COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Richlands Graduate Ringstaff Rolling At E&H

BY ALLEN GREGORY
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

EMORY, Va. – Cain Ringstaff has earned the title of captain the hard way at Emory & Henry.

In recent weeks, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound junior has played with a broken hand and agreed to switch positions.

Those selfless actions have not been overlooked by his teammates.

“Cain is the toughest player on our team,” E&H sophomore sensation Caleb Jennings said. “He leads by example in every practice and game.’

Jennings should know. He played with Ringstaff at Richlands High School and nows shares the same backfield.

The former Richlands stars hope to guide the Wasps past ODAC rival Washington & Lee today in Lexington.

Including tight end and senior co-captain Jeremy Keene, three players from Richlands start on offense for E&H. Freshman Shane Wicks, who earned all-state honors at linebacker for Richlands, serves as the deep snapper for the Wasps.

“I grew up with Caleb and Jeremy, and it’s a lot of fun being in the huddle with those guys again,” Ringstaff said. “I feel fortunate.”

After rushing for nearly 1,500 yards as a junior and senior in high school, Ringstaff began his collegiate career at the University of Virginia where he was a recruited walk-on.

During his two-year stint in Charlottesville, Ringstaff saw some playing time on the special team unit.

The need to compete soon become stronger than the attraction of ACC football.

“I wanted to play more, plus I wanted to be back home,” Ringstaff said. “Jeremy was already here, and I knew that other Richlands players were coming.
“I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come to Emory.”

Ringstaff contributed 269 yards rushing and four touchdowns last season on 55 carries at tailback, but his role changed early this season after the emergence of Jennings at tailback.

With the 5-foot-7, 168-pound Jennings churning out 102.2 yards per game, Ringstaff now specializes in short-yardage situations and blocking.

“The transition wasn’t that hard because I had played some at fullback before I got to Emory,” said Ringstaff, who caught three passes last week.

As for blocking for his fast buddy, Ringstaff said it’s a labor of love.

“Caleb doesn’t need much of a hole to run through,” Ringstaff said. “He’s always been quick, elusive and hard to tackle. “

According to Ringstaff, the worth of Jennings could never be measured in terms of height or weight.

“Caleb doesn’t need any more size, just look at what he’s doing out here,” Ringstaff said. “ Caleb could play anywhere he wanted.”

Ringstaff has the same sort of determination. Despite breaking his hand in practice three weeks ago, Ringstaff never considered taking time off.

“I just went for an x-ray, then the doctor made me a cast to play in,” Ringstafff said. “I’ll wait until after the season and let it heal.”

What about the pain?

“You think about in practice, but there’s so much adrenalin going during a game that it’s not even a factor,” Ringstaff said.

In his senior year at Richlands, Ringstaff added his name to the lore of Blue Tornado football in the 2005 state semifinals against eventual champion Salem.

Ringstaff suffered a broken rib on the opening play of the game, then returned later in the first quarter.

“One thing I love about being from Richlands is the passion for football,” Ringstaff said. “The town shuts down on Friday night and the will to win is instilled into everybody.”

The stands at Fred Selfe Stadium in Emory now features a large number of folks with Richlands school colors.

“It’s nice to give those people a chance to watch Richlands players on Saturday afternoon,” Ringstaff said.

agregory@bristolnews.com (276) 645-2544

The Matchup: Emory & Henry (4-4, 2-2) at Washington & Lee (4-5, 1-4)
Time: 1 p.m.
Fast Facts: The is the final game of the season for W&L. Including last week’s 32-19 loss at Bridgewater, the Generals have dropped four straight games. Players to watch for W&L include all-concerence back Stuart Sitterson (890 yards rushing, 13 touchdowns), freshman quarterback Charlie Westfal (1,221 yard passing) and 6-2 senior defensive end Scott Russell (66 tackles). E&H senior linebacker Kevin Worley (Virginia High) ranks third in ODAC tackles with 68.
Radio: WEHC-FM (90.7), Emory, Va.