NORTHAMPTON – After Trey Rios ransacked West Springfield for his fourth interception of the second half, Northampton football coach Joe Kocot turned to offensive coordinator Rick Rogalski.
He asked a simple question, but it didn’t seem the Terriers had an answer.
“Why are they still throwing at him?” Kocot said. “I’m that QB, I’m like, ‘Where’s [number] 17? I ain’t going over there.’”
That four-pick night was the heart of a three-game stretch where Rios grabbed seven interceptions. Teams would take those numbers in a season. Players would set records with that in a career. Rios, the Daily Hampshire Gazette Football Player of the Year, made it look routine. He finished with 18 tackles and both caused and recovered a fumble in addition to those seven picks.
“I’m just glad I don’t have to throw against him,” Northampton quarterback Ben Sledzieski said. “I feel bad for other quarterbacks having to throw against No. 17.”
Sledzieski also gets to throw to Rios, who was one of the region’s most dynamic playmakers. He accounted for 697 yards and seven scores through the air and took one kick back for a touchdown, leading Northampton to an 8-2 record and a Division 4 playoff berth.
“When I’m in trouble, I know who to throw it to,” Sledzieski said. “He’s the one guy I can just throw it up to and most likely, nine out of 10 times he’ll go get it.”
Rios showed that flair when he first caught passes during recess in elementary school. He played soccer until fifth grade but flipped from futbol to football to join his friends. It became his favorite sport in high school, where Kocot noticed him during his first practice as a freshman.
He caught everything, so Kocot called him “All Day Trey.” Then one practice he dropped one, and Kocot tried out a new nickname: “Not Today Trey.” That didn’t stick as well.
“He’s a tough dude to cover, and he’s nowhere near the fastest kid on the team,” Kocot said. “He contests 50-50 balls. I don’t even call it 50-50, there’s balls that are uncatchable that he’s catching, which sounds crazy, but it’s true.”
Every improvement he made at receiver helped him be a better corner, and vice versa. He learned what the guy on the other side of the line wanted and how to deny or subvert that.
“I know what they like to do and how they like to be comfortable. I can use that,” Rios said.
He used to freelance more on defense and was less effective. Staying in his zone and following defensive coordinator Ryan Parent’s instructions led to his spike in interceptions.
“Coach kept saying, the ball will come. Play your position and plays will happen. That’s what happened,” Rios said.
Even with all the interceptions, Rios left no doubt which side of the ball he prefers to play.
“I like playing offense because scoring touchdowns is probably the best feeling you can get,” he said. “But this year defense has been fun with the interceptions.”
Fun for him, at least. The quarterbacks of Western Massachusetts will be glad they won’t have to throw at No. 17 anymore.
Eathon Bryant, senior, Frontier
Ian Burt, junior, Frontier
Owen Cunniffe, sophomore, Amherst
Chris Daskam, junior, Belchertown
Owen Dawson, junior, South Hadey
Jameson Dion, junior, Amherst
Aiden Dredge, junior, Frontier
Dymetri Gonzalez, senior, Holyoke
Josh Grillo, junior, Belchertown
Shea Healy, senior, Easthampton
John Majewski, sophomore, Smith Vocational
Alex Martinez, junior, Smith Vocational
Angel Moody, senior, Easthampton
Wes Parent, senior, Northampton
Ryan Poirier, junior, South Hadley
Edward Przybyla, senior, Easthampton
Trey Rios, senior, Northampton
Ben Sledzieski, senior, Northampton
Caleb Steineger, senior, Northampton
BB Tauscher, senior, Easthampton
Landon Andre, junior, Belchertown
Ryan Crowther, senior, Northampton
Nate Deluca, senior, Easthampton
Max Frenette, senior, Amherst
Luke Johndrow, junior, Easthampton
Sean Kirkendall, senior, Frontier
Dylan Lubold, senior, Holyoke
Mykal Norris, junior, Northampton
Tommy O’Connor, sophomore, Easthampton
Kelvin Perez, senior, Northampton
Otis Roessler, senior, Northampton
Asa Allen, sophomore, Holyoke
Jared Baer, sophomore, Smith Vocational
Max Bessette, sophomore, Belchertown
Jack Boyle, junior, Easthampton
Chris Delano, senior, Northampton
Jaden Diaz, sophomore, Holyoke
Caelan Finnie, junior, Smith Vocational
Shawn Halpin, junior, Easthampton
Craig Howe, senior, Belchertown
Indya Lewis, senior, Frontier
John Loiko, sophomore, Smith Vocational
Noah Marion, junior, South Hadley
Marty Maslowski, junior, Northampton
AJ Orubo, senior, Smith Vocational
Topher Reardon, junior, Easthampton
Alex Rosen, junior, Northampton
Ari Vogel, senior, Amherst