It would be hard for Cardinal Ritter’s football team to top its exploits from last year when they won the state championship in the Class A division and had a perfect 15-0 record. But Coach Ty Hunt and his squad are ready to try.
There is already great enthusiasm among potential players.
“We currently are seeing a surge in young men who want to join us in our campaign to try and do a lot of the things that we were capable of doing last year, 80 guys fitted at this point,” said Hunt.
The season has yet to start and the team is training hard. The players are hitting the weight room and preparing for what lies ahead.
Ritter will have standout quarterback Ross Hendrickson to lead them. Last season, Hendrickson passed for 3,190 yards and 34 touchdowns. In the championship game, he set a Class A record with 423 passing yards. In that same game, he passed for three touchdowns, and ran for another to lead his team to a 34-27 victory over Sheridan High School.
That performance was the result of a lot of hard work on Hendrickson’s part. During off-season, he lifts weights to maintain his strength. He is excited about the future and the possibility of playing college football if he turns in a good performance this season.
For his efforts, Hendrickson was named AP All-State, All-City, All-Conference and Indianapolis Star Super Team. Hunt says he’s getting looks from several Division 1 schools who like his toughness and ability to make quick decisions. Along with his immense football talent, Hendrickson is also an exceptional student who maintains a 4.0 GPA.
“I actually think I perform better in the classroom during football season because I’m more focused and don’t have any distractions,” said Hendrickson. He looks forward to leading Ritter’s team in the upcoming season.
Still, winning a state championship again will be a challenge. In particular, replacing last year’s graduating seniors will be tough. Three members of last year’s senior class will go on to play Division 1 football, while two others will play with Division 3 DePauw University.
While the team has seven players returning on offense, only four will return to play defense. New players will face an adjustment period as they adapt to the pressure that comes with starting on the varsity team. Nonetheless, the boys are hungry to prove they can step to the plate when called upon.
Other teams will do all they can to thwart Ritter’s goal of repeating last year’s championship performance.
Ritter will face several tough competitors. Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School returns with many letterman winners and two very good players in Tommy Green and Evan Kroot. Speedway High School has John West returning at QB and will also be a threat.
Overcoming that competition will require persistence and hard work on the part of the players. Reflecting on last year’s team, Hunt says that team did a great job of preparing week-in and week-out.
“They were great students of the game and executing the game plan,” said Hunt.
To live up to other successful teams, Hunt says this year’s team must realize that the most successful players have been kids who understand that championship teams are defined by their character and not made up of characters.
The best players Hunt has coached during his career always seemed to bring the guys around them up to another level, by leading through example and not boasting about their talent.
To help others improve, Hendrickson has been working with wide receivers all summer to get routes and timing down so the offense will be well-prepared for games this fall.
The team will start its new season on Aug. 28 with a home game against Northwest High School.
For more information, contact (317) 924-4333 or visit www.cardinalritter.org/athletics.html.
