Ryan Day’s son, RJ Day, has been carving out his own legacy. The St. Francis DeSales star has been cruising through high school chapters like a phenom. RJ even grabbed a top-tier honor under his belt. However, his happy moments were short-lived as a rough Friday night ended his junior season on a sour note. The outpouring of support didn’t skip a beat, though.

On November 17, Stallion Football created a poster featuring RJ. The caption had the big announcement, “Congratulations to Junior Quarterback, RJ Day on being named First Team All-District! #GoStallions.” This time last year, he was named to the Second-Team All-District team. Back then, RJ, as a freshman, had passed for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns and followed it up with 1,425 yards and 14 touchdowns. This year, he did not forget to upgrade himself. 

Saturday, November 8, RJ delivered the magic. The Ohio State coach’s son launched a last-second touchdown to snatch a 33-29 playoff win over Ashland. With this, he punched his team into the regional semifinals. Along the way, he set a St. Francis DeSales school record with 482 passing yards. But hardly had RJ realized that during his next game, a heartbreak was awaiting him. 

Top-seeded DeSales, the No. 1 dog in Division II, Region 7 of the OHSAA playoffs, hosted third-seeded Massillon at home. But poor RJ! Momentum slipped away for the quarterback in the 48-14 drubbing. He threw one TD but coughed up two interceptions. He found junior WR Dax Middleton for his lone TD in the fourth, trimming Massillon’s lead to 41-14.

By halftime, Massillon had pretty much sealed the deal. They capitalized on RJ’s two second-quarter interceptions to lead 27-14. The Stallions ground out the second half, while the quarterback faced heavy pressure on passing attempts. RJ scrambled twice to buy time, once drawing a late-hit personal foul, but was only sacked once. However, the DeSales star had his confidant rooting for him. Do you remember RJ’s prom date?

Back in May, Ryan’s son posted a picture with Grace Shaffer. The caption read, “She’s way outta my league #prom.” When it comes to cheering RJ up after the tough night, Grace is the first one to lift his spirits.

She posted a picture right from the gridiron with RJ. The caption is surely going to melt hearts. It read, “My favorite person to support – I am so proud of all of your hard work this season. You never fail to amaze me and make the 6 hour trip home for a Friday night football game worth it. Next stop → senior season! 💜🤍.”

It’s just a Grace reminder for RJ that the tough night is just one side of the story. After all, he has given his best to DeSales.

RJ Day’s good times and Ryan Day’s proud moments

November 7 was RJ’s night to shine. Patrick Murphy shared a clip as the quarterback shredded defenses for a school-record 482 yards, throwing three touchdowns. The highlight of the night? RJ delivered a last-second 4-yard strike to 2027 tight end Jordan Karhoff to lift St. Francis DeSales to a 33-29 thriller. The Stallions’ signal-caller proved his knack for the dramatic last month, too.

Against Harrison last month, he delivered a perfect 22-yard pass to set up the game-winning kick. Back on September 5, he sliced through Columbus Africentric Early College, completing 16 of 19 for 275 yards and five TDs in a commanding 35-18 win for DeSales. With these feats, RJ definitely made his dad proud. Yet, Ryan did not forget to keep his son grounded. 

The Ohio State Buckeyes head coach himself played as a high school quarterback at Manchester Central High School. However, looks like RJ had surpassed his dad, too. 

“That’s the most that’s ever been thrown in my house. It’s hard for me to say that,” Ryan admitted on the Buckeye Roundtable on 97.1 The Fan. “I can say I never throw for 480. I’m proud of him. He loves it. He puts a lot into it. There’s a lot that comes at him. He played great. He really did. Now that game is over with. We have Massillon coming into town. He better not be reading his press clippings.”

Despite his talent, RJ Day is still waiting on an offer from his dad’s team. Will the playoff snub slam the door on Columbus forever?