Kade Perine Leads RHS Receiving Corp

 

Kade Perine, Rossville 

Last year: 28 catches for 510 yards, 18.2 yards per catch, 1 touchdown 

Rossville has always run the ball well since Derick Hammes took over in 2013, and while the run game has always been a focal point, it's consistently complemented by a good passing game. 

Perine had 510 of the team's 1,876 receiving yards this year and the best yards per catch average on the team of receivers with more than one catch (quarterback Torrey Horak had 1 catch for 21 yards).

That's after having no catches as a sophomore, mainly playing running back with a crowded wide receiver room before stepping into the role this year. 

"The kid's got kind of a mentality that, you know, he doesn't like to lose," Horak said. "Wherever Coach Hammes decides to put him this year, he's gonna go compete and he'll compete at a high level. I'm really excited to watch that."

Tegan Kippes (26) and Perine (28) were the only two receivers on the team with more than 20 catches and Kippes has now graduated.

Why Perine? Next year, a new quarterback will be under center for Rossville. The team will be replacing the majority of its offensive production with the graduation of quarterback Torrey Horak and running back Corey Catron. 

While the signal-caller and running back are two key pieces to the type of offense Rossville runs, senior-to-be Perine will be "the guy" when it comes to experience.

"He's always open," Horak said. "He's a really good route runner. He sticks to a lot of details that are big in the route running and he finds ways to get open. When you have that receiver, you know he's going to be where you throw the ball, it makes things really easy.

"We had some pass plays that specifically were looking to find him, maybe not as much as we should have, because everybody kind of saw what he could do with the ball in his hands. He's a special athlete."

Perine led the team with 28 catches and 510 yards last year as a junior. Kippes (26-380), Kaden Brown (18-254), Catron (15-230) and Raphael Cooney (10-184) were the next four receivers in terms of catches and yards and all were seniors.