By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Ryle graduate Jake Chisholm provided 204.3 all-purpose yards per game for the University of Dayton football team last season. It was the highest average in all four divisions of NCAA football, including the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) that his team competes in.
Unfortunately, fans won’t get a chance to see Chisholm return to action this fall. Dayton is a member of the Pioneer Football League that cancelled the 2020 season Friday due to the health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Jake Chisholm
“I could see it coming, especially with a lot of the other FCS conferences cancelling,” Chisholm said. “Our athletic director and our whole coaching staff actually did a good job of being candid with us about the decisions they were going to have to make and the direction it was heading. So I don’t think anybody on the team was surprised by the move.”
It was still disappointing for Chisholm, who racked up 1,129 yards rushing, 230 yards receiving and 684 yards in kickoff returns for a combined total of 2,043 all-purpose yards in 10 games to finish on top in the FCS national statistics.
That’s why the 5-foot-9, 182-pound running back was named to the Pioneer Football League’s preseason all-star team along with Dayton linebacker Grant Dyer, a Covington Catholic graduate who made 67 tackles for the 8-3 Flyers last season.
“We had a great team and a superstar lineup, and I was glad to be a part of that,” Chisholm said. “I thought I had a very productive year and showed what I can do. I was really looking forward to my junior year. I was excited for it.”
Two other local players were listed among the top returning starters in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) that also announced over the weekend that football would not be played this fall.
Covington Catholic graduate Kameron Butler was selected to the MAC preseason all-conference team as a defensive lineman after getting 45 tackles and 5.5 sacks on Miami’s 2019 conference championship team.
Dante Hendrix
One of the top returning pass receivers in the MVC is Ryle graduate Dante Hendrix. He caught 51 passes for 653 yards and two touchdowns for the Indiana State University team that finished 5-7 last season.
The MVC actually voted to postpone conference football games and allow members up to three non-conference games in the fall. The conference also left open the possibility of a spring season.
Earlier this week, however, Indiana State had six football players test positive for the COVID-19 virus and suspended practice and conditioning for 14 days. That could be what led university officials to completely cancel the upcoming football season.
“This is a decision we had to make, especially after hearing from our student-athletes,” said Indiana State president Deborah J. Curtis. “We had two non-conference games that would have been beneficial financially. But now and always, our primary concern is the health and safety of the student-athletes.”
The MAC was the first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference to announce it was postponing its fall season and possibly play games in the spring if there’s a steady decline in COVID-19 cases.
“It is our responsibility to give our student-athletes an experience that allows them to participate at the highest level in the safest manner possible,” said Miami University athletic director David Sayler. “After consulting with our medical advisory panel, we felt there were just too many unknowns surrounding the pandemic for us to proceed with the fall season.”
Terry,
I’m very happy that you are covering NKY HS sports again. You’re always positive with the kids and coaches and they trust you for that. You were always fair with me and unlike a couple guys, who shall remain nameless, you never tried to stir up any controversy. It was always in the positive. Again, glad you’re back.