Intercepting a Dream: The Ricky Story

The stage was set, final point in the final set of the semifinals in the Cleveland Area Regional Championships. The Grover Bulldogs were the easy pick to win the game and the whole tournament. Prior to this point, they had a .900 win pct through 4 years. The model team, from a model school was about to change.

Ricky was the glue that held everything together, the 3 time Dodgeball Player of the Year for Ohio had a signed a Letter of Intent in his sophomore year to play for the Florida Pentagons when he finished high school. His future seemed set, but just in a moment everything changed.

Ricky was set to catch a stray throw from their opponents to win the semifinals and advance to their 4th straight title match. With sweaty palms, the ball went in and out. The opponent was now back in the game. But instead of Ricky just walking off and rooting for his remaining teammates, something went off in his head and he charged the boy who threw it. In a flurry of fists Ricky had knocked the boy unconscious. Chaos ensued, both teams rushed on the court and got into a royal rumble, even some fans (and parents!) threw 'bows. The game was forfeited by the Bulldogs. If this news wasn't devastating enough, a team of psychologists wanted to study what set Ricky off. the news sent shock-waves through the whole Grover community.

"He had experienced uncontrollable roid-rage, meaning, the man was on steroids" - Dr. Blip announced 2 months after graduation that year.

Following the news, another investigation was launched into doping at Grover High School. The results were astounding. All of the dodgeball players had been doping for at least 2 years, Ricky for 4. Some members of the basketball, football, and track team also were nabbed in the hunt. This led to an across the board vacation of sports from Grover High School for 4 years, one of the premier Cleveland sports powerhouses. As for Ricky's Florida Pentagons dreams? Dashed 2 weeks into their summer training program. He was expelled from the University and the CAB (Collegiate Athletic Board) stepped in to ban him and all the other Grover High School seniors from competing the in college at all.

Ricky explains, "I was devastated. I didn't ever think I was going to get caught and it ruined my life. I started doping in 8th grade after watching the Gremlins and Cat's championship. I wanted so much to be like my favorite Gremlins players. My play in high school was so good that my teammates wanted in on my secret, and it spread like wild fire from there."

There was a loop hole though in this destruction of man, a small one at-that. The DBL has a 2-year ban on doping athletes and they had just started accepting non-college and International players into the Combine.

"I knew this was my shot, I trained for 2 years, I had to gather up all my savings to travel out to Diamond City for my latest attempt at getting into this league." Ricky says.

So, he made to the final 16 of the 2010 Combine. He came out ranked as a 2 with 20 points gained during the 6 events. "It was a pretty disappointing performance. I got dressed up and went to San Fran for the draft just hoping someone would have faith in me." Ricky recalls. Nobody did apparently as Ricky was drafted by the Scarlet Ember with the 9th pick in the 2010 Draft but released immediately.

"I was pretty down. I was on the edge of quitting. But I had formed a bond with Kenneth (SB) during that time, he kept urging me to workout with him in the off-season. So I traveled up to Seattle and spent my whole Fall there. He was so dedicated and straight forward, it really inspired me to get super-duper clean and focused."

A free agent the whole 2010 season, Ricky received 0 calls from DBL front offices. But it was finally a twist of fate in his direction where the league plain needed bodies to fill rosters. So, the Interceptors took a chance on a man with a bad reputation. "I was in disbelief, I was being called to play in the DBL! Yeah, that DBL!!" Fans booed him in the preseason tourney feeling cheated from his reputation in high-school of being "the next Leslie".

Ricky became an important part in the Interceptors surprising Championship run replacing a gaping whole in Travis (MAR) for which all hope was lost when he left. Now Ricky has the chance to compete for a Championship in only his 1st year playing. "It's like everything was against me, and now everything is working in my favor."

Ricky has since came out about his being the sole reason for the doping at Grover High School. Their teams have been reinstated into Cleveland Area High School play.

Watch Ricky and the Interceptors take on the Toros in the 2010-2 Championships, only on ZBS.