Matt Kish is an Academic All-American and Team Leader

BEREA, OHIO -- One thing has always come easy for offensive guard Matt Kish, and it was not always football.

Kish, a senior secondary education / history major, has always been among the top students in his graduating class. Even back when Matt was in nearby Midpark High School in Middleburg Heights, he finished high school as a member of the National Honor Society and was academically ranked third in his class.

While most college students dream of getting grades like Matt, he doesn’t feel any extra pressures this year in the classroom. " I am very happy to receive this award but there is no added pressure for me," said Kish. " I am just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing and hopefully good things will continue to happen both in the classroom and on the football field."

B-W will seek it’s 36th straight winning season in 2002 and Matt will be relied upon heavily by the coaches and his teammates. He was elected as a team captain this year and is excited to lead the team in the fall. " To be team captain means a lot to me because my teammates voted on it," Kish said. " I am extremely honored and will look to lead the team on the field and set good examples in the classroom. My teammates have high expectations for me and I hope to live up to both the honor and the expectation."

First-year Head Coach John Snell is confident that Matt can lead B-W to even greater things.

"To have a good football program, you have to have good leaders like Matt Kish leading the way," said Snell. "Matt is an exemplary young man in all facets. He is a strong student in the classroom. That is why he earned Academic All-American honors. He is a leader both in the weightroom during the offseason and that is why he is a captain. He is a leader on the football field during practice every single day and that is why his teammates respect him the way they do. We are very lucky to have Matt Kish at Baldwin-Wallace College."

Matt also had a strong impact on the field last season. His solid blocking ability opened holes for upcoming senior running back Kyle Obendorf (Wadsworth) and gave strong pass protection to junior quarterback Dan Larlham (Brimfield). While Kish did the little things that went unnoticed, Obendorf carried the ball 151 times for 661 and scored four touchdowns, and Larlham threw for 1,773 yards and 16 TDs as B-W outscored its opponents 286-198 enroute to its 35th consecutive winning season.

Although Matt is now one of the top offensive lineman in the OAC, he had to work hard to get there. He spent a majority of his playing time on the junior varsity level his first two years and then decided he had to improve physically if he wanted to make a difference on the team.

" The most important thing I did was gain weight," Kish said. " I just working harder in the weight room and adjusted myself to the quickness of the varsity level."

Coach Snell could also see Matt’s hard work begin to pay off.

"Matt worked extremely hard in the weight room to improve physically," Snell said. "His work ethic in the weight room and classroom is why he is going to be an outstanding leader. He has set an example for other players in our program to emulate, and that is also beginning to pay dividends. He is a role model that other players respond to in a positive way."

With the retirement of Yellow Jacket coaching legend Bob Packard, Kish said the team will adapt just fine to its new coach.

"Coach Snell had a part in recruiting all of us, so we are used to his coaching style and know what to expect," Kish said. " We will not set the bar any lower for him. As a team, we all have the same goals."

What Matt Kish and the rest of the team want is an OAC title.