Ryne Dougherty took on life like the linebacker he was, tackling sports and schoolwork as fiercely as he would an opposing running back.
The 16-year-old junior from Montclair High School died last Wednesday, two days after a collision during a game against Don Bosco left him with a severe brain hemorrhage.
More than 1,000 mourners packed Christ Church in Montclair this morning to share their memories of the determined Dougherty, saying over and over that his dedication to football would remain an inspiration long after he is buried.
"The one thing I'll always remember about Ryne was his commitment to football," said Aalim Monk, Dougherty's best friend. "Ryne was like my brother."
The funeral included hundreds of Ryne's classmates and teammates, some of whom wore their Mounties uniforms over their clothing in a show of support. The church was forced to shuttle more than 100 people into two overflow rooms, where they watched the 70-minute service by video.
At the front of the church, photo collages and messages of grief and hope stood on easels while a slideshow of pictures of Dougherty, from birth to high school, ran overhead.
Monk, who used to go to Dougherty's home three times a week to play football video games and talk about the sport, said he didn't cry last week, even after news came that his friend had died – until Saturday, when the football team took on Ridgewood in an emotional game.
"When it was time to go onto the field, we got into two lines," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "You're supposed to hold your brother's hand. Ryne wasn't there. That's when it hit me."
He joked that Dougherty had a one-track mind, interrupting conversations about, say, music with the latest football statistic.
"Ryne loved life," said his father, Martin, who is divorced from Dougherty's mother, Marinalva Schnarr. "Everything he did, he wanted to be the best at. I asked him at a young age, in sixth or seventh grade, whether he wanted me to teach him football. He said no. Then one day, he came up to me and said, 'Dad, I have a game on Saturday.' He wanted to show that he could do it himself."
Dougherty's mother spoke briefly, saying that she did not have the words to describe her "great son," while her husband, William "Bucky" Schnarr, read aloud an obituary for Dougherty.
Travis Hubbard, another friend, said that Dougherty remained optimistic even in his darkest moments.
"His character was one of a kind," Hubbard said. "He made me realize what true dedication is. Ryne truly lived life to the fullest."
The Rev. Gerald Whitaker, who delivered the eulogy, asked everyone in the church to stand at one point. He told them to imagine that Dougherty had just made the game-saving tackle to finish off a win against archrival Bloomfield and applaud as if they were watching the game.
The resulting ovation was deafening.
The death – the third for a young North Jersey football player this fall – prompted an enormous outpouring of grief and support from the high school community. More than 1,800 people have joined a Facebook group dedicated to Ryne's memory, where hundreds of posts include stories, thoughts and prayers.
Hundreds of students attended a candlelight vigil on Friday evening. The football team won its game against Ridgewood in overtime as the crowd chanted Dougherty's name, and the New York Giants held a moment of silence for Dougherty during their game on Sunday.
Some – including several media outlets and Martin Dougherty – have suggested that athletes and coaches look at Dougherty's death as a reminder that schools must be extra-cautious with their young football players. Dougherty suffered a concussion last month during a scrimmage but was cleared to return to play; the Don Bosco game was his first full game since the concussion.
Martin Dougherty said last week that he does not blame anyone or believe that the school erred. But he hopes that schools will reexamine their guidelines regarding concussions to make sure nothing similar happens to any other player.
Joseph Ax is a staff writer for The Record.
