By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
The Fort Hays State University football coaches targeted four northwest Kansas kids and didn’t sign any of them. However, helped by a new, partially constructed indoor facility and another win improvement last fall, the Tigers still signed a 24-member class that included players from Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona and Texas.
“Going through it, I thought our coaches did a really good job of finding the kids that we needed in the positions that we needed,” third-year coach Chris Brown said in a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “We needed some help on the O-line, needed some help on the d-line. We signed five O-linemen and four D-tackles, two defensive ends and I think we have some skill guys behind those guys that are very talented as well.”
FHSU signed three players from the Kansas City area, a place from where the Tigers historically have had few athletes. Brown and assistant coach Zach Watkins each used their connections in K.C. Brown and Watkins came from Washburn University, while Watkins also grew up around Kansas City.
"Those three kids that we got out there are very talented kids,” Brown said.
Brown, a Liberal native, has wanted to reassert FHSU football as a recruiting presence in the area. He has raised plenty of goodwill among area coaches and towns and several players – namely guard Matt Erbert (Ellis), kicker Drew O’Brien (Thomas More Prep-Marian) and tight end Zack Gaughan (Hays High School) already have made impacts.
This season, Fort Hays went after La Crosse’s Kip Keeley, Phillipsburg’s Sean Newlan, Hays High’s David Cardinal and Scott City’s Drew Kite. Cardinal signed with Pittsburg State University and Kite decided to play basketball. Keeley and Newlan signed with Kansas State University. Keeley is a walk-on, while Newlan will have a scholarship, but might grayshirt the 2013 season.
“Some kids want to get out and some of them just want to go live that D1 dream, and some guys have other loves than just football, and they chose that direction,” Brown said. “Who knows what might happen with those kids. Maybe here in a couple of years, we get some of those kids back, and they play for us someday.”
Fort Hays wasn’t the only Division II school to lose players to Kansas State. Helped by KSU’s success and coach Bill Snyder, several of the state’s top athletes decided to walk-on at Kansas State instead of playing Division II.
“With Coach Snyder coming back, with him being such a great coach, kids love him to death, and it is just the way he is with kids and his players,” Brown said. “It’s hard to turn down a walk-on offer if you get one.”
Still, Fort Hays signed plenty of talent, including at quarterback. In Brown’s two seasons, three quarterbacks have started at least four games as FHSU went 4-7 in 2011 and 5-6 last fall. None earned all-conference honors. Two of the quarterbacks have graduated.
The third, Tarean Austin, would have been a senior, but Brown confirmed that Austin has left the program.
“We are going to have some competition, some battles and that is a position that we need to get solidified to really make this program go,” Brown said.
Redshirt freshman Aaron Mispagel was the third-string quarterback last year. Redshirt freshman Treveon Albert was the third-stringer in 2011 before he moved into a multi-purpose role last year and finished with 634 total yards, second-most on the team.
Fort Hays signed freshman Abe Clinch from Kearney, Neb. and Dalton Brewer, a freshman from Blue Springs, Mo., near Kansas City.
“I think it’s open for anybody, whoever gets it,” Brown said. “I feel like it’s a spot right now that we need to find a kid that can take it over and run with it, and be a three-, four-year starter for us, and that’s what we are looking for. We might try to go find a junior college kid just to fill in, just in case those kids aren’t quite ready yet, because they understand the game a little bit more, and have some more game experience.”
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Clinch finished with 3,680 passing yards, 32 passing TDs, 844 rushing yards and 17 rushing scores at Kearney Catholic.
“It’s funny,” Brown said. “Sometimes kids who live in a town, they are ready to get out of the town. He was probably one of those kids that was ready to get out and we did a good job recruiting him, Coach (Justin) Iske did, and we brought him down on a visit.”
Brown said many of the transfers could step in immediately, including twin brothers Daniel and Nathan Lindsey, each from Eastern Arizona College by way of Inkster, Mich. Lindsey is a sophomore safety, while Nathan is a junior cornerback. Junior defensive tackles Brandon Walther, from Butler County Community College, and Tomasi Molesi, a transfer from Arizona Western Community College, are among the linemen who could play immediately.
“It’s just a position where they was no depth on either side of the ball and something that we really have to build up and get more depth at,” Brown said.
Below is the full list of today's FHSU signings (as of 3 p.m.) provided by the FHSU Athletic Department.
