While not the ‘Friday Night Lights’ spectacle that is Texas Football, the Bay Area has been linked to its fair share of highly successful football stars. From the tales of Tom Brady in his Serra days to countless budding all-pros growing up with dreams of donning a 49ers jersey and running around a la Colin Kaepernick, the past few decades have been exceptionally reflective of the football prowess of the area, especially involving quarterbacks.
St. Ignatius senior quarterback Ryan Hagfeldt has shared in that ability to grow up as a football fan, at a time where he was not yet a renowned talent, but lived in an area where he could learn from someone who was, just by paying an admission fee.
“I wouldn’t say that I model my game after any player, but I always love watching Andrew Luck play,” said Hagfeldt, who lives north of San Francisco, in Marin County’s Kentfield. “When he was at Stanford, I would go down there and watch him play almost every home game. He’s an incredible player and definitely one of my favorites.”
While not yet at levels of the current Indianapolis Colt Pro-Bowler and former Stanford All-American, Hagfeldt has shown tremendous potential since he seized the quarterback job last season. The Wildcats faced numerous challenges last season, at times playing many juniors without previous varsity experience, but with those players now entering their senior seasons, the current summer workouts are filled with expectation and promise.
“I'm really confident for the upcoming season,” Hagfeldt stated. “We've been working hard in the weight room since the winter and we can't wait to compete out on the field. We have a challenging schedule this season, but we have really come together as a team in the last few months and we can't wait for competition.
"Our coaches have done a great job of preparing us so far and our team is very motivated to come out to practice every day and work hard.”
Last year’s season left much to be desired for St. Ignatius, following up its 2012 CCS Open Division Title with a 2-9 (2-5 WCAL) record. That is not to say there were not flashes of brilliance or promise at times, as the Wildcats fought through WCAL troubles to string off two CCS D-III playoff wins and make it to the championship game, losing 41-35 in heartbreaking fashion to Aptos.
Hagfeldt was part of that wishful prediction for foreseeable success, as he posted three games of a plus-100 quarterback rating, one of those being a 31-24 last-minute defeat to Serra, the eventual WCAL co-champions with Archbishop Mitty. In that game, Hagfeldt went 10-of-16 for 184 yards, tossing two touchdowns and one interception. He finished the season having completed 52 percent of his passes for 1,425 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“Last season was definitely a challenge each and every game,” Hagfeldt said. “Although our record may not have shown it, our team showed exponential growth throughout the season.
He also went on to say that he learned as a quarterback, there is a spotlight on him, one Hagfeldt needs to seize in order for the Wildcats to succeed:
“I learned more about how to be an effective leader. Coach (John) Regalia and Coach Benedetti were always there for me, encouraging me to be a better leader and a better teammate. Finally, the struggles that our team fought through illustrated to me and my teammates a lot about our potential. I'm really excited to see what our team can do this year.”
Hagfeldt has grown up in the hometown shadow of two high-profile quarterback recruits, one being Jared Goff, a rising sophomore at Cal, the other Morgan Mahalak, a freshman at Oregon. Both players attended Marin Catholic, a school SI has developed a sizeable non-conference rivalry with, playing every year for St. Ignatius’ first game of the season. Having played Pop Warner football since he was in just the third grade, Hagfeldt has grown up around not only those two, but a talented crop of youth players close to him in age.
While some may be intimidated by high-profile recruits just down the block, he seized the opportunity to learn from players now playing in one of the NCAA’s most talented conferences.
“I have followed Jared Goff and Morgan Mahalak ever since I was playing youth football,” Hagfeldt said. “I really appreciate all of the insight they have given me. They have been very supportive and have pushed me in all the right ways. I can't wait to watch them compete at the collegiate level next season.”
If St. Ignatius alumni, coaches, teammates, or fans have a vision for next season’s affairs, they would with no doubt desire one to the tune of those that gained Goff and Mahalak such notoriety on the recruiting trail.
Last year, the WCAL sent heralded football recruits to power conference schools such as UCLA, Washington, and Cal. Everyone in Hagfeldt’s corner hopes that at this time next year, SI can lay claim to its own quarterback continuing his career at the next level.
Speculations on his future endeavors is interesting offseason chatter, but for now all Ryan Hagfeldt and St. Ignatius want to look forward to is bringing another CCS title back to the city of San Francisco.
