They weren’t going to let it happen again.
Last week, the hard work paid off. Ricks rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns as the Knights beat Shawnee 34-14 in Springfield.
“It feels great seeing that 1-0 on the record sheet,” Ricks said. “I just can’t wait to stack some more wins.”
For his efforts, Ricks was named the Dayton Daily News Athlete of the Week for Aug. 18 through Aug. 23, earning the honor through reader voting at DaytonDailyNews.com.
“It’s definitely a blessing,” Ricks said. “I appreciate it. After seeing all the great teams and players that showed out and did some great things, it was definitely an honor to see that I was able to win.”
Ricks began playing football in first grade and knew right away that he wanted to play as long as possible.
“It was kind of something that I just drifted towards,” Ricks said. “It’s just something I’m very passionate about. ... I like the competition and putting in the hard work, and to display it out on the field on game days. I just love the thrill of the game.”
The senior scored on runs of 16, 58, 18 and 65 yards. If he breaks through the line, the senior is confident in his ability to take it to the house. He rushed for a career-high 255 yards last year against Catholic Central, averaging 15 yards per carry.
“As long as I can get to the secondary, I feel like I can be a threat to the defense,” Ricks said. “Once I see one-on-one or even one-on-two, I feel like my chances are pretty high (for breaking a TD).
The Knights hope to compete in the Ohio Heritage Conference South Division this fall. Greenon last won in 2021 and Greeneview dominated the division ever since, winning four straight titles.
“We put in the hard work and the dedication,” Ricks said. “It’s been our goal since November. It’s what the coaches put into our minds and that’s what we strive to do. It’s definitely one of our goals.”
Ricks hopes to major in Ag Business and may play football at the next level. He said he couldn’t have done it without the help of his teammates, especially the offensive line.
“I was glad we were able to put it all together,” Ricks said.
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