Triton Central's Kermode sees conference, state titles

For Hayden Kermode, the greatest victory may not have even come on the field. Instead, it may have been convincing his parents to let him play football. “My parents didn’t know how they felt about me playing football, and they were very nervous about me getting a concussion or getting hurt. With that being said, they started me off in flag football. After that season, I begged them to let me play tackle with the rest of my friends. From that point on, I loved hitting and being aggressive,” the Triton Central High School senior told Sideline Prep Sports Report. And, while his parents gave in and said yes, Kermode still had one more decision to make – play football and baseball or focus solely on football. The linebacker opted for football, and the decision has paid dividends. “Playing linebacker is my favorite thing to do because I love hitting. That’s my favorite part about football,” Kermode said. Kermode said while he has had success playing football, it is the direct result of Coach Tim Able and others. “I have put so much work into football. However, between Coach Able and my defensive coaches and my amazing teammates, they have helped with all of that. I set goals every single season, and I work my hardest to achieve those goals and go above and beyond,” he said. A season ago, Kermode helped carry Triton Central to the Class 2 A semi-state, where they lost to Western Boone. Heading into this season, the goal for Kermode and the Tigers remains the same – win the ICC. “We play in the best small-school conference, and it would be an amazing achievement to accomplish that. Last year, we made it to semi-state and we want to build off that season and make school history, again. For my individual goals, breaking the career tackle record at Triton Central has been a huge goal since my eighth grade year. Offensively, I want to do everything I can for my team to be successful,” Kermode said. Thus far, he has drawn college attention from the likes of Wabash, Kalamazoo, DePauw and St. Olaf. “I look for a school that I am comfortable with, and I feel like is at home for me. Also, a football team that is very competitive and has a great culture,” Kermode told Sideline Prep Sports Report.