ROELAND PARK, Kan. — The KSHB 41 Sports team wants to hear from you. Send Mick your story idea.
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Landon Cole didn't get to watch himself play on television Sunday night, but he was at the Chiefs vs. Colts game when his phone started blowing up.
The Bishop Miege quarterback had just turned in a performance worthy of the spotlight, throwing four touchdown passes and running for another in the Stags' victory over Blue Valley on Friday.
Sunday Night Football covers a local high school game in every city the broadcast crew visits, and the crew was there for Cole's performance.
“The Colts came back out after the Chiefs' touchdown drive in the third quarter,” Cole said. “And my phone started blowing up.”
Cole has become accustomed to attention on the football field, even if he's often one of the smallest players on it.
“I’m 5'8" and play quarterback,” Cole said. “That’s what you get.”
Rather than letting his size be a limitation, Cole has used it as motivation.
“You walk out every game, you hear people calling you short, and you just go out and play ball, and you see if they’re calling you short after the game,” he said.
So far, the answer has been no.
Cole and the Stags have opened the season 3-0, building on the experience of a team that returned all 11 offensive starters from last season.
“The experience has shown every game,” Cole said. “We come out, we’re confident this year.”
Bishop Miege coach Jon Holmes said Cole's production comes as no surprise.
“He's been a kid that's been the best at their level every single year he's been here,” Holmes said. “Even in grade school. We knew when he was at St. Agnes in fifth grade what he was going to bring to this program.”
The experience extends beyond Cole. Holmes said the Stags have shown a level of comfort under the Friday night lights that comes from playing together.
“Even how we warm up on a Friday night’s different,” Holmes said. “Those kids understand it. The lights aren't too bright for them on Friday nights, and they've shown that these first three weeks.”
Cole's latest performance earned him KSHB 41 and Hy-Vee's Athlete of the Week honors.
And this time, he was there to hear his name called.
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