Player Profile: Davis Gardner – Kane

D9Sports.com and EYT Media are doing a series of player profiles on returning high-school athletes this summer. The year in school listed by the athlete is the year the athlete is entering this fall.

DAVIS GARDNER – Senior – Kane

Son of: Melissa and Troy Gardner

Sports Played: Football and Basketball

2015-16 Highlights:

Post High School Goals: Davis plans on attending college next year and hopes to play football. He has talked to a few small-college coaches but is nowhere near ready to make a decision on where he will go.

Q&A With David GardnerA starting wide receiver for the District 9 Class A champion Wolves, an injury forced Gardner out of the lineup for nearly half the season, although he did play in the postseason. He caught three passes for 25 yards and also had 13 tackles and a fumble recovery on defense. He also played a key role on Kane’s District 9 Class AA basketball title team averaging 7.3 points per game, third on the team. He scored seven crucial points during Kane’s District 9 title win over Brockway.

D9Sports: Do you have a favorite sport, and if so why?
DG: Football. There’s no competition like football, physically and mentally, and when I had my knee surgery and had to miss more than half the season, it made me love the sport even more.

D9: What is your best high-school related sports memory and why?
DG: It would have to be scoring in the D9 (football) championship game my sophomore year and having a few other big catches in that game as well.

D9: Has there been a coach and/or teacher who has influenced you the most in your high-school career to this point, and if so, why?
DG: Coach (Todd) Silfies (the head football coach) has influenced me more than anyone. No matter what, he’s stuck beside me and pushed me through it all. Someday, I hope to be as great of a person and coach as he is.

D9: What do you like best about playing sports in high school?
DG: I like the connection between all your teammates and the brotherhood you create through high school sports.

D9: What is the hardest part about playing sports in high school?
DG: It’s finding the time to have the dedication in the offseason. If you want to play high school sports, you have to put some time in the offseason.

D9: How much offseason work do you put into your sports?
DG: A large majority of my summer is dedicated completely to sports. I attend multiple camps and go to all sorts of things at my school with both my basketball and football teams.

D9: What is your favorite subject in school?
DG: History

D9: What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t playing sports?
DG: I like to go hangout at the Kinzua Dam, go fishing and play golf.

D9: What are your goals for the upcoming school year both sports wise and academically?
DG :My goals for my senior year academically are finishing with all A’s and getting accepted into the college of my choice. My goals for my senior year of sports are to repeat what we did last year but keep on going after that and keep winning.