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Hickel seeing more and more time at linebacker
10/9/2009
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
From 2004-07, Claflin native Layton Hickel always traveled to Lewis Field Stadium on Saturdays to watch his brother, Jordan, run the football for Fort Hays State University. During a four-year career, Jordan picked up 10 100-yard rushing games and ranks third on the all-time school list with 3,217 rushing yards.
In 2008, Layton, an all-state player for Claflin, joined the Tigers. After a redshirt season last fall, Layton stepped in early at special teams. In the last month, though, Hickel has emerged as a starting linebacker and picked up a team-high 12 tackles against No. 17 Washburn University last Saturday.
"First time you walk out here, it's kind of unreal," he said. "First game was the biggest one for me. My heart was pounding. You used to be the guy in the stands, looking at the guys down there, wanting to be those guys. You finally get your chance."
Hickel, one of two linebackers in defensive coordinator's Kyle Nystrom's 4-2-5 scheme and one of two freshman that see significant action defensively, has seen his playing time increase throughout the fall and now has 33 tackles, fifth-most on the team.
"He is getting better. He is a young player still and made his first start a week or so ago and he is going to continue to improve as all of the young guys are the more they get to play," head coach Kevin Verdugo said.
The Tigers, off to their best start in nine years at 4-2, 2-2 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, travel to No. 16 University of Central Missouri (5-1, 3-1) for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday.
"I always expect to compete," he said. " That is something I expect out of myself every year. it's something that you don't go out there and dream of playing right away like I have been, but you always know that your time is going to come and when your time comes, make the best of it."
After his college career finished, Jordan took over a farm near Great Bend. The brothers still talk everyday. Jordan would like Layton to help him after his younger brother's career finishes.
"We got the same kind of personality type. We are both competitive, real competitive," he said. " I think I got a lot of my competitiveness from him."
Former defensive coordinator Shawn Mennenga recruited Hickel out of Claflin, a longtime state power. Hickel, who called Fort Hays "something special," knew he would redshirt last season to gain weight and learn.
"You need at least a year to pick up the speed of college football and it has helped me tremendously," he said.
Hickel understood the faster pace when he watched film of opposing teams. He called his first game "nerve-wracking" but adjusted to the bigger, faster collegiate players. In addition, Hickel has quickly picked up coverages, blocking schemes and offensive alignments, an important step.
"A lot of guys understand it in meeting rooms, but what it boils down to is how fast they can process the information on game day in a short amount of time," Verdugo said.
After some early injuries to teammates, Hickel started to see more time in Week 3 against Missouri Western State University.
"We are a big gap team on run, so I just try to maintain my gap and try not to get burnt deep on the pass," he said.
After he had five tackles in the first two weeks, Hickel collected six against Missouri Western. Since then, he has had three, seven and 12 tackle games.
"I felt like I have kind of stepped up a little bit," he said.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| TS | 04/06 | Emporia State | L 8-1 |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 10-2 (5 inn.) |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 13-3 (5 inn.) |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| TS | 03/23 | Kansas Wesleyan | L 6-3 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 20-8 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 6-5 |
| SB | 03/19 | Nebraska-Omaha | L 4-2 |
| SB | 03/19 | Truman State | W 4-1 |
| SB | 03/18 | Mo. Western | L 6-2 |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |