BANGS, Texas — Dave Campbell’s Texas Football named its quarterback of the year candidates with three of those nominees living right here in West Texas. One of those nominees was Bangs quarterback Kenny Cole.
Cole, a junior, rushed for over a thousand yards this season and threw for another two. Despite he and his teammates finishing with two wins on the year, Cole was elated to find out he made the nominees for the award.
"It surprised me but I think I developed a lot as a player this year. (It feels) really good to know people think that about me. Even (with) how the season went, they still think highly of us. It feels good," Cole said.
Naturally, Cole is not one to give himself praise. While he recognizes and respects this nomination, he was quick to point out that his teammates as well as himself will use this as motivation to improve, not just individually, but as a unit.
"I think this is just motivation for next season. This will help push me next season, and my teammates and I will look at this as something to push us going forward," Cole said.
He takes a lot of his game from those at the pro level like Patrick Mahomes, which was evident from watching him on the field. Off the field, he is a quiet young man and according to head coach Jason Cole, he could not be more of a team player.
"That has always been his personality, He has never really wanted to seek praise or seek attention. That is one of our favorite qualities about him is, how humble he is. Around his teammates, he laughs and jokes, but he is a leader and can reach all of his peers," Cole said.
The individual success of Kenny Cole is just the first step in turning the Bangs football program around. With a 2-8 record in 2023, Coach Cole believes the key to success going forward is working to see how his team can continue to develop along with his star signal caller.
"Kenny represents our team in general, we have a group of rough, hard-working kids. This nomination could make a difference for next year. We are hoping to flip the record and get this thing turned around quickly," Cole said.
To cast your vote for Kenny Cole or the other "Quarterback of the Year" candidates, you can click here.