1st-year Hampton tight end Ryan Scully earns all-conference recognition

By: John Grupp
Saturday, November 16, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Whenever Hampton football coach Steve Sciullo saw Ryan Scully in the high school hallways last year, the former NFL lineman tried to convince the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder to play football.

Scully finally agreed, and earlier this month Sciullo called the junior tight end into those same hallways to tell him something.

The first-year player was voted first-team all-conference.

“I was definitely excited,” Scully said. “I think I did pretty well for myself. I was surprised, but I knew I earned it.”

Said Sciullo, “Just the fact that he came out this year and had the success that he had, we’re just so proud of him. It’s amazing from where he started. He just continued to improve as the season went along. He had a phenomenal year.”

Better known for his baseball exploits, Scully had never played organized football before this season. He played flag football in seventh grade and attended some Talbots’ football workouts prior to his freshman year, but quit to focus on baseball.

“I came in as a quarterback, and I just didn’t enjoy the sport,” Scully said of his freshman year. “I had a lot of baseball that summer, and I really couldn’t make any of the football workouts. It just didn’t work out with me.”

This season, everything worked out.

Scully, who finished with 13 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns, was named the top tight end in the Greater Allegheny Conference in voting by the league’s coaches.

He was one of four Talbots who earned all-conference first- or second-team recognition. Senior defensive back Josh Carr was also named first-team, and junior running back Evan McAneny and senior wide receiver Ray Kirsopp earned second-team honors.

The all-conference honors were a bright spot for the Talbots, who finished 3-7 for the second consecutive season and missed the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs.

Carr earned first-team despite missing four games with a Lisfranc injury, one of many setbacks in a banged-up season for the Talbots.

Kirsopp, who had dedicated the season to his late father, Rob, missed six games with a spleen injury. But he returned to have six receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown in a 70-12 loss to West Mifflin in the season finale.

McAneny, in his first year as a full-time runner, rushed for 829 yards and 10 touchdowns, highlighted by an 83-yard TD run in final minute of 34-27 victory at Chartiers Valley. He finished that game — easily the Talbots’ most memorable of the season — with 228 yards and four TDs on 30 carries.

“This was a challenging year for injuries, but it’s football,” Sciullo said. “You’ve got to be able to deal with it.”

Joining Carr and Kirsopp in the 10-man senior class were QB/DB Porter Kelly, RB/LB Carson Potter, WR/DB Dom Popowich and linemen Logan Grondwalski, Owen Gindlesperger, Austin Williams, Joey Posteraro and Yaroslav Badiukov.

“We only had 10 (seniors), but they were 10 really good kids,” Sciullo said. “The leadership and the people in this senior group were really special.”

Scully had special season. He hauled in an 84-yard reception in his second varsity game, against Armstrong, and added touchdown catches at Knoch and Indiana. The athleticism he used to become a second-team all-section designated hitter/outfielder for the Talbots’ baseball team eased his transition to the new sport.

“Coach Sciullo saw me in school a lot and really pushed me to play,” Scully said. “I thank him for that because I really enjoy it. It’s my favorite sport.”

Tags: Hampton