by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Woodside Lineman Kyle Westfall (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Woodside lineman Kyle Westfall grew to become behemoth on the offensive line for the Wolverines. His 6-4 300 plus pound frame made it much easier for Donnell Lewis and friends to operate the Wing-T. Now Westfall is moving on to the college level, where he’ll continue playing with a Wolverine teammate in a new Division II program.
Alderson-Broaddus University in Phillippi, West Virginia has been scooping up 757 talent left and right. The Battlers play their first game in the fall of 2012 and will do so with a roster filled with talented local freshman. For Westfall, the campus will feel much more like home as he’s playing beside fellow teammate Andy Ruckman.
“I have played with Andy Ruckman since eighth grade on JV and we both started varsity in the tenth grade,” Westfall said. “We are very good friends and much like brothers.”
Westfall’s commitment broke a little later than Ruckman’s, though both ended up with the same conclusion. Kyle considered Virginia State and Alderson-Broaddus, eventually deciding to head out of state for school.
“I truly enjoyed my visit at Alderson-Broaddus. It is a very nice campus,” commented Westfall. “The coaches seemed promising with the speech that they gave to our parents and us as student athletes. I am looking forward to furthering my education as well as playing football.”
The unique nature of a Division II launch allows incoming freshmen the opportunity to play five seasons of football in five years. They’ll play their games on the road next fall, then open a new stadium in 2013. The program is one of a few Division II programs sponsored by Nike. The success of Old Dominion’s launch has made it very easy for the coaches at A-B to get recruits excited about the launch of the Battler football program.
“This will be the first year of football for A-B and I am looking forward to being part of their team,” the lineman said. “This will be a five year program for most of us starting. Alderson-Broaddus gave me a bundle package to attend their college. Now I have that past me I am going to focus on baseball.”
Westfall is an intimidating pitcher for the Wolverines. The opposition in the PD gets one more season to challenge Kyle before he moves on to play football full time in college.
- Andy Hilton
