By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Ellis tight end/linebacker Jared Herl had talked with multiple NCAA Division I schools before the 2011 high school season started. However, Herl suffered a foot injury in a Week 1 contest against Norton and missed the first half of the season.

It marked the second straight year he missed multiple games because of an injury. As well, many of the Division I schools that had contacted Herl had coaching changes after the 2011 season concluded, including University of Kansas and Colorado State University.

"When I got hurt, a lot of the D-Is that I had been talking to just really fell to the wayside," he said. "I had no contact with any D-Is besides Colorado State during the season. ... As far as Division Is goes, there was really no stability whatsoever. I think my injury pretty much put the nail in the coffin for my D-I hopes."

Still, Herl, an athletic player at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, finished a strong senior season and earned an invitation to the Shrine Bowl. Herl's per game averages bettered many of the state's top players.

In six contests, he caught 16 passes for 310 yards and five scores and had 57 tackles with a team-high five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. At first, Herl made a verbal commitment to Emporia State University, but then switched late in the process to Fort Hays State University.

"My goal is keep the western Kansas kids home and that is something I talked about since Day 1 and I am doing that and that's what I want to do," Tiger second-year coach Chris Brown said.

On Wednesday, Herl made it official when he inked a letter of intent with the Tigers and ended a whirlwind recruiting process.

"Coming down to the last couple of months here and then it was narrowed down, I jumped back and forth between schools every day," Herl said. "One day I would want Emporia, one day I would want Fort Hays. One day I would want to walk-on at K-State. It just comes a certain time where you have to really narrow down the advantages and disadvantages of the schools and really think it through. That process was really long and tiring and I am really glad it's over."

Emporia State had recruited Herl long before the Tigers. At first, the Hornets offered Herl to come play as a tight end/halfback, then the Hornets called and said had another tight end/halfback was going to commit. That would take Herl's scholarship. Then, the ESU recruiter said he could offer Herl a scholarship again, this time as a linebacker. Herl quickly decided to commit to Emporia State.

"He really stuck his head out for me," Herl said. "Giving me two scholarship opportunities, I was under a lot of pressure to make a big decision. I had to make a decision within a night. That was kind of a rush decision on my part."

The next day after the commitment, Herl said he "never really felt comfortable" with the decision. He thought about the advantages of playing at Fort Hays and decided the positives of playing for the Tigers outweighed going to Emporia State. Helped by some academic scholarships, Herl will attend FHSU for free, a positive he called "a huge deciding factor."

As well, Herl said lineman Matt Erbert will join the Tigers. Erbert, an Ellis graduate and former Shrine Bowl player, signed with Pittsburg State University two years ago. He never played for PSU, came home, took a year off from football and then decided to play again. Herl and Erbert are good friends.

Brown made an in-home visit to Herl in the last few weeks, a visit that Herl said helped sway the decision.

"That just shows how important you are to them and how bad they want you," Herl said.

The coaching staff told Herl he might not redshirt if he plays linebacker, a position the Tigers are currently a little thin at.

"I didn't really want to redshirt," Herl said. "I was hoping if I could get my size and strength back up, that I could come in and play and hopefully make a little bit of an impact right away."

Ochs to Butler

Quinter defensive end Brian Ochs, a HDN Super 11 selection and one of the state's leaders in sacks, decided to sign with Butler County Community College, one of the nation's top junior college programs.

Ochs selected Butler over Dodge City Community College and hopes to eventually parlay a strong junior college career into playing Division I football.

"I am looking to go to the next level, play ball, get better, get stronger and I understand that they send lots of athletes to the next level if they work hard and put their time in and everything and that's what I want to do," Ochs said.

Butler County head coach Troy Morrell recently made a visit to Ochs and Ochs took a college visit and "really enjoyed it."

"It just felt like the right place," he said.

Other area signees

La Crosse linebacker Tanner Yohe and Hill City quarterback Dylan Anderson signed with Dodge City Community College. Ellis quarterback Riley Hunsicker signed with Hutchinson Community College.