WEST PITTSTON – Riley Rusyn first came to Warriors Football Camp when he was preparing for kindergarten and his first year of “D” team football.
One sure sign that Rusyn’s final year of high school football is creeping closer was another stop at the camp that brings the past, current and future members of the Wyoming Area program together annually.
About 70 youngsters, ages 6-14, joined current coaches and players, along with alumni of the program on the Anthony “Jake” Sobeski Stadium field for three hours the evening of July 26.
For Rusyn and his teammates, it was a break from the running and 7-on-7 scrimmages before formal heat acclimatization practices and full contact drills commence in advance of the Aug. 23 opener against Mid Valley.
Rusyn remembers what it was like to be one of the kids sharing the field with the high school team.
“When I was younger, I looked up to them and thought they were pretty cool,” he said.
That feeling remains for many of the young fans and/or future members of the team, who roamed the field with a group that has raised the excitement level around the Wyoming Area program
The Warriors went 11-1 a year ago despite youth and injuries. Many of the players who led that effort are back, along with others trying to move into a prominent role after putting in time in the program.
Rusyn, who was in on 11 tackles and caught a pass a year ago as a junior, is one example.
At camp, he shared what he knows about playing receiver with one of the larger contingents of campers, who broke off into groups according to the positions in which they were most interested in learning more.
“You’re just trying to teach them what to do,” Rusyn said. “My favorite one is probably releasing off the ball. teaching them how to get off the ball and get away from a defender.”
Around the stadium field and adjacent practice area, the most basic fundamentals of the game were demonstrated, along with some twists that allowed for a little extra fun.
Running backs got a brief chance to “celebrate,” adding a little spice and creativity to the successful completion of a drill.
Receivers worked on catching the ball along the sideline, while getting one foot in-bounds – the requirement for a legal catch in high school. Emulating the highlights they see on TV, many tried to see whether they could execute the task with just one hand at the same time they were concentrating on that one foot.
Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer says the annual camp serves as more than a recruiting process for future Warriors. It keeps his players connected to the community, both those youngsters who look up to them and those former Warriors who continue to support the program after there years in it have been completed.