Tyler Bacon
WR/FS, 6'0 185 Fr.-HS
Quapaw, OK. (Quapaw HS)
Notes: Tyler is a standout player on the football field and the basketball court. In football he recorded 2,072 receiving yards, 21 touchdowns, 220 total tackles, 10 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and 5 fumble recoveries. Bacon's football honors include 2A-8 offensive player of the year, 3 time All-District, and District 2A-8 wide receiver of the year. He has also earned 2 time All-Conference, defensive player of the year, and 2 time Coca-Cola All-Tournament team in basketball.
Dalton Brewer
QB, 6'2” 205 Fr.-HS
Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs South HS)
Notes: Dalton played high school ball at Blue Springs South High School in Missouri for 2 years. The awards he compiled his senior year include the 810 sports scholar athlete of the week, Sonic Locker Room scholar athlete of the week, Examiner star of the day, and 2nd team All-Conference.
Zach Brzon
TE, 6'5” 225 Fr.-HS
Belleville, Kan. (Republic County HS)
Notes: As a 2nd team All-League receiver in 2010 and 2012 at Republic County High School, Zach was invited to the Blue and Grey Football Combine. He is also a state qualifier in track raking 4th in the 200 Meter. Zach's father is an FHSU offensive line alum from 1986-87.
Aaron Charleston
DT, 6'2” 285 Fr.-HS
Aurora, CO, (Overland HS)
Notes: Aaron was a two way starter who earned 2nd team All-Conference honors, and was selected to the All-City team while being a honor roll student.
Abe Clinch
QB, 6'3” 225 Fr.-HS
Kearney, NE. (Kearney Catholic HS)
Notes: In Abe's senior season he passed for 1,677 yards with 16 touchdown and completing 102 out of 171 passes. On the ground, Abe rushed 101 times for 504 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led KCHS to a 10-1 record as a senior and state runner up in 2011. His career stats are an impressive 233 completions with 395 attempts, 3,680 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, 181 rushes for 844 yards and 17 touchdowns. Abe was camp MVP at UNK last summer. Clinch's honors include All-State honorable mention, 2nd team All-Hub region, All-District QB, Academic All-State, Passing leader All-Hub (yards per game, completions, total pass yards), honor roll, honor society, FCA President, and President of S.O.D.A. (Students Opposed to Drugs and Alcohol).
Mason Dickey
OL, 6'4” 285 Fr.-HS
Arp, TX. (Brock Hill HS)
Notes: A multi-year letter winner in football, basketball, and track, Mason had ended his high school senior season with 82 pancakes, 56 tackles, and 4 sacks. Dickey was a 1st team All-State offensive lineman, 2 time 1st team All-District offensive lineman, offensive lineman of the year, and 3 state appearance winning the Texas State Championship his Junior year.
Blaise Fountain
OL, 6'2” 280 Fr.-HS
Maize, KS. (Maize HS)
Notes: Blaise was team captain of the 2012 Maize Eagles. He earned 1st team All-League, All-State honorable mention, and team MVP.
Dakota Gulley
OL, 6'2” 295 Fr.-HS
Golden, CO. (Golden HS)
Notes: Gulley started his High School career as an All-Conference wrestler from his freshman to senior years. In football he earned All-Conference his junior year, and All-State as a senior.
Jalen Hill
S, 6'1” 210 So.-TR
Tampa, Fla. (Victor Valley College)
Notes: Hill had 43 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery last season at Victor Valley College in California. He earned 2nd team all-conference for the Rams. During Jalen's senior year at Hillsborough High in Tampa FL. he registered 76 total tackles on defense, caught seven passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, Hill ran the ball eight times for 21 yards.
Rasheed Hobbs
ILB, 6'1” 205 Fr.-HS
Blue Springs, MO. (Blue Springs HS)
Notes: Hobbs had 94 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Rasheed's impressive senior year earned him All-State honors in Missouri. He was defensive player of the week for 4 weeks in the 2012 season. Hobbs helped his team to a Missouri State Championship while becoming 1st team All-Conference in Suburban Big 6, Kansas City Star All-Metro team, and Examiner All-Area team.
Jacob Holloway
ATH, 6'2” 180 Fr.-HS
Manhattan, KS. (Manhattan HS)
Notes: Jacob recorded nearly 1,000 yards passing, 19 total touchdowns, 1 interception, and 1,030 yards rushing as the Manhattan High quarterbacks. Along with the game winning statistics, Holloway was recently named All-League, All-State, All-Flint Hills, student of the month, K-Man student of the week, and Junior athlete of the week. He has also lettered in Track and basketball.