Soren Rief saved his eye on the switch portal, noticed a crack of daylight and made one final run towards UConn.
“I went on a go to to UMass a few weeks again they usually had been , then they fired their coach (Don Brown) and that jammed issues up,” Rief stated. “I had a suggestion from CCSU and I used to be seeking to in all probability take that. And I simply reached out to UConn, I noticed they’d a few working backs go to the portal, so I reached out, one final effort, ‘Hey, I’m simply in search of a possibility, I’d like to remain near residence and play for you guys.’”
Particular groups coordinator Doug Shearer responded, and informed Rief that he and working backs coach Antonio Wilcox had simply been speaking about him, and issues started to maneuver. Rief, a rugged working again who performed on championship groups at Killingly Excessive and was an all-conference performer throughout his publish grad yr at Canterbury Faculty in New Milford, speeding for greater than 6,000 yards alongside the best way, dedicated to turn into a Husky on Friday evening. He will likely be a most well-liked walk-on. At 5 ft 11 and 215, he has the dimensions to be a power-running complement within the backfield, harking back to Robert Burns throughout coach Jim Mora’s first season.
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“I see myself as a working again, however I additionally really feel I will be an H-back, a fullback,” Rief stated. “I’ve the velocity to be a working again, I’m large enough to run guys over and break tackles. I’m excited to see what the longer term holds.”
The Huskies’ high rusher, Norwalk’s Cam Edwards, 5-11 and 180, introduced Friday he was returning to Storrs for 2025. However UConn is dropping one in every of its high energy runners, Durell Robinson, 6-1 and 215, who entered the portal final week and is entertaining energy convention gives. Dan Shaban, 6-0 and 205, from Joel Barlow Excessive in Redding, additionally entered the portal, so this system had a spot within the working backs room and opened the door for Rief this week.
Rief has been via lots this fall. In November, he misplaced his mom, Mary, after her lengthy combat with breast most cancers and her hopes and desires had been additionally in her son’s ideas. The household had UConn soccer season tickets since 2005.
“I grew up going to UConn video games,” he stated. “She at all times needed me to remain near residence, and her dream was to see me play in faculty which, sadly she received’t be capable of do. However I do know she’s actually proud.”
Unbeaten Killingly outslugs Sheehan-Wallingford, 48-33, for Class SS championship
The Riefs are from Griswold, which is likely one of the Jap Connecticut cities the place residents have the choice to attend Killingly for its agricultural program. After watching coach Chad Neal’s program within the state playoffs, Soren knew that’s the place he needed to play, and he completed his profession with 5,570 yards, serving to this system to a state championship in 2021.
“They play my fashion of soccer,” Reif stated. “They simply run individuals over. They’ve received a bunch of blue-collar guys who don’t say a lot, however they do their job.”
The pandemic value Reif his freshman season, and he basically made that up with a PG yr at Canterbury, the place he gained 691 yards, 5.1 per carry, in opposition to high New England Prep competitors.
He was at Rentschler on Friday evening to look at his alma mater, Killingly, defeat Sheehan-Wallingford for an additional state championship. Rief and his household will likely be in Boston Dec. 28 to look at UConn play North Carolina within the Fenway Bowl, and plans to enroll in UConn after the educational yr.
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