How Cameron Lee and Jake Ryan are leading Tolton and enjoying their last ride together
Tolton seniors Cameron Lee and Jake Ryan have excelled together for the past few years in two different sports.
In the fall, Ryan and Lee produce electrifying plays on the offensive side of the football field. Once winter ends and spring begins, the two trade in their football cleats and football helmets for baseball ones and shoulder pads and mouthpieces for bats and gloves.
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The two previously led Tolton football to new heights in 2023, when Tolton won its first district title. Ryan, the Trailblazers quarterback, engineered 41 touchdowns. Lee had 900-plus receiving yards, five scores off of kick and punt returns, and 60 tackles on the defensive side.
This year in baseball, Tolton (15-3) is off to a hot start. The momentum from the prosperous football season has helped carry over on the diamond.
“I mean, it was the best season in Tolton football history we had this year, so coming off that, I was already feeling good,” Lee said. “I just had a feeling that baseball would be the same way, and we started out just as hard as we did in football.”
Lee and Ryan have been the forefront leaders of the team during this process.
“They’ve done a fantastic job, you know, with Jake and Cam being the leaders on the football team, they’ve already gone into this role with experience and just understand that this is their last ride for them," Tolton head coach Erich Chick said. "They want to try and go out on top and make a run; they got to, you know, a part of these last couple years.”
Their leadership style is humble and beneficial, which has helped the team's trajectory.
“Instead of bossing kids around, they’re helping them, they’re leading it, and I’m very proud of what they're doing,” Chick said.
Lee and Ryan were sophomores on Tolton’s 2021-22 state championship team, which defeated Springfield Catholic in Springfield by a score of 8-4. It's a treasured memory they’ll never forget.
“I just remember being a sophomore looking up to the upperclassmen but also trying to play the biggest role I could as an underclassman,” Lee said. “It’s definitely harder to be seen and do what you do, but I just remember having a great time. The trip was so much fun being back in Springfield, and the memories we made were something I wanted to do again this year.”
That’s something that is obtainable for Tolton as they are the No. 4 team in the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association polls. Lee compared the start similarly to the 2022 championship squad.
Two days after a 10-5 victory over No. 2 Blair Oaks, a game where Ryan pitched well, the Traiblazers recorded a 16-1 win at Hallsville on Friday.
It was another normal day for Lee on the baseball diamond in Friday’s victory.
Before the Trailblazers exited the first inning against Hallsville, Lee recorded two hits, the first being deep into left field. In the following inning, he crushed a ball back into left field for a double, which was followed by a triple in the fourth inning, completing a 4 for 4 performance at the plate.
Not to mention, he excelled on the pitching mound as well.
“My mentality really is just not to get worried about the little stuff,” Lee said. “If you make one simple mistake or try to bounce back next time.”
That’s the mindset that both players are helping instill into the younger guys. While mistakes will happen, they’ll always be able to recover from them.
“We’re a little bit of a younger team, and we’re just keeping the focus, helping other guys understand that mistakes don’t matter too much, and we got to move on from them,” Ryan said. “So just being able to help some of the other guys has been good, and they're learning from us.”
When it’s all said and done at the high school level, Jake Ryan and Cam Lee will be remembered as two of the most decorated athletes in Tolton's history. After this season, they will go to different places for their collegiate careers.
Lee is currently signed to play baseball at Missouri Western, while Ryan will go to Truman State to play football. There are more than enough good things that Lee and Ryan have to say about each other; they’ve ridden the busses together for each baseball and football game and have cherished memories while playing summer baseball.
“(He’s) a crazy athlete, both baseball and football in pretty much everything he does. He’s a great athlete and just fun to be around,” Ryan said. “He’s energetic all the time and brings great energy and leadership to every team he is on.”
Ryan’s presence around Lee has helped him mold into a better player.
“Just playing along for him all these years has been the best,” Lee said. “He’s one of the hardest workers I know. And I certainly mean that and being with him, working with him for the past 5-6 years has been, I mean, it’s helped me become a better baseball player.”
Their time at Tolton isn’t up yet. The Trailblazers have 12 more regular season games before entering postseason play, a road that Lee and Ryan are all too familiar with.
“They want to instill that foundation that we’ve built for this program for these young guys. To kind of uphold as they take off for their next part of their journey,” Chick said. “So, their experience of what they bring to the table has been huge. They understand what the expectations are, they know what it takes to get there.”
The Trailblazers are back in action today as they travel to Booneville for the Booneville Wood Bat Tournament. They will take on the Pirates (12-4) and Pilot Grove (8-3). The times are to be determined.
“A state championship. That’s what I’m looking for,” Ryan said. “That’s what the teams looking for.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Inside seniors Cameron Lee and Jake Ryan's impact on Tolton baseball
