Who says excessive use of social media isn’t good for the youth? Because when Gerald Ryan mentioned his football players spending a chunk of their free time learning the trending dances, it wasn’t meant as a complaint about this generation, but an explanation.
“We’ve got a lot of talented athletes at the skill positions, and they love to dance!” the coach said. “They put in the time on TikTok, picking that stuff up, and they want to use it on the field.”
It’s a different kind of film study. Hey, for some people, it’s a riveting pre-game speech that fires them up. But “Million Dollar Baby” might work just the same.
Whatever the additional source of motivation, it worked brilliantly for this group on Saturday as Beacon gave itself plenty of reasons to jig during a 43-0 road win over Red Hook.
Jazziah Whitted threw two touchdowns and ran for another, and Jaden Jones caught a touchdown and snagged two interceptions at cornerback, leading the Bulldogs in a rout to begin their season.
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“They were extremely hyped, as the kids say,” said Ryan, who became their head coach this year. “They were having so much fun on the bus and we felt a lot of pride. A win like this seemed to breathe new life into us.”
That is their hope, of course, because Beacon totaled only six wins in the previous three seasons as this program has sought to find its footing during a rebuild. But a victory like this, against an opponent it had lost to in the season opener last fall, offers an infusion of confidence and maybe a belief that the tide is turning.
“It’s a good feeling around the program; people in the community have been talking about it and there was some excitement in the offseason,” Ryan said. “We wanted to come out and back that up.”
Elijah Epps rushed for a touchdown, Samuel Hutchinson caught one, Mercer Jordan ran for one and returned a fumble for another ― all of it contributing to the Bulldogs surpassing 40 points for the first time since 2015. Almost as significant was the frequent end zone visits giving them a platform to show off their choreographed moves.
The offensive philosophy, Ryan said, is “playing basketball on grass,” essentially running an uptempo style predicated on spacing and emphasizing speed. This still is a developing team, but there is an abundance of speed on the roster, including Richie Omira and Marciano Rodriguez. The object, of course, is creating room for those dynamic athletes to maneuver.
“We're spread out and the linemen have wide splits,” Ryan said. “We know what our areas of strength are, and we want to let our best athletes work their magic.”
The defense was spellbinding, too, forcing turnovers and containing a Red Hook team that is known for its excellent ground game.
Cashmier Jackson had an interception, as did defensive tackle Nick Albra, capitalizing on a pass that was deflected as the quarterback was hit. On special teams, as well, Jaire Newton “was a menace” on kickoff coverage.
“Red Hook is great at running sweeps and getting their guards out, so we definitely tried to slow that down,” Ryan said. “Our guys were flying to the ball.”
Everett Giorgio had two interceptions and Robert Paschal made seven tackles, including two for loss, for the Raiders. Red Hook has been a perennial playoff team in recent years and reached a Section 9 final in 2021. But they've graduated several standouts and they, too, are now rebuilding.
“We have the benefit of being senior-heavy with guys who are committed and working toward the same goals,” Ryan said of the Bulldogs. “We’ve only got 28 players, but it’s a tight-knit group within a tight-knit community. We’re hoping we can keep that excitement going and put Beacon football back on the map.”
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Football: Beacon boogies in season-opening win over Red Hook
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