On Wednesday, May 24,2023, Springfield seniors Dylan McKenzie, Colby Sabin & Mateo Ringgold were recognized for committing to continue their football careers at the collegiate level.
Dylan McKenzie – West Chester University (Football)
Major: Sports Medicine
Final list of colleges: West Chester, Kutztown, Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg
Reasons for choosing West Chester: “It’s very close to home, and it makes it easier to visit back home because family means
the most to me. It’s a great culture there. I’ve been on campus a few times, and the football environment there is everything I want to compete for.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I was the sort of kid growing up – three seasons and whatever sport I’m playing that season is my favorite one. I played football, basketball and baseball growing up, so I never really had an idea. I had a love for the game equally every time I played it. Sports is everything to me, but I didn’t know I’d be playing football until this year.”
Coach Chris Shelly says: “Dylan’s doing really well at West Chester – he’s competing for a spot. That kid was special, breaking the school record against William Tennent with 354 yards and six touchdowns in a game. He never put himself above his teammates – he was such a great teammate. The thing I challenged him with was to become more of a leader because he’s a quiet kid and defers to others. I said, ‘We’re going to put you where we need you.’ At one point in the season, we put him at quarterback for a couple of games because we needed his versatility there, and he really grew as a leader. I really was proud of him for that. Just his football IQ – he had that going for him in addition to his talent. I want to see how far he can go in college. I’m excited for him. We’re going to miss him, no doubt.”
About Dylan:
Favorite food: Chicken Alfredo
Favorite movie: The Water Boy
Favorite artist: J. Cole
Mateo Ringgold – Long Island University (Football)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: LIU, Kutztown, Wagner, Albright, East Stroudsburg
Reasons for choosing LIU: “Me and the coach just hit it off right away. It just seemed like a family environment when my mom
and I went down there. I’m all about family first, and he was all about putting my family first before anything. He made it feel like it was home. As soon as I first visited there, it just felt like it was home, and I really liked it.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I was always good at lacrosse, which was one of my other sports, and going into high school, I honestly felt like I was going to give lacrosse a shot. My 10thgrade year I played for a 7v7 team, and after that, I just took off with it. I just knew I was going to play football at the next level.”
Coach Chris Shelly says: “Mateo is one of those kids that was behind other guys as a quarterback for us. He finally got his shot as a quarterback his senior year, and it wasn’t an easy thing because we had to get Dylan the ball – that’s what it came down to. We knew how special Dylan was. There was a point in the season we decided to move Dylan to quarterback, so Mateo had to take a backseat. He responded so well to that. Eventually, later in the season, we came back and played him at quarterback again. We were really proud of his ability to put the team first. He’ll continue to grow at LIU. He loves football – he’s always watching highlights, always talking football. He’s not the tallest kid or the fastest kid, but he’s one of those kids that you want to succeed because of his passion for football.”
About Mateo:
Favorite food: Any Italian food
Favorite movie: Murder Mystery
Favorite music: Hip Hop
Colby Sabin – Ursinus College (Football)
Major: Undecided but considering business
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Wilkes, Lycoming, Alvernia, Allegheny
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “The campus, the people and obviously, the sports – it felt like a good match for me.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “Pretty much as soon as I started playing in middle school, I realized I wanted to keep playing as long as I possibly could.”
Coach Chris Shelly says: “Colby was another one of our captains. His intensity – he’s 110 miles an hour all the time. We had to almost settle him down at times. I said, ‘Colby, they’re not all like you. Different kids need to be led different ways.’ He grew over the season as far as a leader for us and understanding that. You can see his passion for the game and his intensity. That was just crazy evident when he played. There’s no half speed with him. I’m psyched for him in college. I think his better football days are ahead of him. I think he’s going to grow. He’s kind of an undersized lineman, typical high kid. He’s 6-1 and was 190, and now he’s up to 210. When he puts on more weight – he’s got great speed, intensity, and he loves the game. All three of these guys love the game. That’s what really stands out to me.”
About Colby:
Favorite food: Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese
Favorite movie: Ford versus Ferrari
Favorite music: Country
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