Sophomore Standout Riley Selvais Emerging as One of New England's Top Receivers

Massachusetts high school football has been on the rise this past decade, producing a variety of Division I talents who have thrived on the college level. Coming off an outstanding sophomore campaign, Riley Selvais of St. John's Prep appears on track to be part of that conversation.

Selvais is one of the top wide receivers in New England, and as a sophomore last season, he had more than 1,000 receiving yards. He already holds multiple Division I offers from schools such as Rutgers, Boston College and Louisville.

Sacrifices Behind the Success

Despite being a teenager, Selvais has shown maturity both on and off the field and understands the sacrifices necessary to become successful in football.

"The hardest sacrifice has been getting comfortable being alone," Selvais said. "The ride to success is a lonely one, and you need to be willing to sacrifice time with your family, friends, and loved ones to achieve your dreams. Now I am not saying I have achieved success, but to be successful, you definitely need to make a lot of sacrifices."

Thus far, Selvais has been successful on the high school level, becoming the top target for Christopher Vargas Jr., the Eagles' five-star, highly recruited quarterback.

Trusting the Preparation

The preparation, however, is only part of the equation. Production on Friday nights is what attracts college recruiters. For his team to succeed, it needs Selvais to perform. Some might let the pressure get to them, but Selvais is different.

"I don't typically feel the pressure to perform. I just trust in my craft and the work I have put in ahead of my performances," Selvais said when asked about how he handles defenses whose primary focus is to stop him.

Faith, Family and Consistency

Despite the recruiting attention, Selvais remains focused on improvement. He has continued to work on and off the field. When asked about what kind of work he has put in to get him to the place he is now, he was quick to attribute the success to his faith and family.

"Consistency has been the main thing for me as well as believing in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the plan he has for me," Selvais stated. "My family and trainer Dana Barry have also played a tremendous role into where I am."

Leading by Example

Heading into his junior season with the Eagles, Selvais is looking to improve on his 71-catch, 1,231-yard, 15-touchdown sophomore season. Although it may be hard to top a season where the St. John's Prep single-season record for receptions and yards was broken, Selvais will always look to be better.

"The Prep will get a competitor out of me, and that will stay the same everywhere I go," said Selvais. "I'm proud of the leader I am on the field to my teammates, and I'm looking forward to continuing to learn and improving in all aspects of the game."

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