Keith Ricca has the size, arm strength and intelligence to play football at the NCAA Division 1 level.
Unfortunately for Emory & Henry fans, the 6-foot-5, 216-pound senior from Poolesville, Md., opted to take the non-scholarship route to Catholic University.
Ricca wowed a crowd of more than 4,600 Saturday at Fred Selfe Stadium. Operating from a one-back set with multiple receivers, Ricca dissected the E&H defense en route to 345 yards passing and five scores.
There were no camera crews awaiting Ricca after he added yet another page to his record-setting resume. Ricca didn’t care. He appears to be more interested in the bottom line instead of headlines.
“I was thinking about going to Connecticut, but I didn’t want to go where it’s cold, sit our three years and then have a chance to maybe play one or two years,” Ricca said.
“In a Division I program, they expect you to work night and day on football. You get to have fun at this level, and I’m having the best time of my life.”
Entering Saturday, Ricca had thrown for 1,856 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions through seven games this season. His performance Saturday was especially impressive, considering that E&H led the ODAC with just 14 points and 299 yards allowed per game.
Before each play, Ricca calmly examined the E&H defense and positioned his receivers.
“My coach gives me a little bit of leeway,” Ricca said. “I don’t change the play much, but I might switch the route of the receivers here and there. Wherever the open grass is, I’ve got to put a receiver there.”
And the tall corps of Catholic receivers were usually in the right position for an assortments of screens, hitch passes and bombs.
E&H senior defensive end Matt Baldwin was impressed with the range of skills displayed by Ricca.
“He’s got good size and a good arm, and he’s got some guys to throw to,” Baldwin said. “We were in good position on some of those long passes, but they caught the ball over top of us.”
The Ricca name is familiar to fans around the ODAC. His two older brothers starred at quarterback for Hampden-Sydney and Catholic. In fact, Keith has broken nearly all of Kevin Ricca’s passing records at Catholic.
“We’ve been around the ODAC for a while,” Keith Ricca said. “We might not be on ESPN every night, but these type games are fun to watch.
“When you have an offense like this and players this good around you, it’s hard not to have fun.”
As for the glamour and glitz of the big-time college football, Ricca said he’s pleased he took the small college route.
“I’ve never had any regrets,” Ricca said.
Baldwin joined the large and growing chorus of folks who feel that Ricca could have played on a bigger stage.
“He definitely could play somewhere,” Baldwin said. “ Sometimes guys fall through the cracks.”
On this day, one who did broke the backs of an Emory & Henry team.
agregory@bristolnews.com (276) 645-2544
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