Football, Track & Field
Favorite athlete: Reggie Bush
Favorite team: New Orleans Saints
Favorite memory competing in sports: Winning the SOL Continental in football and winning states last year in track.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: My freshman year I was running the 100m at CB East, and I had a hole in my spandex right near my groin area, and needless to say, you could see a lot, but I still took third!
Music on iPod: Meek Mill
Future plans: Go to college and play football and hopefully run track
Words to live by: “It’s not about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you get hit and get up and keep moving forward.”
One goal before turning 30: Graduate from college and have a family.
One thing people don’t know about me: I love riding my four wheeler in my free time.
A year ago at this time, Jeff Hollenbach had very little intention of being back on the sidelines coaching football this year. He certainly had no idea he would be coaching Mike Class.
As things turned out, though, less than a year later, Hollenbach was back as the head football coach at Pennridge High. And sure enough, one of his standout players was going to be Class.
What Hollenbach remembers from his time as just a typical spectator was how fast No. 25 was and how tough of a runner he seemed to be. He saw the ability of a running back who early this season set a new all-time rushing record at Pennridge, and he saw the offensive weapon who just became the program’s all-time scoring leader, as well.
Yet, what he could not ascertain from his perch in the bleachers was just what kind of person Class is.
Since taking over the Rams program for a second time, Hollenbach has learned that the attributes Class demonstrates on the football field are secondary to those he displays off the field.
“What impressed me the most watching him in the stands was how determined he is,” Hollenbach said of his senior standout. “He was so determined as a runner, as a blocker, as a receiver.
“Now, I am thoroughly impressed not only with his determination, but who he is. I’m much more interested in who he is as a person than who he is as a player.”
As a player, Class is the one who broke Ryan Greiser’s school record for rushing yards and who now also holds the school’s all-time scoring record. He is the offensive catalyst who helped Pennridge win its first four games of the season. The Rams are 4-2 after six games.
Being on the football field is where Class feels at home.
“As soon as I put on the pads for the first time, I liked it,” Class said. “I just totally got into the sport. My older brother played and it made me want to play. As I got older, I stuck with it.”
No matter how lofty his achievements have become, though, Class has never lost sight of the reason players and teams are successful in the sport.
“You can’t be a one-man team,” he said. “In football, you need all 11 of them out there, so you have to look out for all of them. One thing I love about this team is we are a family. We want to spend time together and we want to win for each other.”
This is the part of Class’ character that Hollenbach was unaware of when he became his coach. It is what the coach likes most about this record-setting running back.
“Mike is the ultimate team player,” Hollenbach said. “He is so about the team all the time that it is actually hard for him to talk about himself.
“His commitment to his teammates is so impressive. He has total respect. Not every star on a high school or college, or even pro team, you can say that about. But, he has such respect for the other members on the team, and they show it right back for him.
“I’m sure he knows what his numbers are, but he never talks about them.”
Class, 17, does not talk about the numbers or the records much. He leaves that up to others. But, when pressed, he does acknowledge the significance of his 4,641 rushing yards and that 64th touchdown scored.
“It does mean a lot to me,” he said. “I know it will probably even mean more to me one day down the road. I’ll be telling my grandkids about it.
“And, I like the idea that I am setting the benchmark for another kid at Pennridge to try and beat.”
Still, with the gaudy numbers, he is realistic. As hard as Class practices on the field – and rest assured, he puts in the effort – he applies himself just as much in the classroom. He understands the value of both.
“I have worked up to where my goal is getting straight A’s,” Class said. “It wasn’t always that way, but I know I am going to be going off to college soon and my study habits needed to get better.
“Twenty years from now, I won’t be playing football, but I will still be able to use my education.”
Class also runs track at Pennridge, participating in the 100, 200, long jump and 4x100 relay. He plans to play football in college, but as yet to finalize any decisions. Delaware, Navy, Villanova and West Chester are among those on his radar.
For now, Class is focused on the current Rams season, and how it can develop into a better one than last year, which ended at 12-2 after a trip to the PIAA District One Class AAAA semifinals.
“For me, it’s about the team and for us to get back to the playoffs,” he said. “We felt what it was like last year and we want to go farther this year. We got close, but this year, we want to win districts and go to states. That would be amazing. It was a wild experience last year and we want to do it again.”
For a team-oriented player like Class, winning that district title would probably end up being the story he would tell his grandkids, above the one about the rushing record or the scoring mark.
To Class, team success outweighs individual honors.
Hollenbach saw a lot of positives about Class while he was just another guy in the bleachers, enjoying a Friday night under the lights.
Class does not know exactly what Hollenbach saw during those home games. He is not sure what he was looking to see. He only knows what he hopes he was able to convey in the way he approached the game.
“From watching in the stands, I hope Coach saw someone who gave his all on every play,” Class said. “I would want to make sure he saw that.”
He did. And he sees much more now.
