In Friday’s afternoon meeting in the LGI, he spoke to a very receptive group of 50 football players. Eyes were glued and ears perked as incoming players were eager to learn about their new coach.
“There is no secret to success...my former team worked hard. Guess what we’ll do here. Work hard,” Shay said in his inaugural speech. He stressed that the team will have a fresh start and that the best 11 players from both sides of the ball will be put out onto the field. Defense was an expected talking point at Friday’s meeting after players learned of his previous defensive coaching position in Harrisburg. Shay mentioned his philosophy: being different defensively; incorporating man-to-man coverage in the game plan and blitzing constantly to force the opposing offense to make mistakes. “I want turnovers. Possessing the ball is how you win games.” Shay mentioned a new acronym to the team: F.A.M.I.LY: Forget About Me, I Love You. The room of fifty football players chuckled, but the new head coach remained firm in the fact that he cares a lot about his players. He went on to say that there aren’t many jobs he would have left, but there was a reason why he left the high-caliber school of McDevitt for the position offered at Red Lion. “I know talent. I came to Red Lion because there is so much ability and you guys are so close to being a great team. There are many tremendous returning players. There is no reason that a school like this can’t be mentioned in a breath with Cumberland Valley, Central Dauphin... win or lose,” said Shay to his new team. “Teams will leave us knowing they were a part of a football game.” The conclusion of the meeting left players such as junior Chris Knorr “very excited for the upcoming season”. Knorr expressed a clear approval with Shay’s credentials. He wasn’t the only one who seemed to look forward to the future. Many others including sophomore Dan Waldrup thought the meeting “went well”. “He seems like he’s a good coach who will get the job done. His words of encouragement motivated me. I’m excited for this season and to have the opportunity to work hard and bring Red Lion back to the top,” Waldrup said. Shay concluded the meeting with encouraging words. “I’m excited and I hope you are as well. We will do great things. You will be proud to wear Red Lion on your jersey and proud to walk on that field and off. We can win here.”
0 Comments
Senior wrestler, Tyler Schell is one of the team's captains this season. 1. How long have you been wrestling? -15 years. 2. What has been your biggest influence to partake in this sport? -My father. He wrestled back in High School. He didn't play for the varsity high school team, but it was something he was a part of. He wanted me to come out and wrestle, so I did that. 3. What have been some of your most memorable moments in your career so far? -I'd say being a state qualifier, for sure. I was once on club teams that went down to Disney for 'Disney Duals' as well. 4. Are you looking to further your career after high school? -Yes. Possibly the Coast Guard Academy. If I don't get accepted to the Coast Guard, I would go to Wilkes Barre University. By Ben Otte
Junior Writer It was always a thought or idea to see Red Lion's very own Lion mascot painted on the walls of the Ronald E. Abe Fitzkee Athletic Center to look over the hardwood floor inside. Many schools can say they have paintings promoting pride within their school's gymnasiums and now Red Lion joins that list of buildings. The newly painted 'King of the Jungle' mural on the east side of the gym stands at a height of 17 feet and is spread a width of 28 feet. Mary Patterson, a local quality interior painter, who has been commended for her work by district officials, was chosen to paint the idea to life. Entrepreneur of her own business, "Painted By Patterson", Patterson mainly focuses her talents on decorative artwork in clients’ homes and offices. However, she has done bulk projects similar to this one before. One of these can be found inside Red Lion's own Pleasant View Elementary School's multi-purpose room. Another piece of Patterson’s artwork can be found at the York location of York Eye Associates. But who initially drew the blueprints of the project? It was Red Lion Class of 2012 alumnus, Casey Dimoff. Having done artwork for the district before, Dimoff was viewed by the district officials as the perfect choice. However, it wasn’t a total breeze for the resident artist. "It was tough at first to get everyone to agree with what the painting would look like. It took months," he remarks. "Many people wanted different things, and for me, it was hard to get all the ideas to satisfy everyone in one piece." Patterson, unlike Dimoff, isn't a part of the Red Lion alumni community, but she does speak of how proud she is to be a part of the work of somebody who is. "It's special for Casey." she says. "The painting speaks to underclassmen interested in art who strive to see their work in a public setting." Dimoff is still trying to grab ahold of the new reality. "I never thought I'd ever have a drawing on that wall. It's neat to see something I designed be in a place where I have, and continue to, spend a lot of my time. I've been around the district my entire life." After approximately 44 total work hours the painting reached competition. The 20 bottles of paint and countless instances of hand cramps were absolutely worth it. "It definitely leaves an impression on visitors who enter the gym," says Patterson. "It makes Red Lion Athletics look 'tough'." By Ben Otte
Junior Editor On Monday, January 14th, the YAIAA committee voted to add Gettysburg to the York/Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association as its 23rd member. The vote was won by a 21-1 margin. Gettysburg's new alignment in YAIAA Division II will most likely cause Northeastern to move up to Division 1. This is something that will see effects later on down the stretch. "We welcome Gettysburg," says Red Lion Athletic Director Arnie Fritzius. "It's a great fit to our league." Because all sports schedules are compiled 2 years in advance, the effects of the changes will be seen starting in the Fall of 2015. Now with an odd number of 23 members in the YAIAA, the question is if another team will be added to the league to avoid playoff complications. |
SportsAll the latest right here! Archives
August 2018
Categories
All
|