Next man up: Ryan Kerscher waited his turn, now the Walsh Jesuit senior has team winning
There’s an unwritten rule in sports. You never want to be the man who replaces "The Man."
Instead, you want to be the man who replaces the man who replaced "The Man."
But here Ryan Kerscher is crushing it for the Walsh Jesuit football team.
A senior, Kerscher had the unenviable task of replacing second-team All-Ohio quarterback Matt Natale this season.
The Warriors are 4-1 as they head into a home game Friday against Archbishop Hoban and they haven’t missed a beat.
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“I actually learned a lot from Matt,” Kerscher said. “Whether it was practice or games. I loved watching him during games. It taught me a lot about hard work. It was about being a leader. It wasn’t only just the football part, but like leading during the great season that we had. It was his ability to be as accurate as he was.
“That competition we have was like no other. We would go at it every day. If one of us missed a pass, the other one would go in and it was just always a competition and it definitely made me better as a player.”
Kerscher excels with next man up philosophy
Natale left Walsh with school records for completions in a season (183), yards in a season (2,515), touchdowns in a season (26) and passing yards in a game (316).
Kerscher took it all in and learned from it, which is why the Warriors are rolling.
“In a world full of guys wanting to leave and transfer because they’re not playing, Ryan Kerscher is the exception,” Walsh coach Nick Alexander said. “It’s a testament to him as a young man and his family. Everywhere else, it would have been ‘I’m going back to Stow,’ which was his hometown, or ‘I’m not going to sit here and do this.’ He put his time in and he’s earned the trust with me and the coaching staff. He’s such a competitor. He’s just such a good kid.”
Kerscher’s first game was a thriller. It came on a rain-soaked Saturday evening in a 38-32 double overtime win over Cleveland Benedictine.
He admitted to some nerves and a 45-minute rain delay didn’t help. That said, he ran the ball 17 times for 73 yards and completed 10 of 22 passes for 153 yards with an interception against the Bengals.
Where it all went right for Ryan Kerscher
Kerscher came into his own in a 56-37 loss to McDowell (Pa.) in Week 2.
That may sound strange, but Kerscher set a school record for completions in a game when he went 32-for-50 passing for 298 yards and two touchdowns.
“That game was definitely a turning point for me to do my best,” Kerscher said. “I didn’t get what I wanted out of the game versus Benedictine but going into that I told myself that I’m just going to focus on what I have to do. I know my teammates are going to do what they need to do. I actually didn’t even know I broke the completions record until after the game. That definitely built a lot of confidence for me and allowed me to realize I can do this, and things like that.
“That success we’ve had, it builds up so much confidence in myself and also the team. But we also don't let our heads get wrapped around that because after 24 hours we’re onto the next one. It’s definitely a big part in staying focused. I really think that's helped me a lot through our success.”
Kerscher has completed 71 of 120 passes this season. He has thrown for 909 yards and six touchdowns against two interceptions and run for 201 yards on 28 carries and has three touchdowns.
But most importantly, he’s earned the trust as a captain of the entire team.
“Everything was starting to come together and the game is starting to come slower to him,” wide receiver Trey Bell said. “He has more confidence and has completed more because he knows the ropes about everything. He has easily picked it up.”
Kerscher's play has the Warriors in the heart of the Division II, Region 5 race, but for now the 6-foot-3, 185-pound star is going to enjoy the next five weeks of the regular season and hope for many more after that.
“It’s definitely a very exciting time because I’ve been waiting three years for this,” Kerscher said. “It honestly had been the best part. I enjoy going into practice every day with a good attitude. Have fun. It's honestly surreal to say that I finally get it because it's always something I've dreamed of. I’m having a lot of fun.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Walsh Jesuit quarterback Ryan Kerscher has Warriors rolling into Hoban
