John Patella, who died at 94 on Tuesday, coached youth football for the Ringling Redskins for 41 years, winning 13 league titles
SARASOTA — John Patella was sure the play would work. His Ringling Redskin Mohican teams never threw the football much anyway, perhaps 1-2 passes a game, so his opponent for this contest, 4-0 Seneca, never would expect a pass from an undersized and unknown running back.
“He saw something in me that he thought was really special and took a chance on me,” said Brian Ryals, then a 12-year-old. The man known simply as “Coach” had drafted Ryals from Ringling’s Braves division. In the mid-1980s, a third division, for players ages 12-13, was formed for several years to fit in between the Braves and Warriors.
Patella, leaving the Mohicans to coach this new entry, named Mescalaro, selected Ryals in the draft. The featured runner on his former team, Ryals had to prove to Patella he was ready and deserving of a big chance.
The game against Seneca was it. “It was the showdown game,” said Ryals, the former head coach at Sarasota High and current quarterbacks coach at Venice High. Also 4-0, the Mohicans were tied with Seneca when Patella unveiled a play designed specifically for Ryals.
Taking the snap from center, the Mohican quarterback tossed the ball to Ryals, who faked a run before pulling up and throwing a pass to an open receiver. He ran it in for the touchdown which put the Mohicans in front for good.
They won the game, and finishing the season 10-0, also captured the league title, one of 13 during Patella’s 41 years as Mohican head coach. During a three-year span, his teams went 36-0.
Ryals doesn’t remember the quarterback who tossed him the ball, or the receiver who caught it. What he remembers is the coach who…
