Senior tight end Ryan Wynn may have toiled in the shadows a year ago during Oswego’s surprising run to the Class 8A state championship game but his impact didn’t go unnoticed.
At least not to those who matter most.
“He started every game for us,” Panthers coach Brian Cooney said of Wynn. “A lot of time he spent blocking like that sixth offensive lineman.”
In the months since, Wynn continued to grow and improve, snaring three Division I scholarship offers before committing in June to South Dakota State.
Checking in at 6-foot-4 1/2 and 225 pounds, Wynn served notice Friday night for host Oswego in a 44-22 nonconference win at home over Neuqua Valley that the best is, indeed, yet to come.
Wynn finished with three catches for 108 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter from senior quarterback Drew Kleinhans that accounted for one of four lead changes in a close first half.
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“I had six catches last year and I think my season yardage total was 80-something,” Wynn said. “I know it was below a hundred yards. I was more of a blocking tight end because we had Teddy Manikas and Mariano Velasco at wide receiver doing a great job.
“Obviously, one of my goals is to show more this season and prove to South Dakota State that they picked a good guy.”
A guy who’s an even better blocker and a much better receiver this fall, according to junior running back Ammar Banire.
“He’s been working hard, doing everything he needs to do,” Banire said of Wynn. “This whole offseason, Ryan got way more athletic, gained more pounds and got taller. He’s just a dog.
“I feel like we can expect bigger things out of Ryan Wynn.”
The same is true for the 6-1, 190-pound Banire, who starred Friday with 276 yards and five TDs for Oswego (1-0). He ran for 235 yards and had TD runs of 19, 93, 62 and 12 yards. He also caught a screen pass and motored 41 yards for another TD.
Kleinhans completed 5 of 10 passes for 156 yards and two TDs, while senior fullback Graham Schwab added 119 yards on nine carries.
Complementing a veteran offensive line that included seniors Alejandro Acosta, Gabriel Guzman, Nathan Overstreet and Ryan Stork were key blocks from Wynn, Schwab and senior wide receivers Jalen Walker and Caleb Miller.
“There were blocks up front, but downfield, those are long blocks and they’re hard,” Cooney said. “You get outside your frame and they’re gonna throw a flag. We did a good job.”
Wynn enjoys his role, too.
“Blocking for Ammar, I love it,” he said. “I always tell him to go outside and I’ll get the guy sealed off. Ammar reads blocks pretty well and, obviously, is pretty fast.”
Junior receiver Will Kalish provided the highlights for Neuqua (0-1), ending up with 174 yards and three TDs on eight passes from senior quarterback Drake Mennecke.
“He was killing us all night,” Cooney said of Kalish. “We didn’t even see what their punt formation looked like until well into the third quarter, which is frustrating.
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“We were not good enough on defense — not even close enough to good enough.”
Wynn, whose father Adam is 6-6 and played baseball at Oswego, may not be done growing, either.
“Last offseason I was working out about 14 times a week,” Ryan said. “I’d lift after school in our weight room and then I’d go to Acceleration Sports Performance in Yorkville for speed and agility training.”
It’s paying off.
“His rate of improvement is due to the work he put in every day,” Cooney said. “He’s always had that frame. He was a little unsure of himself but has grown a little bit and gotten comfortable with our offense.
“I knew he had the potential and he showed it (Friday night). The yards and catches speak for themselves, but he had some significant blocks downfield that busted some of those runs for No. 2 (Banire) and No. 22 (Schwab).”