NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Ashton Kahle sat in the bleachers at E.J. Mansell Stadium in DuBois last November, powerless to help his Redbank Valley friends and teammates.
The Bulldog football team lost that day to Brockway in the District 9 Class A playoffs, 7-3. Kahle, a wide receiver and defensive back, was a reluctant spectator, sidelined for the final four games because of disciplinary reasons.
“It really just kind of broke me at the time,” Kahle said. “I felt so bad. I didn’t want to go to the game to start with because of initial reaction of embarrassment, but I ended up deciding that day to go because what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t have my friend’s backs?
“I definitely made a bad mistake last year and cost me big time,” Kahle added. “To become a leader this year and to come back and just put that in the past and step forward and have such an impact feels amazing.”
Kahle has matured both as a player and a person.
(Pictured above, Ashton Kahle celebrates in the end zone against Brockway last week/photo by Ripple Photography)
He’s showing that this season.
Kahle has been a difference maker on both sides of the ball.
As a receiver, Kahle has used his blazing speed to catch 37 passes for 701 yards and nine touchdowns.
On defense, in a hybrid safety/linebacker spot, Kahle has a team-leading seven interceptions.
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“The game was taken from him last year,” said Redbank Valley coach Blane Gold. “Whether it is taken from you by injury or whether you get the game taken from you for other reasons, that really makes you appreciate the game. That’s motivated Ashton to realize every snap is special, and he’s obviously come back, not only on the field but off the field, and has been awesome in everything that he’s done. He’s a great teammate. He makes us laugh every day.”
Trying to contain Kahle has been no laughing matter for opponents.
Kahle has found a new gear this season in Redbank Valley’s potent offense that also features receivers Mason Clouse, Ashton Kahle, Rylan Rupp and Jaxon Huffman.
Every time he touches the ball — no matter where on the field — he is a threat to score.
It’s been an embarrassment of riches for sophomore quarterback Braylon Wagner, who has set the single-season school record for touchdown passes this season with 38 in nine games for undefeated Redbank, which faces a big test this week at home in fellow undefeated Central Clarion.
“We’re all not the same type of receiver,” Kahle said. “Mason is an excellent route runner. Ashton George has amazing ball skills. Then we have Jaxon and Rylan, who rotate at the other slot, and they’re our get-open guys. Of course, I’m the speed guy. Braylon really doesn’t have to feel like he has one or two targets on the field. He pretty much knows he has five targets that he can hit at any time.”
Kahle said the groundwork for his success came early in his high school career behind guys like Chris Marshall, Marquese Gardlock, Trenton Rupp and Dalton Bish.
He would square off against them each day on defense.
“I was always going up against the best of the best,” Kahle said. “Guarding such skilled players is what has really helped me excel at safety and having a sense for the ball. I feel like I’m pretty smart out there, too.”
Those smarts haven’t come by accident.
Kahle is a film junkie, he said.
“There’s a lot of mental work that comes down to preparation,” Kahle said. “I kind of know what I’m doing at all times.”
Kahle has also had to play some linebacker this season.
It’s a move he gladly accepted.
“If you’re gonna split guys between those two positions, you have to have unselfish players,” Gold said. “When it comes to accolades, typically those guys don’t have enough interceptions and don’t have enough tackles to be recognized. We talked to him at the beginning of the year because of our abundance of defensive backs and our shortage of linebackers and he was all for it. He’s really excelling in both areas.”
Ultimately, Kahle just wants to win.
He thinks this team can be a very special one — perhaps even better than the one that reached the PIAA Class A title game two years ago.
“In my honest opinion, I do think this team is better than that year,” Kahle said. “I feel like this team, we’re a little bit closer than that team was two years ago. This team, we’ve all grown up together and played together and we’ve all become way closer with each other. I think the fact we’re all friends and that chemistry is there give us an edge.”
Kahle is also playing these days with a heavy heart.
His grandmother recently died and he’s dedicating the remainder of the season to her.
“She has always been a big role model in my life,” Kahle said. “She just meant everything to everyone. Everyone wanted to be around her. She was the most real person in the room. She definitely meant a lot to me and it hurt. She’ll be out there with me.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
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