Kauth, Whitworth sign to play college football

Two Iola High standouts on the football field will continue their playing days at the next level.
Seniors Adam Kauth and John Whitworth were honored at a ceremony Tuesday to recognize their signing letters of intent to play college football.
Kauth will attend Bethel College in Newton. Whitworth is headed to Hutchinson Community College.
Both noted their respective choices reflect similarities between their college choices and their tenures at IHS.
“There was a time when Hutchinson was down, but the coaching staff turned it around there,” Whitworth said. “They’ve really built up a nice program.”
Kauth noted Bethel’s coaching staff also is in the early stages of a rebuild there. First-year head coach Marty Mathis guided the Threshers to a 2-9 season in 2013 after winning an NAIA national championship at Marian University in his first stop.
“I really want to be a part of that,” Kauth said.

WHITWORTH rushed for 656 yards and five touchdowns for Iola during the 2013 season, despite battling injuries down the stretch. He racked up 202 yards with two scores in a key road win over Prairie View. He rushed for 959 yards as a junior with eight touchdowns. He averaged more than seven yards per rushing attempt both seasons.
While he also lined up in Iola’s defensive backfield, he will play running back for the Blue Dragons.
“Once they started contacting me, I knew this was a school I wanted to attend,” he said. “They’ve got a great program in place.”
Whitworth carries a 3.3 grade-point average through high school. He plans to study sports medicine or sports training.
Off the football field, Whitworth earned a berth at the Class 4A State Wrestling Tournament as a 160-pound wrestler.
He lives with Iolans Steve and Mandy Zimmerman and their family.

KAUTH, meanwhile, spearheaded the Mustang air attack.
As a senior, Kauth had 132 yards on 10 receptions — two for touchdowns — and another 109 yards on the ground. He had 360 receiving yards on 21 receptions as a junior, with two touchdowns.
He cited Bethel’s coaching staff, its players and the school’s academic programs as the three primary reasons behind his decision.
He also was considering McPherson and Tabor before deciding on Bethel.
“Bethel has a lot of the academic programs in place I was looking for,” said Kauth, who plans to study business administration and computer science.
On the field, he will line up as a slot receiver.
“They plan to run a lot of spread offense this year,” he said. “It should be a good fit.”
In addition to being a National Honor Society student, Kauth has been a standout athlete in basketball and track and field.
He also plans to run track at Bethel.
He is the son of Iolans Mark and Diane Kauth.

IOLA HEAD football coach Doug Kerr said the duo could influence younger players looking to excel on and off the field.
“There are three points to rebuilding a program,” Kerr said. “One, you need good equipment and facilities. Two, you need the X’s and the O’s, and third you need players who can thrive in the system to serve as an example for the younger players. It’s always great to celebrate these kids’ accomplishments.”