Iola High School’s Tyler Boeken is the Iola Register defensive player of the year. Boeken was a star for IHS with 102 tackles. Boeken also made 8.5 tackles for loss.
“I had a slow start to the season, but picked it up toward the end,” Boeken said. “My defensive line got better later in the year. They were smaller compared to last year but stepped up a lot.”
“Tyler did a great job for us,” said IHS head coach David Daugharthy. “Tyler was a great young man to have in the blue and gold. He consistently did a good job of working downhill, making plays, being physical, and being relentless.”
Boeken’s 102 tackles were the most in the area. Boeken likes to spread the credit around.
“My defensive line gives me a great push,” Boeken remarked. “They keep the trash out of the way so I can get in the backfield and make tackles.”
Boeken plays offense also, starting as a guard on the offensive line.
“Playing both sides of the ball can be tiring at times,” Boeken said. “It’s fun though. You don’t ever want to come off the field because then you feel like you are losing snaps.”
Boeken was the only area player to have more than 100 tackles this season. He takes equal pride in taking care of IHS quarterback Landon Weide.
“That’s the best part, “ Boeken said. “You go out and try to keep your quarterback’s jersey clean. You never want to get him dirty but then you get to go out there and do the opposite thing to someone else’s quarterback — you get to light them up the entire game.”
Boeken’s four years and his development at IHS taught him a valuable lesson.
“I learned that nothing comes easy,” Boeken said. “My high school career was a battle from start to finish. It gets easier as you get older and go into your junior and senior year as you get bigger. Freshman and sophomore year, you are kinda small. It’s all about staying in the weight room and doing what the coaches tell you to do. It will help you out a lot.”
IHS missed the playoffs after losing to Prairie View, Girard, and Burlington down the stretch. Even with the losses, Boeken appreciated every moment
“That stretch was a lot of fun,” Boeken said. “That was right in line with our season. If we won those games, it determined if we could go to the playoffs or not. Our practices were fun those weeks and probably the most intense practices we had all year. It was really disappointing to lose and miss out on the playoffs.”
The camaraderie between the seniors at IHS formed, in some cases nine years ago. Many of the seniors Boeken is graduating with are guys he has played with for almost all his life.
“A lot of us have played together since third grade,” Boeken said. “We played youth tackle football together. It’s a lot of fun to play with your friends growing up. You are with your buddies the whole time so you know you can count on them and they can count on you. They always have your back. It’s not like you are learning to play with new kids. You have been playing with these kids the whole time.”
