2023 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Pine-Richland’s Ryan Cory

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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Pine-Richland football coach Jon LeDonne describes Ryan Cory as an old-school type of player.

“He would have fit in perfectly back in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s,” LeDonne said. “You don’t see that these days from kids. He’s very physical and gets after it. He has great footwork and is a great kid.”

The 6-foot-4, 290-pound two-way tackle who was a Class 5A All-State first-team selection and two-time all-conference player, has committed to play at Wisconsin, where he should compete at the guard or center position.

He had more than two dozen offers, including from Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia. He is the third WPIAL player in as many years to pick Wisconsin, joining Penn-Trafford’s Cade Yacamelli and Thomas Jefferson’s Jordan Mayer.

“I love playing physical football,” Cory said. “I get a chance to hit people legally.”

He follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, John Cory, who played collegiately at Florida, and his dad, John Cory II, who played in high school at Hampton and at IUP.

“They got me into football,” Ryan Cory said. “They push me to get better.”

Cory helped Pine-Richland win the PIAA and WPIAL Class 5A titles last season. The Rams were 13-3 and ended the season by winning 12 consecutive games.

“We want to win another title,” Cory said. “Things didn’t go well for us early in the season, but we pulled together and bonded. We became close-knit, and I’m confident we can do it again.

“We had some early-season difficulties, but once we bought into what the coaches were doing, we became a great team.”

Pine-Richland began the season 1-3.

“Ryan is a hard worker, and he prepares the right way,” LeDonne said. “He’s always trying to make himself better.”

Pine-Richland recently had picture day instead of a workout. That didn’t stop Cory from hitting the weight room for his own session.

“I’m always trying to get better,” Cory said. “There are things I need to get better at before I got to college.

“I feel if we want to repeat, we have to continue to work hard. I’m just doing my part. We have high expectations as a team. We have to outwork everyone on our schedule.”

Ryan Cory

Pine-Richland

Senior

6-4/290

T/DT

Committed to: Wisconsin

College offers: Akron, Boston College, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Oregon, Pitt, Penn State, Stanford, Toledo, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Virginia and West Virginia.

2022 statistics: Cory was part of an offensive line that helped the Rams rush for 205.3 yards game and throw for 65.5. … Pine-Richland scored 52 touchdowns, 44 on the ground. … He was in on 37 tackles.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Pine-Richland