Souhegan back Ryland Raudelunas is tough to hold on to, as Pelham's Dom Peranello found out in last week's Division II semifinals in Amherst. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

AMHERST – Ryland Raudelunas used to come to Souhegan High School football games when he was in grammar school.

He was hooked.

“I always wanted to be a Saber,” he said. “I always wanted to make a mark.”

His dream came true as he’s made one heckuva mark with Souhegan. He runs forever. He catches passes. He scores touchdowns. He makes tackles, recovers fumbles. As a running back/linebacker, he’s done it all this senior year.

And he’s a key reason why the Sabers this weekend are playing for their second straight Division II championship at Pinkerton Academy’s Memorial Field vs.Trinity of Manchester.

Even Raudeluns sometimes can’t believe it.

“No, none of this would be possible without my guys over here,” he said, pointing to his teammates who were celebrating their semifinal win over Pelham a week ago. “They make everything so much easier for me. We’s just so close to each other and play for each other every single week and it’s just the best experience ever.”

Raudelunas is the poster player for the Souhegan legacy of success the last five, six years. There was J.J. Bright, who put up video game numbers from 2021-23. Then last year Raudelunas let it be known he was going to be a key player, and this season, rushing for close to 1,500 yards and another 350 or so receiving, he’s taken things to a new level.

“I love that kid,” Sabers coach Robin Bowkett said. “He’s such a quiet leader, he says stuff when it matters to the team, and it really gets guys juiced up, with his play as well.”

He does so much, what does he do best?

“He does a lot of things really, really well,” Bowkett said. “I would say on offense, it’s his north-south cut ability, like his ability to stick his foot in the ground and get vertical. It’s one of the best things he does.

“And on defense, it’s almost as if he knows where the ball is going right before it snaps. He doesn’t think, he just goes. Just runs to the ball. Both those things on both sides of the ball are what he does best.”

Raudelunas did a ton of off-season work in the weight room, as well as running, etc. to produce the product you see now.

“I knew this was my senior year, my last year, I had to give it everything I had,” he said. “Go all out for my boys, that’s what’s happened.”

Raudelunas, an Amherst native, began playing football in the second grade for the Amherst Patriots (now the Amherst Jr. Sabers).And watching Souhegan play when he was younger, “just made me love the game even more.”

The game and its followers love him as well. Raudelunas in many eyes one of the state’s best players, certainly in Division II, and perhaps overall as he’s one of the top candidates for the prestigious Yukica Player of the Year Award as New Hampshire’s best overall.

It’s not just his work on offense, but his defensive work at linebacker that puts him in that upper tier as the definition of a complete player.

“Defense is great,” Raudelunas said. “I’ve got 10 great dudes around me. I love to tackle, I love to make plays. I love to make energetic plays.”

He certainly has no lack of energy – you can’t and play for the Souhegan program. As Bowkett said, running to the football on defense is one of the program’s “non-negotiables.”

On offense Raudelunas is one of the team’s top receivers and certainly as a running back. Which does he like better?

“I’d probably say rushing,” he said. “But Michael (Sabers QB Fiengo) trusts me in the receiving game and he puts it on me every single time, puts it where it needs to be. He’s so accurate, so great.”

“Ryland’s the best player in the state,” Fiengo said. “He plays defense, he’s one of the best linebackers in the state, he’s the best running back in the state. He’s just unbelieveable. He can run, he can catch.”

Raudelunas keeps active. He plays basketball in the winter and in the spring runs track (100 meters and 4×100 relay).

“He’s just put in so much work, in the off-season to make himself the best athlete he can be,” Bowkett said. “He plays basketball, he runs track in the spring. I’m just super proud of him. He’s such a high football IQ kid. He loves football, he watches college football. His leadership skills are super underrated.”

That combined with his hard physical work makes a complete player.

“For him, it was just continuing to work hard in the weight room, get after it in the off-season,” Bowkett said. “He was a really good player last year, too, but he put on a little bit of weight, got a little faster, continues to hone in on his craft, and, he easily could have been up for Yukica last year like he is this year.”

Here’s how critical he has been to the Sabers. They didn’t have Fiengo for three weeks due to an injury and Raudelunas’ rushing made up for it.

“We didn’t have a quarterback for three weeks and he proeceeed to rush for back-to-back 250-yard games, when everyone knows that you’re going to run the football. He’s just a fantastic player, and I’m glad he’s on our team.”

For college, Raudelunas is setting his sights high. He’s planning on studying sports management at UNH, but also is making plans to make the Wildcats as a walk on.

What does he think it will take to play at the Division I level?

“Just a lot of work, a lot of effort,” he said. “Dedication, whatever Coach (Ricky Santos) wants me to do next year I’m going to do it. I’m going to be the best that I can be next year.”

Bowkett feels Raudelunas can certainly play at that level.

“One hundred percent,” he said. “He’s an FCS walk on, potential scholarship kid. I think he’s a scholarship kid in the NE-10 (Division II). His years are ahead of him. He’s only going to get bigger, stronger, faster. He can play multiple positions, special teaams, he’s versatile and can do a lot of different things for you. He’s going to be a great college football player and a college will be lucky to have him.”

After college, Raudelunas has a clear plan: he wants to coach. In fact, he credits Bowkett with inspiring him toward that path.

“Definitely, yeah,” he said. “Seeing what he does makes me want to do what he does.”

Souhegan senior Ryland Raudelunas is one of the best football players in the state, shining on both sides of the ball. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

During the semifinal win over Pelham, Raudelunas exhibited some of that football IQ. Bowkett and assistant Brandon O’Connell were talking about whether it was a good time to send Raudelunas on a blitz, and before they could tell him, Raudelunas came over and said, “What do you think about sending me on this one?”

“It was like, ‘Are you in our headsets?'” Bowkett said. “He got such a nose for the ball, he’s got the football smarts to go into it. He’ll be fantastic no matter what he does, but especially if he’s a coach. I’m just so proud of him, I love that kid.”

Raudelunas is an example of a group that is focused in what is the flip side of a year ago. Last year the Sabers surprised everyone except themselves by winning the Division II crown. They had lost to presumed powers Plymouth and Pelham at home, only to beat both in the playoffs for the crown.

“Last year really motivated us,” Raudelunas said. “We knew coming into this year, we knew the standard. We knew what we had to do to be back in the championship. We had to give it all we got, and we did. … We just work every single practice, everybody gives it their all during practice. Great team, great coaches, great everything.”

Not to mention with one great player.