December 15, 2023 — On the north side of Columbus, located 20 minutes from the prestigious Ohio State Buckeyes football team, Ryan Sayers, head football coach at Northland High School, is developing the next generation of star athletes.
The Youngstown native signed on to coach the Northland Vikings four years ago as a 24-year-old, fresh off his graduation from Ohio Dominican University (ODU). At ODU, Sayers had a successful career in the classroom and on the football field. After graduation, he realized his next step in life would include coaching.
“Football has always been my life,” said Sayers, who has played football since he was six. “Being able to have the opportunity to become a head coach at such a young age has given me a chance to do some cool things here at Northland.”
Coaching, while time-consuming, isn’t Sayers’ full-time job. Sayers customizes his teaching styles as an intervention specialist to fit each student's learning
capabilities.
“The biggest key is to know your students,” he said. “Every student that’s in my classroom or on my field is going to be taught or coached differently.”
This work has helped him develop student-athletes who succeed academically and in athletics. When Sayers took over the football team, he had 30 student-athletes with a cumulative team GPA of 1.87. Districtwide, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA to play on an athletic team. Since implementing daily study tables, he is proud to say that his varsity team, which has doubled in size, raised their cumulative team GPA to 2.9 in just four years.
“I’m here to change the lives of the students at Northland,” said Sayers. “I’ve seen their grades and class attendance go up. It’s giving them opportunities they didn’t necessarily have before.”
On the football field, Sayers has taken the Vikings from winning a couple of games per season to a winning record. The team finished their 2023 season dominating with a 9-1 record from back-to-back playoff appearances.
“It was a rough start,” said David “Amir” Brown, senior running back. “My freshman year we didn’t start off winning, but we knew our last year was going to be the year everything came together.”
It was a historic season for the Vikings, Sayers, and eight of his student-athletes earned district honors for their positions. Three athletes were recognized on the first team, two on the second team, and four special mentions were awarded for their contributions on the field (listed below).
Academic All-Ohio:
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David “Amir” Brown (Senior) - Running Back
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Bry’neil Jones (Senior) - Linebacker
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All-State Second Team:
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David “Amir” Brown (Senior) - Running Back
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All-State Third Team:
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Bry’neil Jones (Senior) - Linebacker
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Ohio All-Metro Team:
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David “Amir” Brown (Senior) - Running Back
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Division II First Team Offense:
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David “Amir” Brown (Senior) - Running Back
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Zion Moffett (Senior) - Receiver
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Bry’neil Jones (Senior) - Linebacker
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Division II Second Team Offense:
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Malakai Hammond (Junior) - Linemen
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Division II Second Team Defense:
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Kevin Bell Jr. (Senior) - Linebacker
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Special Mention:
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Jerid Jackson-Rivera (Senior) - Wide Receiver, Safety
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Tyreek Lewis (Junior) - Defensive End
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Jasir Smith (Senior) - Linebacker, Tight End
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Zion Moffert (Senior) - Wide Receiver, Corner, and Punt/Kickoff Returner who earned All-State Honorable Mention
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“I always knew we could have that successful season,” said Kevin Bell Jr., senior linebacker. “We were never able to come together as a team…have a great brotherhood and bond, but we did that this year.”
Sayers earned not just one but two Coach of the Year honors: one from the Division II Central District and one from the Columbus City League.
While seeing his athletes awarded for their hard work and dedication, nothing is more important to Coach Sayers than seeing them thrive in the classroom.
“It’s cool to have All-District Coach of the Year and All-District players, but none of that matters,” said Sayers. “At the end of the day, what matters is how they’re raising their standards in the classroom. Being able to see our student-athletes have that success is the biggest reward you can get as a coach.”
Sayers and his staff are the biggest advocates for their student-athletes. The coaching staff have worked diligently to raise funds to support their athletes. Over four years, they raised over $42,000 to contribute to new jerseys, cleats, equipment, and more. Sayers believes this support has contributed to an influx in school pride across the community.
“It’s good for our program,” said Sayers. “It’s good for our program; I just think it’s so exciting to see Northland on the rise.”
As the Vikings look ahead to the 2024 season, Coach Sayers mentally prepares for the opportunities his athletes need to compete with All-Central District high school athletes next year.
“Coach taught us to be consistent in everything we do,” said Brown. “You’ll go a long way with football, school, and work. If you keep doing better and better, then you’re going to get the results.”
CLICK HERE for a complete list of the Columbus City Schools football student-athlete distinctions listed by the Columbus City League.
