By GARY PHILLIPS
Atilla Sengul wants to make Ridgefield a powerhouse.
The new football coach knows the program well. A Ridgefield graduate in 1999, Sengul was a running back and linebacker for the Royals. He has spent several years as the JV team’s defensive coordinator and also has also served as an assistant baseball coach at the school since 2008.
Now Sengul wants to build something special with the football team.
“Being a graduate of the school, I know all about Ridgefield pride, and I take great pride in trying to rebuild this program to where it needs to be,” he said. “I’ve had some pretty good success in coaching baseball and playing baseball when I was in school. I have a bunch of banners that I put up, so that’s got to help me build this program to a championship status.
“It’s going to be a process. It’s going to be tough because we’re not really a football school yet.”
Ridgefield played a JV football schedule last season for the second time in five years instead of fielding a varsity team. The program was in playoff contention in 2014, but then its participation numbers sagged.
Sengul added that he has received plenty of encouragement.
“Everybody is supporting me,” he said. “I’ve got the community’s support. I’ve got the school’s support. I’ve got support from all angles.”
