Glen RyanAll weekend and even into Monday morning, Glen Ryan heard the congratulatory comments and absorbed the pats on the back.
Every time it was bittersweet. Each well-meaning salutation became harder to swallow than the last, and the thought by some that Walker Valley’s rebuilding program is ahead of schedule in Ryan’s third season leaves him cold, perhaps even frustrated.
“I expected us to be in the playoffs this year, and I had hoped to be in with a better record,” he said. “We hoped to have a good shot at having a good year and definitely to make the playoffs. As it turned out, we struggled at the end to get in and even had to have some help.”
While the defense is senior-dominated, especially in the line and at linebackers, there is more than a hint of youthfulness among the Mustangs’ skill players from freshman quarterback Colton Gibson to receivers Tucker Mendenhall, Cooper Melton, Brice Nunley and Jack Eslinger and running backs Avery Johnson, Alex King and Donnell Armour. Too, the defensive secondary will return intact next year.
Each member of the team endured highs and lows, but the fact the Mustangs endured and continued was so important to the program, the school and the community.