Once again, Prep’s Boysen replaces Dailey with style and grace
For most kids, replacing an All-State performer, taking over for the best quarterback in the history of your school, a guy who went on to play college football at one of the most prestigious programs in America, would be a momentous task. For most kids, handling that responsibility would be just too gargantuan, almost smothering.
When Joe Dailey left St. Peter’s Prep for the University of Nebraska last year, leaving a legacy of greatness and championships behind him, it meant one thing: The kid who was left to replace Dailey as the quarterback of the Marauders would have tremendous shoes to fill.
But for Ryan Boysen, it was a piece of cake.
Because Boysen already had experience in replacing Dailey.
The two both live in the same town, Freehold Township, so when it came time for Boysen to play in the town’s Pop Warner football program, he took over as the quarterback of that team as Dailey went on to St. Peter’s Prep.
It first appeared as if that would be the only chance for Boysen to replace Dailey, because Boysen first went to Freehold Township High School as a freshman. But he soon found out that it wasn’t for him.
"I didn’t like it at all," Boysen said.
So Boysen listened to the words of his friends, namely Dailey and Richie Hansen, the son of the St. Peter’s Prep head coach and athletic director Rich Hansen, who talked to Boysen about what goes on at the school on Grand and Warren.
Boysen was sold. He was going to Prep, sure enough to eventually follow in the footsteps of Dailey once again.
"I never really looked at it that way," Boysen said. "It always helped me a lot, just following what Joe did. I always watched what he did and I learned a lot from him. I never thought I could be the player he was. I just wanted to do what I could do. That’s what people told me to do, just be myself."
Coach Hansen said that there was never any undue pressure placed upon the 5-11, 175-pound junior Boysen.
"No one ever tried to make Ryan be another Joe Dailey," Hansen said. "He just had to be Ryan. Ryan never pressed himself to do the things that Joe did. Ryan has always been an excellent athlete with a tremendous arm. He definitely had all the tools. He was the Big Man on Campus in the Pop Warner league, following Joe and he did a great job. But there was never any talk about him replacing Joe. He just had to play and do the things he can do. I think that helped with the transition."
Boysen spent all of his sophomore season as Dailey’s backup, watching, learning.
"He played very little on the varsity level, but he spent the year in a familiar role, backing Joe up and learning the role," Hansen said. "So when we came to camp this year, we didn’t change much in our offense for Ryan. We adjusted some things in the passing game to create some escape routes. Joe would take off and run on options. Ryan doesn’t need to do that."
Added Hansen, "Ryan has tremendous arm strength for his size. It’s a little deceiving. He can get the ball there. The most difficult pass is the medium range pass and Ryan can get it there with very good touch."
Boysen said that he just needed some time to get comfortable with the offense as the starting quarterback.
"It was just a matter of getting everything down," Boysen said. "I worked hard at it. I figured that if I worked hard, I would have a good shot to play. I worked at it every day, my throwing, my footwork."
With the help of veteran coach Mike Guasconi, the former Weehawken head coach who became a member of the Marauder staff this season, Boysen has become a precise field general who is making very few mistakes in what has been a remarkable season already for the Marauders.
Boysen has been next to perfect in leading the Marauders to their unblemished and downright dominant 8-0 record, outscoring the opposition by an amazing 373-0 thus far.
Last Saturday, Boysen completed 10 of 16 passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns in Prep’s 49-0 whitewash of previously unbeaten Hudson Catholic. For the season, Boysen has now thrown 13 touchdown passes and only one interception.
For his efforts, Boysen has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
Hansen is more than pleased with the performance he has received from Boysen.
"He’s done a great job," Hansen said. "He has great composure and doesn’t get rattled easily. You like that in a quarterback. He has an even keeled temperament and that calming effect filters down to the rest of the team. There’s no sense of panic in him at all."
Part of the reason why Boysen is so calm under pressure is that he has perhaps the most all-around talented backfield in the state playing behind him in fellow juniors Mike Brown and Rashawn Jackson and sophomore Kee-Ayre Griffin. That trio has combined to rush for nearly 2,300 yards and score 41 touchdowns this season.
"They’re amazing," Boysen said. "I don’t even know what I can say about them. I just give them the ball and watch them go. It’s fun to watch. It really helps the team a whole lot."
Hansen said that Boysen has really blossomed in his short time as the Marauders’ field leader.
"He’s worked hard and now has had a chance to enjoy some of the success," Hansen said. "He’s a great kid and a quiet leader. He never makes waves and goes with the flow. He does whatever we tell him to do. He wants to be a good football player and that’s half the battle. He’s willing to do anything to get better. Ryan really wants to be a good player and that’s what motivates him."
While he’s just a junior, Boysen cannot help but think about the future – and perhaps playing "follow the leader" with Dailey one more time, into the land of major college football.
"Sure, that’s something I’d really like to do," Boysen said. "It’s always been a goal and I look forward to it. But I still have another year left, with the other guys in the backfield. We all still have some things to do. There’s more coming from us."
However, the things that have already occurred have caught Boysen somewhat by surprise.
"I knew we had a good team, but I never thought we would be this good," Boysen said. "And I didn’t think I’d be doing as well as I am. I guess we can take it pretty far."
Sure looks that way. – Jim Hague