Ryle football team puts head coach on threshold of career record with 46-8 win over Conner

By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

Mike Engler needed one victory to become the most successful coach in the history of the Ryle football program. He reached that threshold Friday when the Raiders rolled to a 46-8 win over Conner in Hebron.

Ryle’s 2-0 start gives Engler a 73-48 record in 11 seasons as head coach. His victory total is tied with his predecessor, Bryson Warner, who was 73-58 in 12 seasons from 2002 to 2013.

With the talent and experience on his roster, Engler is confident he’ll take sole possession of the coaching record this season.

He’d really like to do it next Friday when Ryle visits Cooper for the annual Battle of Union between the neighboring schools.

“What I don’t get is it’s almost like we’ve been sliding under the radar this year,” Engler said. “We’ve got a pretty dang gone good football team, and I can’t wait to see how far this team can go down the road.”

Solid performances in every facet of the game carried Ryle to the victory over Conner (1-1).

In the first half, the offense scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions and the defense added one on a 40-yard interception return by Jaden Galicia to take a 36-0 lead.

The second half was played with a running clock and the Raiders quickly extended their lead. On the second play from scrimmage, Brayden Elder scooped up a Conner fumble and took it to the end zone.

Those were two of the four turnovers committed by Conner’s offense that finished with 139 total yards and one touchdown after getting 338 yards and five touchdowns in a season-opening win over Lexington Dunbar last week.

“We didn’t play well offensively, that’s the problem,” said Conner coach Dave Trosper. “Two picks, one a pick-six. You turn the ball over four times, you’re not going to win.”

Ryle’s offense netted 284 total yards (181 passing, 103 rushing). The Raiders turned the ball over on downs on their first possession and the next time they got the ball there was a 30-minute lightning delay.

During that break, Engler and his assistant coaches changed their offensive scheme.

“They came out in a defense that we really didn’t prepare for because we didn’t see it on film,” Engler said. “One of the best things that could’ve happened was the lightning delay because we got to go in and draw up what they were doing (on defense).”

When the game resumed, the Raiders threw the ball on five of seven plays during an 84-yard scoring drive that ended with running back Jacob Savage scoring on a 13-yard pass from quarterback Nathan Verax and Gavin Moses drilling the point-after kick.

After Savage got his second touchdown on a 4-yard run, Galicia’s interception return on the first play of the second quarter extended the lead to 21-0.

“We didn’t start off the way we wanted offensively and we knew we could do what we wanted and came out and were successful,” Savage said of the lightning delay.

An interception by Ryle defensive back Ryan Handorf set up his team’s third touchdown. He returned it to the 25-yard line and Landon Lorms caught a 9-yard scoring pass from Verax.

In the final minutes of the second quarter, Galicia caught an 8-yard TD pass from Verax and a successful two-point conversion made it 36-0 to start the running clock.

“It was definitely a confidence booster because we were successful on both sides of the ball,” Savage said of the victory. “It’s just getting ready for Cooper now. That’s going to be fun.”

Verax completed 14 of 17 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns. He was also the Raiders’ leading rusher with 25 yards on three carries. Lorms had four catches for 87 yards and totaled 55 yards in punt and kickoff returns.

RYLE          14   22   7    3 — 46
CONNER     0     0   8    0 —   8
R — Savage 13 pass from Verax (Moses kick)
R — Savage 4 run (Moses kick)
R — Galicia 40 interception return (Moses kick)
R — Lorms 9 pass Verax (Moses kick)
R — Galicia 8 pass from Verax (Karwath run)
R — Elder 20 fumble return (Moses kick)
C — Hatfield 1 run (Wuellner pass from Hatfield)
R — Moses 28 FG
RECORDS: Ryle 2-0, Conner 1-1.

High school football scoreboard

FRIDAY GAMES
Highlands 32, Covington Catholic 22
Beechwood 42, Campbell County 20
Cooper 47, Lexington Henry Clay 0
Pendleton County 27, Dayton 26
Dixie Heights 66, Hughes (Ohio) 19
Lloyd 45, Boone County 7
Newport 27, Holmes 0
Newport Central Catholic 49, Walton-Verona 0
North Bullitt 28, Scott 21
Simon Kenton 61, Mercer County 40
Bellevue 48, Trimble County 16
Brossart 48, North College Hill (Ohio) 26
SATURDAY GAME
Holy Cross at Dohn Community (Ohio), 7 p.m.

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