Ryan Greiser,
Pennridge High
School
 First play of the season for Pennridge High School. Handoff to senior
tailback Ryan Greiser. Result: a 58-yard touchdown run. Question: So what
do you do for an encore? If you're Ryan Greiser, the answer is "Plenty."
He went on to set school records for touchdowns in a season (33), most
rushing yards in a season (2,030), most rushing yards in a game (295) and
most rushing yards in a career (4,060). He also holds the Pennridge record
for longest kickoff return, 93 yards for a touchdown.
Greiser also maintains a 3.7 grade point average, which combined with his
splendid football accomplishments, made him the Maxwell Club's choice for
the 20th annual Jim Henry Award as the area's outstanding student-athlete
for 2004.
"In my mind, Ryan's most impressive statistic, without a doubt, is his
yards per carry average of 9.3," Pennridge coach Jeff Hollenbach told
Robert Hoffman of the Allentown Morning Call. "It's just unbelievable that
someone can carry the ball as much as he did (218 times) and average over
nine yards a carry."
Greiser also made All-State as a defensive back as he recorded 52 tackles
with eight sacks and scored three defensive touchdowns. As a senior, he
led the Rams to a 10-3 record and a share of the Suburban One National
Conference championship. He helped the team advance to the second round of
the District One Class 4A playoffs. The 6-1, 210-pound Greiser also was
named The Morning Call's Player of the Year.
"I can't really believe that I got 2,000 yards this season," Greiser told
Hoffman. "Coming into this year, I didn't expect to have the season I did.
Winning this (player of the year) award definitely means a lot, especially
with all the great players in the area. It's a big honor for me."
Greiser had several outstanding games, including a great performance
against defending state champion North Penn, when he rallied the Rams from
a 27-14 deficit, breaking away on an 80-yard touchdown run to spark a
35-27 win. He finished the game with 219 yards rushing, 102 yards
receiving and three touchdowns.
On his 18th birthday, playing against rival Pennsbury, Greiser scored on a
55-yard pass reception and a 55-yard interception return in a span of less
than a minute. He finished the game with 314 yards of total offense and a
school record five touchdowns as the Rams romped 40-19.
"Without him, I don't know what kind of year we would've had," Hollenbach
said. "It's safe to say we wouldn't have made the playoffs and certainly
not won a share of the league championship. It would've been interesting
to see how many wins we would've gotten."
"He's been the backbone of the team," said teammate Rick Ventresca. "We
know that we are never out of the game when we look in the backfield and
see Ryan."
"My coaches put me in the right situations to get those yards and my
teammates around me open the holes that allow me to do what I need to do
to get those extra yards," Greiser said. "The wins are great, but my best
memories are the times with my teammates and coaches, the time getting to
know them and the personal relationships that were built along the way."
Greiser was recruited by a number of Division One colleges, including
Syracuse, Stanford and Penn State, but he has chosen to attend Liberty
University, a Christian-based Division 1-AA college in Lynchburg, Va.
"At Liberty, I can also get a great education and be challenged
spiritually, too," Greiser said. "What really sold me on Liberty are the
opportunities that I have that will prepare me for the rest of my life."
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