The Lions’ multi-position junior scored two touchdowns last Friday and earned this week’s KCEN Player of the Week title.
TEMPLE, Texas — When you see playmakers on the field, you almost always see them making big catches or big tackles, but in the case of Central Texas Christian junior Ike Klimchuk. He can be seen playing on all sides of the ball.
“He’s a great kid,” head coach Leaf Johnston said. “He’s a great student. You’ll probably see him playing sometime Saturday.”
Klimchuk is a three-sport athlete who plays baseball and hockey in addition to soccer. On the field, he plays tight end, middle linebacker, safety, and is also a punter. In addition to his various positions, he is also the captain of the football team.
“He’s very versatile in what he can do,” Johnston continued. “He’s our middle linebacker, he’s our quarterback on that side of the ball. He makes a lot of plays, lines us up, plays tight end on offense, flexes as a receiver. So… There are three positions right there. We know he can make big plays whenever he gets the chance, so we can get the ball to him in different ways.”
Last Friday, Klimchuk helped the Lions to a 35-0 shutout victory over Conroe, scoring two touchdowns in that game. There were many big tackles, including lost tackles. He has been the Lions’ leading tackler this season, with over 100 tackles on the season.
“At smaller schools, we call it gridiron football,” Johnston said. “You play both ways and then he turns on and he becomes a punter. I mean, he plays all three sides of the game and does all of them really well, but this He has the potential to not only succeed here, but to succeed at the next level. ”
Last Friday’s win was big for the Lions, who lost their season opener 29-12 to Brazos Christian a week ago. Central Texas Christian knew he needed to come into the game against Conroe with a clean slate.
“All of our coaches feel like this team is a team of destiny, that we have a legitimate chance to make a deep run and play for a state championship and win state. ‘They believe in a championship, and a big part of that is the mental element of believing you can do it,” Johnston told 6 News.
“We realized this is a pretty special year,” Klimchuk said. “I just think every game is more important because we have a great team. So we’re just ready and we’re going to keep going.”
The Lions will face Hallettsville Sacred Heart on Friday night with a first-round bye in the playoffs at stake. The Lions have never beaten Hallettsville in their history. KCEN will broadcast highlights of that game on Friday Night Lights.
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