KC's Powers packs punch in small frame
KARNS CITY — Good things come in small packages. So can explosive football players.
Kaiden Powers was an example of both for Karns City this season.
The Gremlins' 5-foot-5, 143-pound senior wingback wound up scoring 132 points in the regular season, sharing the Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy with Mars running back Isaiah Johnson.
“I never thought I'd be standing here holding this thing,” Powers said of the trophy. “No chance.”
Incurring a knee injury while playing soccer, Powers missed all of his sophomore football season. While the injury required surgery, Powers had no doubt he would come back.
“I just wasn't sure how good I was gonna be,” he admitted.
He produced modest numbers his junior season — 338 yards rushing, 25 receiving, five total touchdowns. He did notch 62 points — including a 42-yard field goal — as the Gremlins' kicker.
Then came this year.
“We wanted to get the ball in his hands a lot more,” Karns City coach Ed Conto said. “Kaiden is athletic. He's got speed and he can break tackles.
“Simply put, the kid can make things happen.”
He made them happen in a variety of ways this fall.
Powers rushed for 693 yards and nine touchdowns — averaging more than 10 yards per carry. He caught 16 passes for 315 yards and five TDs. He scored twice on special teams.
As the Gremlins' kicker, he booted six field goals and 54 PATs for another 72 points. He becomes the most versatile scorer ever to win the Eagle Trophy.
Including the playoffs, Powers tallied 168 points in 2016. He becomes the sixth Karns City player to win the trophy and the first since Josh Fiscus in 2004. Rick Belles, Jeremy Scherer, Billy Graham and Matt Carnahan won it previously.
“I've heard of a lot of those names. It's nice to be joining that list,” Powers said.
“It's hard for a player from our program to win that trophy because we spread the ball around so much,” Conto admitted. “Kaiden certainly earned it.”
Following his knee injury, Powers gave up soccer. He said he was going to do so anyway to concentrate on high school football.
He was a guard and linebacker in junior high before switching to wingback and cornerback in high school. Powers was one of the Gremlins' hardest hitters on defense as well.
“Kaiden is one of those guys who proves you don't have to be a big kid to play football,” Conto said. “Kids who say they're too small to play the game ... It's just an excuse.
“Kaiden Powers loves the game. He made himself into a player. He did so many things for us in so many areas.
“He's one of those stories I'll tell to future teams during camp, about what determination and effort can do,” the coach added.
Powers plans to continue his academic and football career at Clarion University.
“I'm looking forward to it,” he said. “I know I'm not done yet.”