THE DEGUIRE LEGACY

By Chris Gionta

Photography by Chris Gionta and The Deguire Family

Kevin and Michele Deguire knew what their parental duties would entail as soon as their firstborn son, Ryan, uttered his first words.

“Ryan’s first word was ‘ball’,” Michele said. “[Kevin and Ryan] played these crazy football games in the living room — just the two of them — and [Ryan] could barely walk, and they were playing football, throwing a ball and whatever he could get him doing.”

Ryan and his younger twin siblings, Hailey and Jake, would each go on to etch their names into Mohonasen High School record books, and eventually brought their athletic prowess to Springfield College.

Before they reached the college level, each of them found their respective athletic identities in their younger years, and did not have to look far for athletic influence. Observing Ryan and Kevin’s affection for football, Jake, who is four years younger than Ryan, was attracted to the game as well.

“I think one of the most important and most influential things for [Ryan and Jake] was going to Kevin’s flag football games,” Michele said. “They grew up right on the sideline with all the big guys, and they talk about it to this day — that was something that was very memorable to them.”

Ryan and Jake certainly did not limit their athletic endeavors to the gridiron. The oldest brother played baseball and basketball along with football all the way through high school. Jake also played football, baseball and basketball at a young age, and additionally grew an affinity for wrestling. He eventually stopped playing basketball at around the age of 12 because of its inter-

ference with wrestling, but kept with football and baseball in high school.

Hailey took a disparate path to her love of athletics. She tried T-Ball and dance before eventually following the path of her mother when she began playing volleyball in seventh grade.

“My mom actually played Division II volleyball,” Hailey said. “So she was a big reason why I got into the sport of volleyball. I usedto go watch her play beach volleyball as I grew up, so I definitely got interested in it through her.”

Also like her mother, she ran high school track, and even put herself in the record book. Hailey was part of 3x200 and sprint medley relay teams that set records at Mohonasen.

The culture of athletics was easily absorbed by the Deguire family, and has addedto their family dynamic throughout the years.

“We’re all really competitive,” Jake said. “I mean, just going to the beach — like spikeball, Kan Jam, wiffle ball — we’re all really competitive.”

Prior to Hailey being part of record-setting track squads, Ryan set Mohonasen’s single-season rushing record in his senior year when he ran for 2,011 yards. He also set the single-season school record for rushing touchdowns in the same year with 25.

With such a resuméin high school, he had a lot of options of where he could play at the next level. However, Springfield College’s atmosphere stood out from the rest for him and his parents.

“The football coaches, the graduate assistants — they were unbelievable,” Ryan said. “They just made it feel like home for me, and they made me feel like I was a part of something special, and obviously it is something special at Springfield College, especially with the football program.”

His father was equally impressed with the coaching staff and the general environment of Alden Street.

“As far as the school goes, I loved it right from day one,” said Kevin. “It just seemed to be a genuine place. It wasn’t fake. It wasn’t forced by the coaches. And especially with the football program, they use the term ‘Brotherhood.’ They truly seem to live it. It’s not just words.”

Once Ryan’s sophomoreyear at Springfield College arrived in 2018, he gained a significant role in the Pride’s runheavy offense. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry on 40 attempts in his sophomore campaign, then averaged 7.4 yards per carry on 46 attempts in his junior year. In each season, he had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.

Like most 2020 fall athletes, Ryan did not have a football season. For this reason, he did not do his final college semester in the spring of 2021, but instead pushed it to the fall of 2021. This was when he had his best collegiate year, as in the 2021 football season, he ran for 443 yards and four touchdowns. This lifted him to over 1,000 career rushing yards at the collegiate level.

At Stagg Field, earlier in his college career, rooting for Ryan and also immersing themselves in the campus atmosphere were his younger siblings, Hailey and Jake.

“Them always coming up to support me at games and being around the campus — it just madethat feel like a second home to them, and made them feel comfortable,” Ryan said.

During most of their older brother’s time at Springfield, Hailey and Jake were continuing the Deguire legacy at Mohonasen High School. Hailey was the Colonial Council Conference Defensive Player of the Year in volleyball three times in her high school career, and earned that honor because of her 699 career digs, which is a Mohonasen record.

Jake also had a collection of honors, trophies, and records, with his coming from his efforts on the wrestling mat. In his sophomore year, he won the Section 2 championship for the state of New York in the 132-pound weight class. In his junior year, he won that championship in the 138-pound weight class, and finished in 5th place for the entire state of New York. His name is attached to Mohonasen High School’s single season win record (44), career win record (156), single season pin record (32), and career pin record (110).

Given their high school achievements, Hailey and Jake were destined for college athletics. Without any pressure from

family elders, the twins knew where they were headed.

“Throughout the whole recruiting process, the whole time, I wanted them to come here,” Ryan said. “That would be so cool — having my siblings go to the same school that I did. I know the campus and the people that are here, too, and that was big for me. Just knowing they were going to a place that cares about them more than just being a student or just being an athlete.”

The twins did not needmuch convincing when it came time to make their decisions.

“Ever since like the first time being here, I kind of knew this was kind of where I wanted to go,” Jake said. “It’s just such a nice atmosphere and environment to be around.”

Along with her experience on campus supporting Ryan, Hailey’s connections with the players and coaching staff of the women’s volleyball team attracted her to Alden Street.

“One of my brother’s closest friends, Camryn Bancroft — she spoke highly of the team, spoke highly of our coach,” Hailey said. “And I never heard anything bad about Coach (Moira) Long, and she was nothing but great, just reaching out in the recruiting process, and just keeping in contact, making sure our team supported us and just stayed in contact with us, and just made us feel welcome.”

The decision of both twins coming to Springfield College met the approval of their older brother and their parents.

“I’m definitely thankful that they chose [Springfield],” Ryan said. “And I mean, COVID obviously wasn’t the best thing in the world, but it gave me the chance to go to school with them, and be there with them for a semester, and I was definitely thankful for that.”

For Kevin and Michele, the security ofhaving the twins come to Springfield was reassuring.

“It made it a lot easier knowing they were together,” Kevin said. “Even to this day, driving away, it’s comforting to know that they’re together. If they have some ups and downs, they know they’re within a building or two away from each other.”

Both Hailey and Jake established themselves on their respective Springfield teams in their first seasons on campus. Hailey played in 30 of the Pride’s 31 games in a season that resulted in a NEWMAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. She compiled 213 digs, which were fifth-most on the team. No one on the team was able to gather more in a single game than Hailey in 2021, as she dug 30 balls against Clark in a four-set match.

When Ryan and Hailey’s seasons finished, it was time for Jake to succeedin his sport, which is just what he did. He dominated the 157-pound weight class with a 22-5 record and 19 pins. His impressive season includeda “Most Pins Award” honor at the prestigious Doug Parker Invitational, along with being recognized as an honorable mention for All-New England Wrestling Association.

Schenectady, NY will always be home to Ryan, Hailey, and Jake Deguire, but a figurative second residence lies on Alden Street for the trio.

“My parents call it ‘the home away from home’,” Hailey said. “It was nice to have both my brothers here as a freshman, so it definitely is a home away from home.”

Following his graduation with a degree in physical education after the 2021 fall semester, Ryan earned a job as a physical education teacher for kindergarten through second grade in the Cobleskill-Richmondville school district in New York. Hailey and Jake plan to graduate from Springfield College in the spring of 2025, with Hailey looking to get a degree in psychology.

No matter where they end up, the triangle will have a place in their hearts dueto its impact on their education, athletics, and family bond.