Marion's Alex Kirkendoll Wants A State Title For Warriors

Junior Linebacker Much More Than Just A Good Football Player

  • Monday, August 17, 2015
  • John Hunt

JASPER, Tenn. – Alex Kirkendoll is a true gentleman and a scholar.  He’s the kind of young man you hope your daughter brings home from college one day and a very pleasant fellow to be around.

He’s also a pretty good football player for the Marion County Warriors.

He knows that his football career will end at some point, so he's already making plans to be a sports medicine doctor.

There were a lot of question marks for the Warriors at the start of last season.

The team was limited by TSSAA sanctions that were handed down as a result of stuff that happened in previous seasons.

Ricky Ross was the new man in town as the head coach and he admitted from the start that his team had some major obstacles to overcome.

But it turned out to be a storybook season. 

The Warriors lost to Central in the fourth game of the year before winning their last nine games, losing to Peabody in the Class AA state championship.

Kirkendoll was an integral part of that team as he recorded 112 tackles, including almost two dozen stops for lost yardage.  He also scored one defensive touchdown from his linebacker position and he recorded three sacks.

For all of his hard work, the slender 6-2, 190-pound son of Lisa and Mike Kirkendoll was rewarded with All-State honors and was later named the District Defensive Player of the Year.

Last year, the rising junior was the team’s second-leading tackler behind All-State and All-Everything Blake Zeman.  He is one of seven returning starters for the Marion County defense and he’s ready to take that next step.

“The desire to win a state title is greater than ever and I won’t be happy until we win one,” he said one morning last week between classes.

“I just try to do what I’m told.  I was the second on the team in tackles last year behind Blake Zeman, but I’ll be more than happy to take his place this fall.  We had some really good leaders last year and got over all of that negative stuff.

“This is another new beginning.  We have to start fresh, but we should do okay.  The main reason I play football is because I like to hit people, but I want to be the best of the best and that carries over into other areas of my life,” he continued, admitting that he has a 4.0 grade point average and is in the running for Valedictorian honors next year.

“I can’t afford to get overconfident, but I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes.  I’m ready for those Friday night lights as I’ve been waiting for this since December,” he concluded, painfully remembering that second loss that ended Marion’s season.

While Kirkendoll will be the focal point of Marion’s defense, he’ll also get a chance to play a little tight end.  The Warriors have eight returning starters on offense, including quarterback Bryce Massengale, so Kirkendoll is ready to prove he can contribute in more ways than one.

“Alex holds himself to a higher standard than most young men, including in academics, on the football field and even in the way he dresses.  And I’m sure that if we went out and looked in his truck right now, it would be clean and organized,” said Ross while classes were changing.

“That’s one of the reasons he’s been so successful.  He started as a sophomore last year and earned All-State honors.  He’s worked really hard to develop himself into a good football player.

“He’s certainly a defensive starter at linebacker and an offensive role player at tight end, but the good Lord has blessed him with speed, quickness and plenty of size.  It all adds up as he doesn’t just rely on his ability.  He’s one of the most coachable kids I’ve ever been around as he does things my way and doesn’t have a problem with it.

“Alex just wants to do whatever it takes to help our team get better and he does whatever we ask.  That’s the kind of kid he is,” the second-year coach concluded.

The Warriors have been picked as the team to beat in the newly organized Region 3-AA.  The new season begins on Thursday night when Marion County hosts the Hixson Wildcats.

Expectations are high for the guys wearing the purple jerseys.  They’ve won state titles on four previous seasons and they’re looking for number five.

Alex Kirkendoll is ready to help make it happen.

(Tuesday: Central coach Gary Bloodsaw) 

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

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