots are Worgan, Lissau, Dalton Skidmore and Warner.
SEE MOUNTAIN RIDGE — 10
Staff: Snyder will assist Junior Varsity CONTINUED FROM 8
Todd Snyder Season: 1st Snyder will assist the offense for the JV team. He coached six years with the youth leagues for the Mountain Ridge feeder programs. He also assists with the Mountain Ridge baseball program.
SNYDER
Tom Krukowsky Season: 1st Krukowsky begins his first season with the Mountain Ridge coaching staff with the jayvee team, coaching wide receivers and defensive backs. Tom has spent the last few years coaching at the Mini Miners middle KRUKOWSKY school program.
Jim Taylor Team Chaplain
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MOUNTAIN RIDGE MINERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 11
Mountain Ridge High School LOCATION
— 100 Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick Lane, Frostburg
BUILT
— 2007
MASCOT
— Miner
PRINCIPAL
— Danny Carter
ENROLLMENT
— 775
Patterson: Beall graduate begins 4th year CONTINUED FROM 6 streak. The streak came to an end after a loss to Fort Hill in Week 9, and the Miners’ playoff hopes were dashed with a one-point loss — the Miners’ second of the season — to Keyser in the regular-season finale. Patterson is a 1996 graduate of Beall High School, and has been a part of the Beall/Mountain Ridge football scene — both as a player and a coach — for more than half his life. A two-time first-team All-Area defensive back and second-team All-Area quarterback, Patterson, after four years of football at Frostburg State, joined the Beall High coaching staff in 2000. He remained on the staff when Mountain Ridge opened its
doors in 2007. All said, Patterson, 39, has put in 23 years of football at the Frostburg high schools — four as a player and the last 19 as a coach. Three seasons ago, he succeeded Roy DeVore as head coach, the man he played for at Beall and the man he served as an assistant with for 16 years. DeVore retired from coaching with a 140-94 record over 23 seasons. Three of his teams played in state championship games. The long-time offensive coordinator under DeVore, Patterson played free safety at Frostburg State from 1996 to 1999. He graduated in 2000 with a degree in social studies/education. He teaches history at Mountain Ridge.