By HANNAH DUNN-GRANDPRE – Digital Managing Editor
On Feb. 11, the seven-season-long era of head football coach Leroy Ryals ended. It was announced officially on Tuesday that he would be leaving Clarke Central High School for Thomasville High School in Thomasville, Ga.
On Tuesday of last week, CCHS head football coach Leroy Ryals resigned from his position, leaving behind several accomplishments, including the revival of the CCHS football program. Defensive coordinator Ahren Self will officially become head coach on Feb. 28. Graphic by Austin DeFoor.
After the announcement of Ryals’ resignation on Feb. 12, reactions varied. For junior quarterback Cameron Johnson, the coaching change has taken a toll on him as a member of the football team.
“(I was in) tears. I took it hard. I’m not mad at him, I’m just sad. I know he’s not leaving permanently from my life, but not to be around him physically is going to hurt. It’s going to take a while to get over that,” Johnson said.
According to Wegman, Ryals has not only made an impact as a coach, but as a member of the CCHS family and has positively influenced all athletes at the school.
“Ryals has been such an important figure in our school because he came in and embraced Clarke Central. He made relationships with students, teachers and coaches,” head volleyball coach Ashlee Wegmann said. “He brought a sense of doing the right thing and he preached that everyday to his students and all of the athletes in our program.”
Along with forming relationships with students, Ryals has had a significant impact on the football program at CCHS, according to athletic director Dr. Jon Ward. In the seven seasons Ryals has coached, he has led the Gladiators to two Region 8-AAAA championship wins, Class AAAA state finals in 2009, as well as the playoffs every year he has coached and ended his coaching career at CCHS with a 60-22-1 record.
“There were some lean times (after Coach Billy Henderson retired) and Coach Ryals came in in 2006 and resurrected the program. He had a great impact on our school, on our community and the players that have played for him are better people having been part of his program,” Ward said.
Along with his coaching achievements, Ryals has successfully motivated students to excel academically. According to the Touchdown Club, the CCHS football booster club, 98 percent of students Ryals has coached in his seven years at CCHS who were who were involved with the football program for all four years have graduated from CCHS.
“(Ryals) does a great job, he and his coaching staff, of tracking the students academically. And believe it or not, that’s unusual sometimes in high schools. After the season is over, usually they’d say we don’t care until football season comes around again. But, he does a great job of tracking their students,” Principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker said.
In the post-Ryals era, now head football coach and defensive coordinator Ahren Self hopes to continue with the same standard of excellence Ryals set up for his players both on the field and in the classroom.
“I’m still going to keep a lot of the philosophies that Ryals has. He’s definitely changed (football players’) lives. His philosophy is that football is a chance to teach young men life lessons. Everybody that’s come through this program, he’s touched their lives in some way and made them a better person,” Self said.
Senior linebacker Javion Hemphill agrees with Self. Through his own personal experience with CCHS football, he’s felt the “Ryals effect.”
“It just changed who I was, before I came to the program I really didn’t do much, life was just boring. But, when I started playing under Coach Ryals, my whole life just changed and started to become better for me,” Hemphill said.
Johnson has acknowledged the impacts Ryals has made on students outside of football.
“He’s my coach, I see him as a father figure, I can talk to him for just about anything. He ‘s just a great man. He gives me words of wisdom when I need them and he’s always picking me up and he lets me know the real deal about things,” Johnson said. “I don’t think I would be where I am now athletically or school-wise without his guidance. He teaches me a lot of life lessons and I would not be the person I am now.”
Self feels that while the change came with a difficult reaction and was an equally challenging decision, that there are more other important factors to consider in the situation.
“It was extremely hard (for Ryals to leave). But, in the coaching profession, change happens. When an opportunity presents itself you have to consider it, you can’t stay at one place for a long time,” Self said. “Ultimately he has a family and children that he has to look out for and if opportunity presents itself that could be better for his family, then he’s got to pursue it.”
Four days after the initial announcement was made, defensive coordinator, assistant coach and physical education teacher Ahren Self was announced as the new head football coach by athletic director Dr. Jon Ward in a meeting with the 2013-14 football team.
After accepting the position at THS, Ryals approached Self about a job as defensive coordinator for their football team in Thomasville. However, Self turned down the offer to be head coach for the Gladiators.
“Seniors, I want to come back for you guys, and have a chance to do something special. I want to get back on a winning record. I have an emotional attachment to the team. We have a chance to do something very special,” Self said at the Feb. 15 team meeting.
Ryals will officially resign from the team and CCHS on Feb. 28, at which point Self will take over all off-season practices.
“I really feel good, (Self is) just bringing everything back to this Clarke Central football program and it’s just bringing our spirits back up and making us believe now,” junior running back Kavon Williams said. “It’s going to be different because it’s going to be more intensive, he’s set the bar high and we got to do what we got to do and win games.”
Despite Ryals’ absence for the games this fall, Ward feels the team, especially senior leaders, will prevail in this time of transition.
“When you have a coach in a high profile sport like football, that’s good at what he does, you always know that there’s a possibility (of recruitment to other schools),” Ward said. “In athletics its part of the package that your coach sometimes leaves. But more than that, I think that the upcoming seniors have leadership qualities and mental toughness to handle this transition and to come out for the better.”
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