Kile making the most of senior season

Kile made a few electric catches in Friday’s game, but that’s just par for the course for the Wildcats senior. He’s been a primary target for quarterback Austin Long all season, and was a reliable receiver in past seasons as well.

“There’s no secret,” Kile said of his success. “We just do what we need to do and I’m there when Austin puts the ball on the spot and I make the catch.”

Kile also stands out for his leadership. He has served as a mentor of sorts for the younger players on Sweetwater’s roster this season and has led both by word and by action.

“He’s been our top guy,” Sweetwater coach Ethan Edmiston said. “He’s really stepped up being a leader this year, and we as a coaching staff are really impressed with him. No matter how the game’s going, he’s been a great leader for the younger guys, always plays hard and makes plays, and stays positive. He’s just a great player for us.”

Kile has had to make adjustments this season after the quarterback change saw Hunter Jenkins move positions and Long take over the job.

“It’s not really changed us, we just kept going with the flow and we made it work,” Kile said.

Kile also prides himself on his defensive prowess. In a game earlier this season against McMinn Central, he returned an interception for a touchdown and seems to always make the big play. Kile says that the secret to playing both ways so successfully comes down to the work you put in during practice.

“A lot of conditioning,” Kile said. “We run a lot. We try to keep our pace up when we’re practicing and go as hard as we can when we work with the team. Just trying to stay conditioned for those guys that have to play both sides of the ball.”

That hard work has paid big dividends for the senior.

“He’s definitely talented at making big plays and causing big turnovers,” Edmiston said. “Even last season, he was one of our main players that would come up with an interception or a fumble recovery or a big play on offense, so he’s definitely a playmaker.”

Football isn’t the only sport Kile plays for the Wildcats. Soon, he will take to the hardwood as a pivotal member of the Sweetwater basketball team.

“I’m kind of sad that football is going to be over,” Kile said. “But I’m really excited to get on the court and play with (the basketball team).”

After high school, Kile intends to continue his athletic career in college. Whether that will be playing football or basketball remains to be seen.

“I’m probably focusing more on basketball, to get a scholarship in basketball,” Kile said. “But if something comes for football I’ll definitely take it, because football is right there behind basketball.”

Kile has a number of role models for both his sports that he follows in order to improve his own game.

“In football, I look up to Tavon Austin,” Kile said. “Just how quick he is, and he makes good catches and makes great runs after the catch. In basketball, Kyrie Irving because he plays point guard, and I play point guard, so I just try to model my game around his.”

Kile will take to the football field one last time as a Wildcat as Sweetwater travels to Signal Mountain to close out the regular season, and then will turn his attention to the roundball as basketball season is on the horizon.