Rye is moving up in the world.
After a string of six straight Section 1 Class C championship-game appearances, the Garnets will be competing in Class B this season.
The most stacked class in the section includes defending champion John Jay, Yorktown (winners of 28 sectional titles the last 31 years) and 2009 Class B champ Somers.
How will the Garnets, who still have yet to beat Yorktown in their history, fare against these heavyweights?
That’s one of the questions we asked Binghamton University-bound senior defenseman Michael Collins.
One of the standouts on last year’s Hudson Valley Empire State Games team, Collins is one of six Rye senior college commits.
Here’s Michael’s perspective on the upcoming season:
What have you been doing to get ready for the season?
This offseason i have been doing a lot of running, weight training, hitting the wall, and doing one on ones
How does your schedule look, including scrimmages, and what games are you looking forward to?
I’m really excited about this season’s schedule. We have out of league games against Greenwich and New Caanan two of the tops teams in Connecticut, this will be a solid test of where we are at as a team. I also am looking forward to playing John Jay and Somers, both of these teams are in our class so we have the possibility of seeing them in the playoffs.
What players on your team do you think will surprise some people this season?
In my opinion our whole team will surprise people this year. Most of our senior class has spent three years on varsity and we are hungry for a section title. Although moving up to Class B will be a challenge, I feel as though we can rise to the occasion. Some players that will step and have a big year are Garrett Chapman, Brian Pickup and Jack O’Callaghan, each of these guys are extremely hardworking and will do great things for our team,
What do you think the strength of your team will be this year?
Our strengths this year will be our senior leadership and experience. We know what it takes to get to the finals now we just have get to the next level.
How do you view the race in the CHSAA and who do you think the contending teams will be?
I feel that the race in Class B will be a tight one. There are many good teams such as John Jay Yorktown, and Somers. It’s going to come down to who works the hardest and in my opinion Rye has got the edge there.
For background info on Michael, including his highlight video, click here.
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Posted In: Player's perspective, Recruiting 101, Scoreboard Central, Section 1
Well done Mike looking for great things this year for you and the Garnets.
Ditto that!!
The combination of talent, experience and chemistry should make Rye exciting to watch.
Excellent job Mike. Best wishes for another great year.
Nice job sizing things up Mike! Good luck this year!