Jul. 18—SCOTT TWP. — Michael Rickert doesn’t remember the exact sales pitch by his friend, but it worked.
“It’s a pretty funny story, it was one week until the first game of the year and I was going golfing with Josh Godlewski, who was playing for the team, and he said, ‘Why don’t you come to practice tomorrow?’ and my parents were very against me playing football,” Rickert said. “So, I told them I was going golfing the next day, but I actually went to football practice without them knowing and I joined the team.”
After years of classmates encouraging him to go out for Riverside’s football team, and adamant denials of their requests, the basketball and baseball star finally gave in last year.
In his first season of playing football at any level, Rickert emerged as a dynamic wide receiver. He earned Times-Tribune All-Region honors and will represent the Vikings in the 87th Scranton Lions Club Dream Game on Wednesday at John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“Obviously, I am very excited, especially as a guy who really hasn’t played football in his life before this year,” Rickert said. “This is something I would always go to the game, but I never really pictured myself playing in it.
“Getting to catch passes from Johnny (Gilchrist) one more time, I mean it’s very fun catching them from Johnny.”
Once he was up to speed with the physicality, intensity and Riverside’s wide-open passing scheme, Rickert became one the record-setting quarterback’s favorite targets.
It didn’t take long for Rickert to display his athleticism, either. He caught five passes for 51 yards and Riverside’s only touchdown in a 30-6 loss to Wyoming Area in the season opener. The following week against Academy of the New Church, he caught three passes for 73 yards.
Then came the breakout performance on the road against Tamaqua. Rickert showed soft hands and blazing speed with seven receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns, including a 56-yarder.
From there, he became the main man as Gilchrist pursued and eventually became the all-time leader in career passing yards in the Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association with more than 7,000 yards.
In his first Triboro rivalry game against Old Forge, Rickert contributed 66 yards and a touchdown. Against North Pocono, he caught five passes for 78 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
It all added up to a league-best 56 passes for 782 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games.
After his debut football season, Rickert turned in a Lackawanna League Division III all-star season in basketball and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career as the Vikings captured the District 2 Class 3A championship.
He followed that with an all-star season in baseball, batting .449 with 29 RBIs, 33 runs, 35 hits and 12 doubles as Riverside went undefeated through the district playoffs before losing in the PIAA tournament.
Now, Rickert is capping his high school career with an appearance in the Dream Game.
It is his final football game as he is headed to Wilkes University to play basketball.
“I am going to savor every last moment of it,” Rickert said. “I mean, the last four quarters that I will ever play. A lot of guys on this team are very talented and are playing in college. This is the last time I will ever strap it up and play, so I am going to make the most of this moment.”
Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; @sportsTT on Twitter