When 6:30 PM hits on Thursday night, all eyes are on the JV football team. Out on the field, there are all sorts of talent, but there is no way to miss number 16, freshman Max Richardson.

Max is a dual-sport athlete that has talent running through his blood. His skills are visible on the football field and also on the baseball diamond come springtime. 

“I have been playing football for a super long time, but I really started playing tackle in fourth grade,” Max said. 

Working hard has always been part of Max’s lifestyle, and it started at a relatively young age. He has been playing both sports for a good majority of his life and has grown to love them both over the years. It has helped him grow as a player and also as a friend to his fellow teammates. 

“It was a combo of my parents, and also all my friends had just started playing football at the time, so it worked out,” Max said. “I have definitely made a lot of friends, especially upperclassmen friends. I feel like I fit in quite a bit, but it is definitely different. It’s a lot different from last year, a much faster pace.”

Max’s fellow teammate and close friend, sophomore Nolan Hartl, emphasized how having Max around has improved the team’s nucleus.

“Max comes to every practice ready to work, and he is a dog on game day,” Nolan said. “He’s a great teammate and a good guy. I love having him up on the team; Max is fun to be around and all-around a nice and funny person.”

Like Nolan, Max enjoys being on the team and what it has to offer for him when it comes to playing. In addition to that, though, he also treasures the connections he has been able to make with older kids.

“My favorite part was getting to meet new people and getting to play with new people. I have played with the same people for so long; it was nice to make a new bond with people like that,” Max admitted. 

Max’s head coach, Anthony Sultini, sees the effort and spirit he puts into the game and how he is an “all-around” good guy. 

“Before we talk about the athlete Max Richardson, we talk about the person. That’s more important to me than talent. He’s just an all-around good guy,” coach Sultini said. “From what I have experienced with him, he is a great leader. I think people will naturally go to him because he has that personality that is very welcoming, and he is very respectful of everybody from what I hear, what I see, and what I know. He is a very coachable guy.”

Although football occupies much of Max’s time, he has other ways to stay active. Max has been playing football for years, but his dedication to sports and his work ethic started before that with his second love in the sports world: baseball. With many years of experience under his belt, he shines on the baseball stage just as much or even more than football. 

“I usually lift outside of school in the mornings, and I play on a national baseball team that is pretty good. I can’t even tell you how long I have even been playing baseball; it has been as long as I can remember. My dad played college baseball, so I really got into it through him,” Max said.

On the other hand, Max’s talent level shines just as bright in the eyes of the people around him that making him really stand out from the crowd. 

“When you get past that, you bring in the talent. That, if you haven’t seen it on the field, is something to watch. I welcome everybody to come out and check out a game. Being that he was a freshman on JV this year, I would assume that he will probably be going up and playing varsity as a sophomore,” coach Sultini said. 

It is clearly no secret that Max dominates whichever setting he is thrown into, but he really shows respect and spirit for the world around him as a teammate and person. The future for him is bright and vast, and in his next three years at this school, his journey will be one to look out for.

“Anytime you have that a person like that, you know you have something special,” coach Sultini said.