Staff Writer

Cheverus High School senior Ryan McQuaid’s venture into football began two years ago, after a friend pestered him enough to switch from his longtime sport of soccer.

He now will play college at the next level, all based on the skill of his foot.

McQuaid, a Scarborough resident, recently signed his letter of intent to play football at Saint Anselm College, a Division II program in Manchester, N.H. as a kicker.

“It feels great,” McQuaid said. “I’ve always wanted to play a college sport. I love everything about [football] and it feels great to continue my playing career.”

McQuaid said he decided to make the switch from soccer, which he had played since the age of five, mostly to stay in shape for his other favorite sports, hockey and lacrosse. 

“I loved football, but I didn’t play, my parents were worried I would get hurt,” he said.

McQuaid said he asked Cheverus head coach John Wolfgram if he could try out as a kicker. He said he had never kicked a football before his time on the Stags. McQuaid said Wolfgram would give him the same advice constantly.

“He always told me I needed to follow through on field goals and kickoffs,” McQuaid said.

McQuaid said he watched film of New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski and Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri to refine his kicking technique. He said he always focuses on what he needs to do before making a field goal.

“I don’t think about what’s going on, just what I need to do,” McQuaid said. “I just focus on the ball, my placement, everything I can do to get the ball through the uprights. I work better under pressure anyway.”

McQuaid enjoyed success in his first year of football, going two for two on field goals, with his longest field goal being 42 yards, as well as connecting on 20 of 21 points after touchdown attempts. 

He had similar success this past season by again going a perfect two for two in field goals, while hitting 19 of 22 extra point attempts, with his longest field goal being 37 yards.

McQuaid, went through the Scarborough school system until high school, when he said his parents decided he should attend Cheverus, a private Catholic high school in Portland.

Even though his friends and former coaches in Scarborough gave him a hard time, he said he has enjoyed his time in Cheverus, and has grown accustomed to the lifestyle of the school, which includes a dress code of a dress shirt and jacket.

“Some days I wanted to put on sweatpants, and sometimes I loved it, it made me feel pretty professional,” he said.

McQuaid earned a varsity letter in four sports at Cheverus, as he played both hockey and lacrosse along with soccer and football. He said he is looking into the possibility of playing lacrosse as well as football while he attends college.

He has excelled in the classroom as well as on the field. McQuaid is a finalist for the McKenna Dempsey “People for Others” scholarship given by Cheverus faculty.

Being a finalist for the scholarship is especially meaningful for McQuaid, as Dempsey, a lacrosse teammate, died last December from complications from mononucleosis.

“Being nominated means a lot, because McKenna was a close friend,” McQuaid said.

McQuaid said his recruitment to Saint Anselm College began after a school guidance councilor told him to look at the college, as he said they were heavily recruiting players for their program, which had just finished up a 2-8 season. He said he began to receive call from Saint Anselm coaches after sending them a YouTube link, showing a video of him kicking field goals during Cheverus games.

During a recruiting trip to the school, he said he fell in love with the school.

“It reminded me of Cheverus, from the gymnasium to the workout room. I knew it was a place I could make home for four years,” he said.

While he has yet to decide on his career, McQuaid said he will major in psychology for a possible criminal psychology or sports psychology future.

McQuaid said he is also excited to help the Hawks turn their misfortune around.

“It’s definitely exciting to be part of a new era of Saint Anselm football,” McQuaid said. “They recruited a lot of players. I know next season won’t look like last season.”

  Staff writer Dave Dyer can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 219