JUPITER – The FHSAA recently voted for all schools to have the ability to begin fall practices on Monday, Aug. 24.
This means today, the very day that Ryan Peterson and all other high school athletes in the state have been waiting for.
The Jupiter Christian incoming senior linebacker is ecstatic about spending practice time with his teammates, to say the least.
“It’s exciting to finally get to be able to play football,” the 6-foot, 200-pound linebacker said. “It’s going to be a great feeling to throw on the pads and play with the fam.”
Today is going to be a great day for Peterson to build on what was a breakout season with the Eagles in 2019. He finished his junior year with 143 tackles (15 tackles for loss), 4 sacks, and 1 interception, with his best game coming in last year’s exhibition game against St. Andrew’s with 22 tackles.
“Ryan was a player who jumped on the scene pretty early on against St. Andrews,” Jupiter Christian head coach Baz Alfred said. “I’m extremely proud of the player he’s become through this past season. You can see his growth and maturity. He’s the heart of our defense, and will be a leader that we can depend on when we need a big play.”
Peterson provided his thoughts on the St. Andrew’s game.
“I saw the game better,” Peterson said. “That’s when I started to get better at reading holes and blockers.”
Peterson on how his junior year went at Jupiter Christian:
“It was a brand new year for me,” Peterson said. “There was a new coaching staff that believed in my abilities to play, and there was a new opportunity for me to play a position. I just worked hard every day.”
Peterson on Alfred:
“Coach Baz is a great person,” Peterson said. “He’s helped me get through so much on and off the field. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be the person I am today…Coach Baz believed in me whether that’s football or life. I look up to him. He’s my role model. I’m lucky to have him as my coach.”
As a result of his stellar junior season, Peterson has gained interest from a few colleges such as Keiser, St. Thomas, Shorter, Concordia, and Chowan.
“The recruiting process is going good,” Peterson said. “There are some schools looking at me, which I’m excited about.”
Peterson was recently selected by ESPN West Palm as a Top 63 player at No. 62 overall. He was also ranked at No. 5 in our New Era Prep inside linebacker position rankings earlier this summer.
Now with practices going on for the next 2-3 weeks, Peterson will be stoked for Jupiter Christian’s season opener, which will be on Friday, Sept. 11 against Berean Christian (7 p.m. kickoff). He wants to do his part to improve on last year’s 1-9 campaign and turn it into a title run in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference.
“My individual goals are to just keep playing, get more tackles and get more interceptions,” Peterson said. “I wanna win a championship and see my bro’s just ball out.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Gene Nardi
