Kennebunk slotback Ryan Connors has moved on from last season’s playoff loss to Marshwood and the senior has set his sights on overcoming any obstacles in his path. (TAMMY BELANGER PHOTOGRAPHY)
Ryan Connors insists revenge won’t be on his mind when Kennebunk High faces fellow Class B powerhouse Marshwood on Oct. 18.
A season ago, Connors, a running back, slot receiver and field goal kicker, helped lead an undefeated Rams team into a regional final against the Hawks. With a trip to the state title on the line, Kennebunk dropped its only game of the season, a 14-13 heartbreaker at Waterhouse Field in Biddeford.
An agonizing loss like that might fuel an athlete heading into a new year, but Connors admits he hasn’t given the defeat much thought as he prepares for his final season as a Ram.
“We know (our division) is going to give us really strong teams to play,” Connors said. “We just got to do our job to try and win games”
Instead of seeking payback, Connors focused more on developing a tight-knit culture with his Rams’ teammates. He’s spent the necessary time improving upon his physical skills, too.
Connors, who started playing football in fourth grade after watching his older brothers, Jake and Ian, participate, said a big focus in his training heading into this season has been conditioning. Some of the work, like his daily runs, is on his own time but Connors also participated in team conditioning drills three times a week during the summer.
Just a few days into the preseason, Kennebunk head coach Joe Rafferty has already noticed that Connors has gotten noticeably stronger. Rafferty tracks the progress of his players in the weight room, and he records their squatting, deadlifting and bench press. Connors has already topped his previous best marks.
“I’m hoping (his added strength) helps him avoid injury,” Rafferty said. “But, I think with him, he’s just very mature and knows how to play the right way.”
That maturity serves Connors well as being one of the 10 seniors on a Rams’ squad that has state title aspirations.
Connors said the senior group has played together since they were in seventh grade, and they have all become so close that they know each other’s tendencies.
The bond between the seniors has trickled down to the younger Rams, too. During the summer, Connors and his classmates organized mini-team games where the sole focus was the just “play around and have some fun.” When not playing football, he also helped organize team-bonding events, such as going to the movies or team dinners.
“I think those activities really strengthen the chemistry of the team,” Connors said. “It’s important to get the underclassmen involved, and we’re all good friends. Having those razzle times with them is a lot of fun.”
One of Rafferty’s biggest thrills as a coach, he said, is seeing his athletes come up as freshmen and improve not just on the field, but off it as well. Witnessing Connors’ development has been as rewarding as any player during Rafferty’s time. The head coach is heading into his 41st season with Kennebunk, and he describes the senior as “one of the most humble kids he’s ever coached.”
“To see Ryan grow and mature physically is one thing,” Rafferty said. “But to go from someone who might have been at a loss as to what was going on his freshmen year to now, where he has a direction, he has a plan, that’s the fun side of it to me.”
For Connors, he hopes his added strength from his training regime and the connection with his teammates translates into a deep playoff run.
“A state championship is always the goal going in,” Connors said. “No matter what anyone else says, as a team that’s what we always plan to shoot for.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
