Published: October 01, 2008 01:18 am         

A man among boys

6-foot-6, 295-pound O’Brien dominates in trenches for Kings

In football, whoever wins the battle at the line of scrimmage often wins the game.

That’s good news for Cass because the Kings have a 6-6, 295-pound Division-I prospect anchoring their offensive and defensive lines in Kitt O’Brien, who can simply overpower his opponents at the high school level.

From his defensive tackle position, O’Brien is fourth on the team in tackles (28), second in tackles for a loss (seven) and sacks (two) and also has a forced fumble. O’Brien plays guard on offense, and he’ll likely play on the offensive line in college. He’s being recruited by Purdue, Ball State and Miami of Ohio.

O’Brien said he’s “not really” surprised by the Kings’ success this season despite key losses to graduation. The Kings, currently ranked No. 5 in Class 2A, have been dominant for the most part in their 5-1 start.

“As coach [Scott Mannering] says, we don’t rebuild, we reload,” O’Brien said. “We’re building up the junior class for next year, and they should be as good as us.

“We should be undefeated. We lost a close game against West Lafayette. We should go pretty deep into the tournament.”

O’Brien has been part of two semi-state football teams at Cass, and he said the goal this season is to get over the hump and win the first football state championship in school history.

As for his future, O’Brien plans to major in an ag field in college while continuing to improve his skills on the football field. He’d like to one day play football professionally.

“That’s my goal,” he said.

As a 6-foot-6, 295-pound senior in high school, he certainly has a better chance than most.

Q. Of the sports that you play, which is your favorite? Why?

A. Football — I was born pretty large, and the fact that my uncle Kelly played Division I football helped football stand out in my mind as my favorite sport.

Q. Do you have any family members that played sports?

A. My whole family has always been involved in sports. My grandpa and uncle Jon [Kitchel] played basketball at Purdue, and my uncle Kelly [Kitchel] played football there. My brother Kyle is currently playing football at Franklin College. My cousin Ted Kitchel played basketball for IU, and my cousin Tom Kitchel played baseball at Purdue. So I’ve been involved in sports since I was born. I started playing organized football when I was 6 though in the PAL flag football league.

Q. Have you ever played a sport that you were not successful at?

A. Yeah. I played baseball for many years. I enjoyed playing the sport, but the sport didn’t love me back. I always wanted to give it another try though.

Q. How do you feel you’ve improved as an athlete since you first started playing?

A. I found the weight room when I was in the fifth grade and it has been a big part of my life since then. But I have gotten a lot stronger and quicker and have more football smarts as I’ve grown in the sport.

Q. What kind of person would your teammates say you are?

A. A very committed player.

Q. Who do you try to emulate in your life? Why?

A. I try to emulate my uncle Kelly for various reasons. But he taught me everything I know about football.

Q. What experiences have you had in sports that have made you the athlete you are today?

A. My freshman year I dressed varsity for the greatest team in Lewis Cass football history. My brother was one of the starting defensive ends, and I remember our loss in the semi-state vividly to Jimtown. That loss has impacted every day of my life to work harder so I can get over the hump my senior year and give coach Mannering his first state championship.

Q. What is something that not everyone knows about you.

A. That I was born in Denver, Colo., and also that my dad is only 5-foot-7.

Q. What is your favorite memory of playing sports at your school?

A. It would have to be on the two football teams that I played on that reached semi-state. There were a lot of great memories those two seasons.

Q. What are your goals for your future? Do you plan to go to college?

A. I plan on playing football in college. I’m not sure yet, but right now it’s between Purdue, Ball State and Miami (Ohio).

Next week: Read about the accomplishments of an outstanding Logansport athlete.