Seminole Ridge hires ex-Glades coach Casko to lead program

Seminole Ridge has hired former Glades Central coach Rick Casko to lead its football program.

Casko, who had two separate coaching stints with the Raiders, spent the past season as Royal Palm Beach’s defensive coordinator.

He takes over for James Parson, who stepped down in January after two seasons as the school’s coach. Following his resignation, Parson said, “It is disappointing that jealousy and animosity has taken the fun out of being the head football coach at Ridge.”

The school is coming off an 8-3 season with an appearance in the Class 8A regional quarterfinals.

A John I. Leonard alum, Casko first led Glades Central from 1991-94, accumulating a 34-4 record during that stint. Casko, who has also coached John I. Leonard, Atlantic and Georgia’s Cass High School, returned to Belle Glade in 2014.

Taking over for Roosevelt Blackman, the veteran coach guided the Raiders to a 24-11 record with a pair of district championships.

The veteran coach will now try to put his stamp on Seminole Ridge. Once a perennial playoff contender, the Hawks have been unable to replicate the success they had earlier in the decade under the direction of Matt Dickmann.

The program’s first coach, Dickmann spent eight seasons with Seminole Ridge, leading the team to five playoff appearances and a pair of regional finals in 2010 and 2012. Dickmann stepped down in 2012 to take the head coaching job at Georgia’s Harrison High School.

Since then, Seminole Ridge has struggled to maintain consistency at the top. Steven Humphrey was hired as Dickmann’s successor, but stepped down after two months due to a health issue with his young daughter. Scott Barnwell spent the next three seasons as the school’s coach before resigning in 2015 and then Parson lasted two years.

The school hasn’t won a playoff game since Dickmann’s departure and has only reached the playoffs twice in that span.

Seminole Ridge does return some key pieces from last year’s team, including highly-touted sophomore running back Corey Polk, junior starting quarterback Kaimyn Castillo and junior defensive back Ty’Korian Brown.

wdusenbury@ sun-sentinel.com