Oak Park-River Forest senior Ryan Molina grew up playing baseball. When he first played football in eighth grade, his father, Aquiles, expected it to be a one-year endeavor, intended to serve as a conditioning tool for improving his performance on the diamond.
“I was concerned about him getting hurt, compounded by the fact he was showing a lot of skill at baseball,” Aquiles Molina said. “Why would you risk the injury?”
Once Aquiles saw his son on the football field, he said he was impressed by his explosiveness and vision as a running back Molina had early on. Still, Aquiles worried that “the guys are bigger in high school.”
At 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, Ryan Molina, now a linebacker for the Huskies (4-0, 1-0), said feeling undersized on the field helps fuel him.
“I have to go up against guys that are like 6 feet, 3 inches, 200-plus pounds,” he said. “It’s tough, and sometimes failing at that makes me think if this is the right thing for me. But I’m always going into every game with that chip on my shoulder. It motivates me to play harder than everyone else.”
OPRF senior quarterback Jeremy Hunt has known Molina since they were about 9 years old and has seen Molina blossom as a player throughout high school.
“You see it when he’s out there, he’s always trying to work harder than everyone else,” Hunt said.
Molina suffered a setback during his junior football season when he suffered a shoulder injury. Again, Molina’s father had doubts about his son’s pursuit of football, but Molina, with help from his mom, was able to convince him.
“I just felt like I couldn’t leave my coaches and teammates,” Molina said. “These are the buddies I grew up with, guys I would throw the ball around in my backyard with, my brothers.”
More Top Picks Best Lapidary Machines
Molina, who is undecided on a college, has been contacted by Division III football programs and recently toured the University of Chicago’s campus before watching one of its football games. While Molina plans on pursing a business degree, he’s trying to enjoy what remains of his senior season.
“These first few weeks have gone by so fast,” Molina said. “But I really want us to make a deep run and bring home a ring.”
Game notes
Hunt threw three touchdown passes and rushed for another as OPRF defeated Proviso West 42-8 in a West Suburban Silver matchup on Friday, Sept. 16.
Sophomore wideout Craig Shelton caught two of those scoring passes: a 9-yard catch in the end zone and a 24-yard catch up the middle, where he broke a tackle before crossing the goal line.
“I saw (Shelton) beating them early with a few seam routes,” Hunt said. “I wanted to keep feeding the hot hand.”
While the Huskies took a 35-0 lead into the half, coach John Hoerster wanted his team to stay focused.
“I let them know we need to play four quarters,” he said. “Every opportunity is an opportunity to get better. We did a great job in the second half.”
Lee Bosch is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press