After missing a good part of the 2024 season with a knee injury, sophomore Kason Watts is excited to be back on the gridiron this year. “It really sucked not getting to play half the season last year, but I’ve come back bigger and stronger this year,” said Watts. “I like the physicality of football and being part of a community. I’ve played on both sides of the ball, but I prefer playing defense more because I can be more aggressive.” Coach David Hogan, in his second year at the helm for the Bulldogs, says the time off last year was beneficial for Watts to a certain degree.
“While he couldn’t play, he really hit the weights as much as he could and became a state qualifier in power lifting which helped him get bigger and stronger. He played defense sporadically last year but this year he’s our go-to guy at defensive tackle and helps shore up the left side of our line. He checks all the boxes as a person and is a good teammate.”
On his powerlifting skills, Watts said proudly “I got first place in my very first meet and went on to qualify for state. At regionals I had a combined lift of 1135 pounds,” said Watts who placed at several meets as a shot and discus thrower in the eighth grade. He also played baseball in the past and says he might give that a shot again this year.
A football highlight for the big lineman came last year against Wilburton when he was playing offense according to coach Hogan. “We ran the ball all night and Kason and the other guys opened up a lot of holes and we had about 500 yards rushing that game,” said the head coach. Watts says he’s not big on stats but wants to exceed what he did last year in tackles and help get the Bulldogs into the playoffs.
