Oak Harbor's Carson Ridener sets tone for return with five rushing touchdowns
It's a hard 'i'.
Just the way the Ridener brothers want it, physical and in your face. And it's Ride-ner when said aloud.
There are two Rideners on Oak Harbor's varsity football team. Twins Carson and Jacob are sophomore starters at middle linebacker and defensive end/linebacker, respectively, on one side of the ball.
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They are actually two of triplets. Isaac Ridener, who doesn't share his brothers' allergies, helps their uncle farming.
Carson missed the first five games after learning he had mono the week of practice before the first game. He trumpeted his return with five touchdowns, including one covering 38 yards in a 42-6 victory at Vermilion last week.
"I was itching to come back," he said. "I was ready. I was getting sick of the mental reps. I had the right opportunities and the holes were nice. There was a lot of good holes that made it easy. It was exciting coming back and doing that."
Oak Harbor (5-1, 1-0) has scored at least 42 points in five games and at least 25 points in every game.
"I give credit to the line doing a great job down there in the trenches," Carson said. "The receivers can make plays. Mike [Lalonde] gets it to them."
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The Rockets play host to Huron (5-1, 1-0) in the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division this week. It's Oak Harbor's last season in the SBC.
"We've had good leadership," Carson said. "Hayden Buhro and Judson Overmyer. If it's getting tough, they're not shy. They hold it together and fight back. We know we have to get through Huron. They're a great team. We're going to compete.
"Then it's Edison and PC at the end."
Carson returns to a crowded backfield. Hayden Buhro, Jaqui Hayward and Dalton Witter are also options.
"Dalton will lower his shoulder," Carson said. "Buhro and Jaqui can spring. I'm not as fast as Jaqui and Buhro ... I can move. Mike. We've got a lot of good guys. We have multiple guys to do things, we spread it around and make plays."
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Carson earned occasional carries last season.
"I was confident [my role] would expand," he said. "I have more experience. I worked hard. I gained a little weight. My goal all along is to win the SBC. Regional. If we accomplish that, I'll accomplish my individual goals."
Carson slides to middle linebacker from strong safety last season. Garry Brooks made the same transition to fill in for Ridener the first five games.
"I'm in the thick of it," Carson said.
Jacob played mostly on special teams, earning snaps at defensive end as well. He also starts at guard on offense this year.
Football players spend so much time together they often become close like brothers. Imagine playing varsity with one of your triplets.
"We love picking on each other," Carson said. "On the field, we love supporting each other and getting after it. It's very special. When he gets a sack, I'll slap him on the head. If I score a touchdown, he lifts me up. I love that."
The brothers are happy to deliver hits on the field. They aren't afraid to absorb them between one another either.
"We understand each other's humor," Jacob said. "We make each other laugh. That makes us close. Don't let the jabs affect you. Play it off, being mentally tough. The football part. We're competitive in the weight room and we talk about getting better in all our sports.
"That makes us close."
In the box together on defense, they share a room at home.
"We're always talking about football," Jacob said. "He's been hurt and getting me excited before games. It was hard to see him on the sideline and seeing us do well. Wanting him to be out there with us and now he is. We're really close.
"We love to see each other succeed. We compete a lot at home. There are some holes in the wall, me and Ryan wrestling. We go back and forth. We usually talk about tackles and how somebody did at a particular grade level. We pick on Isaac."
Ryan Ridener is a seventh-grade coach and he's around on Fridays. Big brother is 6-foot-2 and played at about 225 pounds.
Jacob is 6-0, 205 and Carson is 5-11, 185.
"I look up to him," Carson said as an example, not simply because he's taller. "I watched him in high school at the same position, he was a great player."
He tells his brothers how much he wishes they all played together.
"He coaches us up when we have questions," Jacob said. "I practice pass rush moves against him at home."
So, which Ridener wins the brother competition?
"It depends on the day," Jacob said. "Isaac is smaller. Ryan, we can gang up on him."
They're in it together when it comes to keeping their name alive, properly.
"We're always trying to build on the legacy that Ryan started," Jacob said. "People recognize the name. Watching Ryan in high school and hearing the Ridener name when he got a tackle and hearing it now when we get a tackle. People pronounce it wrong, Ridner.
"I like people to know so they pronounce it right."
mhorn@gannett.com
419-307-4892
Twitter: @MatthewHornNH
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Carson Ridener takes after brother Ryan in middle of Rockets defense
