Two Madison High School football standouts will play football next season for Emporia State.
Madison seniors Kole Schankie and Collin Kile have verbally committed to the Hornets and plan to officially sign in February. The duo helped lead Madison to back-to-back undefeated championship seasons in 8-Man Division I football.
“It feels good to stay with the black and gold,” Schankie said.
Schankie, The Gazette All-Area Player of the Year, played all over the field for the Bulldogs. In his high school career, he ran for 5,152 yards on 485 attempts. That works out to an average of 10.6 yards a carry. He scored 122 touchdowns and only turned the ball over once.
He also caught 29 passes for 525 yards. Defensively, he intercepted the ball 18 times and recovered seven fumbles.
Madison coach Fred McClain said he’s capable of playing outside linebacker, safety or wide receiver in college. Schankie said his first choice is wide receiver.
“They were looking at me as an outside linebacker, but I told them I want to try wide receiver,” he said. “They said they are willing to give it a shot.”
Schankie said he picked ESU because it’s close to home and he liked the coaching staff.
“It feels like I’ve known them for years even though I’ve only known them for a month,” he said.
Schankie also is excited to continue to play with Kile.
“We’ve been throwing the football around since we were little,” Schankie said. “With him playing quarterback and me at wide receiver, we already have a natural bond.”
Kile went 31-1 as a starter for Madison. He completed 163 of 252 passes for 2,634 yards. He’s thrown 42 touchdown passes and four interceptions. He’s also rushed for 847 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was a Gazette All-Area and All-Lyon County League selection.
Together, Kile and Schankie have found the end zone a whopping 184 times accounting for 1,104 points.
Kile said beyond the short trip from Madison to Emporia, he found the coaching staff really down to earth. He said the Hornets recruited him as a quarterback.
“I know I need to get bigger and stronger, but I feel I’m capable of playing quarterback in college,” he said.
McClain said the Hornets are getting two good athletes.
“It will be interesting to see them mature and grow with the program at Emporia State,” McClain said.