Garry tradition continues at Fort Cherry
The last name on the door of the Fort Cherry football coach's office is still the same, but for the first time in school history, there is somebody new behind it.
Tim Garry takes over the reins this season from his father Jim, who spent 44 seasons as the only football coach the Rangers have ever known.
"It's a little different feeling," said Tim Garry, who coached under his father at Fort Cherry for 14 years, primarily as the offensive coordinator. "Just the extra responsibilities associated with the job. You have gone from kind of flying under the radar to being the primary target on the radar. It's an adjustment. The weight of the program now falls on my shoulders."
That weight might feel extra heavy to Garry in his first season. The Rangers lost 16 of 22 starters, including all but one of their skill position players, from a team that finished 8-3 and lost to Carmichaels, 32-0, in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class A playoffs last season.
Garry didn't hesitate to say that the big and experienced offensive and defensive lines will have to carry the load for the Rangers.
"Our lines have to keep us in games," Garry said. "They are the backbone of the team."
Seniors Allen Boyd (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) and Adam Willy (6-4, 260) will start at the offensive tackle positions, while juniors Steve Blanchard (6-2, 230) and J.C. Pesto will play the guard spots. Junior Dave Lauff, the smallest player on the line (5-10, 200) will start at center. On the defensive line, Willy and Blanchard will fill the tackle positions, while Pesto and Boyd will serve as the ends.
"We click pretty well together," Boyd said. "We are like a group. We are all friends and stick together. Since we have no skill (position) players returning, we know that we definitely have to dominate up front on both sides of the ball."
The quarterback position is up for grabs between juniors Bill Herbst (6-0, 160), T.J. Schilinski (5-10, 160), and Ryan C. Cook (5-9, 160), with Herbst holding a slight edge over the other two.
"Bill probably has the strongest arm, but he is also a valuable receiver and runner," Garry said. "He could see time at three positions. We are going to put Billy where we need him on the field."
The Rangers other Ryan Cook, a 5-9, 185-pound senior, will have the starting running back assignment, while the team's only returning skill player, senior Pat Cooper, will start at wide receiver and anchor the linebacking core on defense.
"Pat runs really good routes and has good hands," Garry said. "We are expecting big things from him."
Garry fully understands that the season will be an uphill climb, but remains optimistic that the Rangers can stay competitive in the Black Hills Conference race.
"It might not be pretty," he said. "We might have to beat some teams 7-6. There are a lot of young skill players on our team who are inexperienced. We just have to find a way to put some points on the scoreboard while keeping the other team off it."
