Whenever a Raider wears 66, they know the meaning behind it.
And because of that, they know exactly how special it is.
But few know as well as this year’s No. 66 in the Archbishop Ryan High School football roster.
Chase Lowe is a senior on the Raiders football team, and this year he’s the one who is sporting the special number that is given each year to a player who displays great leadership on and off the field. The No. 66 is in honor of George Karusky, a Ryan football, soccer and baseball player who passed away in 2020 during his senior year after a sudden illness.
Karusky was a warrior, but one who always made sure to help his teammates, especially the younger guys. He was well loved throughout the entire Ryan community and he was known for being tough while having a heart of gold.
Lowe doesn’t just hear the stories. He remembers Georgie for all the great qualities he displayed his entire life.
“It means a lot to me because when I was younger, he was best friends with my older brother. Cole, they played football together,” Lowe said. ”They graduated long before me getting here. But I remember Georgie coming over and playing baseball a lot. We’d go up to their games and watch the JV games. I would go to the baseball and football games. George would come up to the Far Northeast and kick and play with my older brother.
“I looked up to them. They were both leaders of their teams. Georgie played baseball, soccer and football. He meant a lot to everyone. I was younger, but I looked up to him and my brother.”
He found out the day before it was announced to the team, and he knew exactly when he was told how special it was.
“They announced it at the end of practice,” Lowe said. “Coach called me over one on one, and asked, ‘Would you want to wear Georgie’s number.’ I said yes, definitely. The next day, Coach George (Karusky) announced it. He said we’re keeping the tradition alive, we have a new leader, this number honors the kid that has strength and plays through games even when they’re losing. I’m also one of the last guys who knew him, not just from stories, I knew him, so that makes it even more special.”
Now, Lowe is putting what he’s learned from his role models into practice and he’s grown into the leader the Raiders need.
Ryan, the two-time defending Catholic League Blue Division champion, has opened the season with some tough losses, but that is almost by design.
While the Raiders want to win every game, the first three games of the season – contests against Father Judge, Bonner-Prendergast and Pennsbury – were played against schools that are much bigger than Ryan.
The way to get better for November is to play the best competition possible while it’s still hot out, and that’s exactly what Ryan has done.
Wins would be nice, but the Raiders are focused on playing the best football when it matters most, and the lessons learned now will pay dividends next month, and hopefully beyond.
“I like how hard we’re working every day in practice, that shows me we were doing the right thing,” said Lowe, who plays defensive end and offensive tackle for the Raiders. “We show up and execute. Every day we have to get better and stay focused. We have a bunch of younger players stepping up and playing big roles. We have some good guys coming back from injury, we should be good.
“We lost to Judge and then got in our heads, I think, but we’re doing better now. We played the best teams, which is good because we still have good teams to play. We have to get better, but we’re putting in the work.”
Lowe is hoping to have a final great high school football season, as well as lacrosse season in the spring, but he’s starting to figure out the future.
Ideally, he’d love to play football. The honor student would field offers, but he’s also interested in picking up a trade.
“I don’t know what I’d study in college, but I do well in school,” he said. “For trades? Carpenter or electricians would be good, but I’m very open to college opportunities.”
While a First-Team All-Catholic selection would be great, on either or both sides of the ball, his main goal focuses on team goals.
“I’d love to have great seasons in lacrosse and football,” Lowe said. “My goals are to get First-Team All Catholic both ways, make a long state run, win it, and hopefully win a threepeat and win a city championship. I want to win out my senior year, and make it memorable.” ••
