Dynamic Duo: Where are they now? - By Sawyer Coleman
Where does it all begin you might ask? It all started way back in Little League when these two met. Kenyon and Deacon have been playing side by side with each other ever since they were little kids. From tee ball baseball to 18u travel ball, from Middle School to playing side by side throughout their years in High School. Of these very amazing athletes I have grown up with these and watched them prosper into great individuals let alone great athletes. I wanted to focus this piece on them because I have known them both for a VERY long time, and both play important roles in my life. Both of these guys got the opportunity to further their ability at the next level, Kenyon at Whitworth University in Spokane, and Deacon at Montana Western University in Dillon, Montana. I wanted to ask them about the differences and similarities between the college and high school levels. I asked both players a series of questions that I thought were very in-depth so that they really could emphasize how much it changes at the college level versus the high school level.
My first question for the two was what was the biggest change for you moving from high school to college-level football? Kenyon’s approach was “the biggest change from high school to college level football is the way that it almost turns into a part-time job with all of the hours of practice, team meetings, lifts, and film sessions.” We all know that College level anything for sports becomes a huge part of your time and the commitment to the game is extremely important. Deacon focused on the speed of the game stating “I think the hardest part was the intensity of the game, in college, it's a lot more fast. Like going back and watching high school games everything just seems slowed down”.
My next question was what do you miss most about playing High School football. I wasn't very surprised by their responses because being a bomber, the energy, and environment that we create is beyond amazing and no one can compare. Kenyon said, “the thing I miss most was playing under the lights at Fran Rish in front of the student section.” Anyone who has the opportunity to hear the crowd, see the spirit, and be a part of the green and gold army knows how valuable our fans are in support of our athletes. Deacon was sort of the same style in saying “The thing I miss most was suiting up with the boys, I mean we still do the same thing here but it's not the same as it was back home.” Simply nobody can do it like the Richland bombers can.
The last question I asked the two was what has been the hardest part for you as a player? Yet again both sides of the story really show. Kenyon talks about school and says “ the hardest part about being a player is the role of being a student-athlete. It takes a lot of dedication and time to both school and athletics to where it can become a real challenge at times.” Even at the high school level balancing Sports and academics can sometimes be a real struggle. Trying to get A's in the classroom while being a threat on the field can surely be difficult to manage. Deacon says “Overcoming adversity because it's kind of weird going from high school to college when in high school you're this big star and you play almost every snap on both sides of the ball, and then you get to college and you barely play if anything your freshman year. I redshirted and was lucky enough to get the opportunity to play in two of the games this season.” This just goes to show how much harder you have to work at the college level to actually make it work.
All in all, both would like to finish out their four years playing football and pursue their individual college degrees respectfully. I would like to thank both for their time and wish them the best in their futures in both academics and sports.
