The Ryle Raiders went 12-3 in 2024, advancing to their second state championship game. They'll be one of the best teams in Class 6A this season.
On Dec. 7, 2024, the Ryle Raiders were 24 minutes away from winning the Class 6A state football championship.
They were tied at the half with Trinity, 14-14, before the Shamrocks outscored them 28-9 in the final two quarters.
Head coach Mike Engler feels that the second half unfolded the way it did because his starters hadn't played in the fourth quarter in over two months thanks to a slew of running clock victories. They hadn't retained the stamina they needed to keep up with Trinity in crunch time.
"That's one of the things we talked about all winter is, 'How do we go about it if something like that was to happen again?'" Engler said.
No matter the opponent or score, Engler plans to give his starters more playing time as the Raiders seek to not just return to Kroger Field, but win their first state title.
Ryle boasts one of its strongest and fastest teams in recent memory
Ryle has 10 three-year starters on this year's roster. An additional six first-time starters from last year are back.
On offense, the Raiders have to only fill the shoes of offensive lineman Eli Reynolds and wide receiver Landon Lorms.
Jacob Savage is one of those three-year starters and one of, if not the best, two-way players in the state. He has been playing football since the third grade and fell in love with the game once he learned to play linebacker.
"I feel like you're the quarterback of the defense," Savage said.
He has 397 career tackles and has led the Raiders in that stat each of the last three seasons. As a running back, he has 36 career touchdowns.
He wore No. 20 as a freshman but switched to 21 as a sophomore, partially because his brother Gabe wore it and because of the rapper, 21 Savage.
"He gets me hyped up and I like his music," Savage said with a smile.
When Savage makes a big play on Friday nights, Ryle's public address announcer lets the crowd know with an impersonation of "Macho Man" Randy Savage's signature "Oh yeah!"
"I've heard it once or twice, but honestly, I didn't notice it for a couple weeks until someone told me about it. I'm just focused on the game," Savage said.
The addition of Ludlow transfer Dameyn Anness gives the Raiders a dangerous backfield and a menacing linebacker corps. Anness had 1,472 rushing yards, 64 tackles and 5.5 sacks last year.
"He's going to have a positive impact on our team. He's a super nice kid, he's a good student. He wants to learn but he also wants to be seen," Engler said.
Ryle will have a Verax brother starting at quarterback for the fifth straight season. After Logan set school records for passing yards and touchdowns, Nathan has one final season to cement his name on the program.
This summer, he has been wearing a soft shoulder brace to help with his throwing mechanics and keep his shoulder fresh. Despite throwing for 2,374 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2024, he noticed a slight decline in performance toward the end of the season.
"As a quarterback, you're going to make mistakes, you're going to throw interceptions. You don't have to beat yourself up over it," Verax said.
He has also run track throughout high school, fine tuning his speed in the 100- and 200-meter dash. A few months ago, he was the Class 3A, Region 5 100-meter dash champion; his time of 10.93 seconds is 0.01 seconds away from the school record.
"It definitely helps you learn the mechanics of your entire body. Track is definitely about your legs, but a lot more goes into it. It's a very mental sport," Verax said.
The Raiders will have depth, sure, but they will also have talent all over the field. Bo Gay, who is 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds and led the Raiders with nine sacks in 2024, will play wide receiver. Gavin Lyons, Cruze Sauley and Colgate commit Dylan Lee round out the receivers. Xavier Collins, Evan Kincaid, Kai Workman and Aysaiah Riddick headline the defense.
"We're much stronger and faster than we were last year. The potential to be a better football team is there. Obviously you don't know until you get out there and put the pads on and go against somebody, but the potential is there to be really, really good," Engler said.
Ryle football tests itself against the best teams in the state
Ryle will play nine of the 10 teams it faced in 2024; the only outlier is Tates Creek instead of Louisville St. Xavier.
The front half of the schedule includes trips to Covington Catholic and Highlands, and home games against Cooper and reigning Class 3A state champ Christian Academy-Louisville.
Since Engler was named the head coach in 2014, Ryle has played Covington Catholic in all but one season.
Engler played for current Highlands head coach Bob Sphire at Meade County, then coached alongside him at Lexington Catholic. The Raiders and Bluebirds are actually scrimmaging 10 days before the season opener and about a month before their regular season meeting.
"It's a good measuring stick of seeing how much, in four to five weeks, we improve from scrimmaging the first time to playing the second time," Engler said.
The Raiders are also scrimmaging defending Class 2A state champion Beechwood. Their seven non-district opponents had a combined record of 65-26 and won 16 postseason games in 2024.
"If you play somebody you're just going to go out and beat by 40, do you really know what your weaknesses are? I want a team that's going to push us to the limits," Engler said.
Football has never been stronger in Union. Cooper has been to the last two Class 5A championship games. Ryle, which has nine postseason wins since 2021, is trying to do the same thing, but with a different outcome the second time around. The Raiders aren't getting caught up with seeing their name at the top of statewide polls. They know they belong.
"The St. Xaviers and everybody like that, those big schools are still getting a lot of hype, and I think we're still a little overlooked. At the end of the day, I kind of like it. I look forward to beating those kind of teams and I think the state is starting to recognize us," Savage said.
Engler feels just the opposite, that Ryle has gone from the hunter to the hunted. At a recent 7-on-7 competition, district rival Simon Kenton, led by new head coach Joe Wynn, broke down their huddle by yelling, "Beat Ryle!"
"That says a couple things. You're what everybody is looking up to. It's hard to get there, it's even harder to stay there," Engler said. "We're not going to sneak up on anybody this year."
Winning games will boost Ryle's RPI, which will increase their likelihood of playing home games until the state championship. Just as important is getting the top seed in their district. Ryle's district is paired with Trinity's for the first two rounds of the postseason. If the season shakes out the right way, the Raiders should avoid a tough opponent and a road game early in the playoffs.
The countdown is on: 35 days until the 2025 season officially begins.
"After your senior year, you don't get another Friday night lights, and I feel like Friday night lights is just different. You will never get that same feeling from it," Verax said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Ryle Raiders are a justified state title contender in 2025
Category: General Sports
