CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (October 19th, 2020) – The Chattanooga Red Wolves have picked up outside back Jonathan Ricketts’ option for the 2021 season. Ricketts had a strong rookie campaign in 2020. He earned one Team of the Week appearance, had the most successful tackles for the club (20), is tied with defender with the most starts (14), in addition to being a fan favorite.
Ricketts will be entering his second season with the club and looks to build on his debut season’s success. What makes Jonathan Ricketts a unique asset to the team is that he is the club’s first USL League 2 signing and only Chattanooga Native. Ricketts went to Bryan College and played for the Dalton Red Wolves in USL League 2 in the summer of 2019. His rise to the first team embodies the path-to-pro model that the Chattanooga Red Wolves has to offer. President and General Manager Sean McDaniel said, “Beyond what he brings to the field, Jonathan has an incredible amount of local support. which translates into a huge fan base. We are proud to have one of Chattanooga’s finest representing us for another season.”
Ricketts is a disciplined professional who pursues excellence in everything he does. He quickly worked his way into Jimmy Obleda’s starting lineup and became a key element of Chattanooga’s back line. Formerly a winger, Head Coach Jimmy Obleda thought it was best for him to play outside back in 2020. This was a position that he was less familiar with, but yet exceeded expectations while starting out his career. Coach Obleda later went on to say, “Johnno was a tremendous asset to us this last season. Not only did he step up to play a new position, be he owned it. With one professional season under his belt, we are excited to see what 2021 brings for this fan favorite.”
Ricketts is a great addition to the club not only because he is a dominant player but because of what he brings to the locker room. He is humble, but has an insatiable desire to win. 2020 was a turbulent year to make a professional debut, but Ricketts navigated the treacherous waters and came out on top. With a greater understanding of USL League One, Ricketts will most definitely be a force to be reckoned with going into 2021.
For additional information and news about the club make sure to follow @chattredwolves on all social platforms to get up to date information regarding new signings, seasonal promotions, and upcoming events.
About Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
Founded in 2018, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC is a professional soccer club in Chattanooga, Tenn. The USL League One founding member is led by business executive Robert Martino and President Sean McDaniel. The club is constructing a state-of-the-art 5,500-seat soccer-specific stadium in Chattanooga for the 2020 season. For more information, visit https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/chattanoogaredwolves-sc/.
