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Caruthersville big boy 'having a great year'
Friday, October 4, 2024
Caruthersville High School junior left guard Ridge McGraw goes to block on a play against Charleston recently.
Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com
It’s easy to become swept away by the beauty of a building and never give a thought to the foundational structure that holds it up.
As that relates to the Caruthersville High School football team, yes, the explosiveness of junior runner Sammy Bryant and senior pass-catcher Jermonte Alexander are awesome to behold. However, none of those spectacular demonstrations could take place without the subtle works of the Tiger offensive line, notably, junior Ridge McGraw.
“Ridge is having a great year,” third-year Caruthersville coach Dom Guglielmo said recently.
The Class 2 No. 12-ranked Tigers (4-1, 2-0 SEMO Conference South Division) will visit District and Conference foe, Scott City (4-1, 2-1 SEMO Conference South Division) tonight at 7 p.m. For the Tigers to leave Scott City still unbeaten in league play will have a lot to do with how McGraw performs.
“I think he has fallen in love with the offensive line thing,” Guglielmo said. “Not that he didn’t like it before, but when you fall in love with the offensive line, it becomes a part of you.”
No one would grasp that more than Guglielmo, who played up front throughout his high school and college careers.
“Ridge has just embraced the offensive line culture,” Guglielmo continued.
McGraw starts at left guard and is joined by senior Oscar Dominguez (left tackle), senior Kenyon Bogan (center), junior Jackson Napier (right guard), and junior Jermaine Caruthers (right tackle). That group is responsible for Bryant’s great numbers 783 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns, as well as Alexander’s (26 receptions for 289 yards and four scores).
Caruthersville senior quarterback Ryan Guest is completing nearly 64 percent of his passes, in part, because he has time from that line’s performance.
McGraw was a SEMO Conference Second Team selection a year ago, but still had the motivation this past off-season to get even better.
He “lost a little bit of weight,” according to Guglielmo, and he was diligent in the weight room.
“He added a total of 200 pounds to his weight-lifting max’s,” Guglielmo said.
The four stations that Guglielmo was referencing were bench press, back squat, power clean, and deadlift.
“He’s our best flat puller,” Guglielmo explained. “He has a photographic memory. He’s brilliant.
“All of that leads to having a great year.”
On defense, McGraw plays noseguard and he has performed well on that side of the ball, as well, according to his coach.
“When we play those run-heavy teams,” Guglielmo said, “he is able to split double teams, occupy blocks, and he doesn’t give up much ground.
“He has been a stalwart on both sides of the ball for us this year.”
Caruthersville is in the third spot in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 standings with 40.30 points. The Tigers trail Valle Catholic (47.55 points) and Portageville (41.40) while the Rams are behind Caruthersville with 38.70 points.