By Al Stilley
Senior staff writer

Former Roncalli football player Cole Toner is preparing himself for life after college.

An All-State high school lineman and Academic All-State team honoree, Toner just began his final semester at Harvard as a government major. 

Before graduating in May, Toner has several important dates on his calendar: Jan. 30, the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.; Feb. 23-29, the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium; and April 28-30, the NFL draft.
Each event has particular importance to Toner, son of Roncalli athletic administrators Dave and Angie Toner.
“The game itself is not as important as the practices and the one-on-one drills,” Toner said during an interview while he was on the Southside. “It’s the big one because all the eyes of NFL scouts and the media are on you for a full week. It’s time for me to make the most of a great opportunity.”

As of Jan. 15, Toner was the only Ivy Leaguer to accept an invitation to play in the bowl (1:30 p.m., NFL Network). 

After the game, Toner will continue his studies at Harvard while preparing for the NFL Combine and the three-day Draft. Toner hopes to follow a long line of successful NFL players from the Ivy League, including quarterback Sid Luckman (Columbia), Chicago Bears;  linebacker Chuck Bednarik (Pennsylvania), Philadelphia; center Matt Birk (Harvard), Minnesota; punter Pat McInally (Harvard), Cincinnati; and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (Harvard), New York Jets.

Toner has spoken several times with former Harvard defensive end Zack Hodges, who was signed by the Colts for the 2015 season. Toner, an offensive tackle, went against Hodges in practices at Harvard for three years. 
“We were able to make each other better,” Toner said.

Toner returned to his family’s Greenwood home in early December. He attended basketball games at Roncalli and began two-a-day workouts Jan. 2 at St. Vincent Sports Performance in preparation for the draft.

“I’m trying to be realistic about it,” Toner said. “I actually started more games for Harvard than I did at Roncalli. I think I began to realize the NFL was a possibility at the start of my junior year, but the goals at Harvard aren’t necessarily the NFL. The goals are to become Ivy League champions and enjoy the camaraderie of your teammates.”

The two-time all-Ivy League offensive tackle also knows that he will have to be versatile if he is to be drafted and eventually play in the NFL. He is trying to adapt to the possibility of playing guard or center, a position he hasn’t played since his freshman year at Roncalli.

His draft chances are somewhat unknown, but he has drawn good reviews, particularly his Senior Bowl prospect profile: “For the NFL, he is a fit for the zone-scheme offense made famous by OL coach Alex Gibbs (and Denver) that requires more athleticism than bulk and more technique than power. He has excellent potential as a run a pass blocker, and with more strength development, Cole might possibly be a starter within three seasons. He will be very intriguing to pro line coaches because of his height, toughness and change-of-direction/recovery skills.”

Scouts agree, according to the prospect profile, that “seeing him in Mobile against a better level of competition will be very important to his projected draft value.”

Toner said he believes his experiences at Harvard and Roncalli have molded him for the future. He was sold on the Crimson on his first visit there with his parents when a student they didn’t know introduced himself and promptly took them on a guided tour of the campus in Cambridge, Mass.

“We play football at Harvard because we love the game,” Toner said. “We are like every (NSCAA) Division 1 program because the practices are so demanding and the expectations are so high. Let’s face it; football for a lot of Harvard players is not in their future after college. The players love the game and the competiveness.”

Toner explained that Ivy League teams, no matter how successful, do not participate in the myriad of bowl games. That makes the season special because Harvard ends its season against traditional foe Yale.
His parents attended every home game that he played at Harvard. 

“They molded me as a person,” Toner said with admiration of his parents. “I’m thankful for my family, administrators, coaches and teachers at Roncalli who supported me and those at Harvard who really test you and encourage you. Roncalli prepared me for Harvard academics and athletics as well as I possibly could be prepared.”

When Toner graduated from Roncalli in 2012, he was a 265-pound lineman. He now weighs 303 pounds and wants to add 10 to 12 more pounds by the draft. His future, just as it was at Roncalli, is indeed ahead of him.

By Sherri Coner
Southsider Voice correspondent

Other people might drive past a parcel of land and see a perfect spot for a strip mall or a subdivision.
But every time Patrick Scaringe drove past a particular 60-acre spot of greenspace near Harding Street, he imagined a sports park.

At the time he was working at General Motors. His wife, Helga, was practicing law, and their children were young. 

It wasn’t exactly the best timing to take a risk on a rather quirky idea. Or was it?

When Scaringe shared his vision with his wife, she immediately supported him.

The couple quickly laid the sports park idea to rest though, when they learned the costs involved. The price tag for the land was just too far away from possibility. 

Two months later the land owner asked them to make an offer. After an agreement was happily reached, they took that first scary step toward realizing the dream.

Their family van, lawn tractor and home were used as collateral for the business loan, Mrs. Scaringe said. “It was the biggest jump we had ever taken. It was really scary.”

Immediately, bulldozers rumbled onto the dream area to complete underground installation of utilities. Architects were hired.  

Helga utilized her knowledge of law to present their case to a few skeptical City-County councilors. Because of a zoning issue, there were more delays, such as three weeks of heavy rains. 

When the sky cleared and they discovered freshly sown grass sprouting on the dream, this entrepreneurial couple were finally in business. 

“We opened the park with three softball diamonds and a building that wasn’t heated or furnished,” Mrs. Scaringe said with a laugh. “I took the kids with me and worked in the concession stand. Pat worked all day at General Motors and then wired the lights and worked in the office until the park closed every evening.”

With their sons raking ball diamonds and mowing grass and their daughters helping with concessions and other tasks, a family business was born. 

“We all put a lot of sweat equity into it,” the Scaringes said. “The park helped pay for college. All of our kids went to Ball State.”

Today, all four adult children continue to work in the business.  

Oldest daughter Kimberly Wiseman does the accounting. As a nurse practitioner, younger daughter Karrie Christianson helps during tournaments. Kyle and Kory Scaringe juggle responsibilities at the park around their daytime careers in education.

With a full-time manager and a grounds crew, the Indianapolis Sports Park now boasts seven softball diamonds, one college-level baseball field, three sand volleyball courts and three bar-concession areas. 
For couples who met at the park, two weddings have taken place on ball diamonds, Mrs. Scaringe said.
Southside businesses have benefitted from softball, corn hole and kickball tournaments.

Three decades later, she and her husband don’t spend as many long hours there anymore.

But when they do, at least a few, if not all, of their 12 park-loving grandchildren tag along. 
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“We also have two granddaughters now playing volleyball at the park,” Mrs. Scaringe said proudly. “The grandkids all love the park.”