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Defensive anchor
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| Senior linebacker Dakota Walkley has been leading the Panther defense in just about every category this year.Photo by Ryan Boldrey |
By Ryan Boldrey
The bad news for the Woodland Park football team this past week was that the Panthers had to travel to face Pueblo County (7-1).
And despite losing 44-0 to County on Oct. 23, there is good news for the Panthers (3-5). After going 0-5 on the road this season, they won’t have to leave Woodland Park again this year.
Woodland will attempt to close out the season with a perfect home mark as it hosts Pueblo Centennial (4-4) on Oct. 30 and Pueblo East (3-4) on Nov. 6. Both games start at 7 p.m.
There is at least one senior on the roster, linebacker Dakota Walkley, who is more than ready to see the Panthers pull their record to even on the year and salvage a season that began 1-4.
“I know Friday morning when I get up that it’s time to play football,” Walkley said. “There’s nothing more I love than playing and I’ve got [two] games left as a senior to make the most of it.”
And for anyone who has seen Walkley play it should come as no surprise that he leads the Panthers in numerous defensive categories; including tackles with 89 (73 solo, 16 assists), sacks with three, forced fumbles with five and tackles for a loss with five.
Walkley also has recorded the lone safety this season for the Panther defense and has one of three WP blocked punts on the year, which he promptly returned for six against Canon City earlier this season.
But if you ask him, he will tell you he couldn’t do any of it without the other guys on the field with him.
“It’s all of them that make me look good,” he said. “They allow me to do my job, and yeah, I work my butt off but it’s the other 10 guys out there with me. I owe so much to them. I couldn’t be more proud of the guys I play with.”
He couldn’t be happier about the community he plays in either.
The week of the Harrison game earlier in October when the Panthers snapped their four-game losing skid, Walkley discovered he had accidentally misplaced his jersey.
“The last time I remembered physically seeing it was in Cripple Creek when we took our senior pictures, and I drove out there and was looking for it and it was hanging on this rancher’s fence— whose property we had trespassed on to take pictures— and it was in a dry cleaning bag, washed and cleaned, and it had a note on it that said ‘you’re welcome, good luck Friday,’” he said. “I think that shows you just how much people in this community care and that means so much to me and to the team as a whole. People love football in this town.”
And as much as Walkley will miss playing in this town after it’s all said and done too, his teammates and coaches are going to miss having him around as well.
“Dakota has been one of the heart and souls of the defense,” said defensive coordinator Carl Reef. “Effort and attitude is something we always preach around here and he’s brought great effort and he’s had a great attitude by playing hurt and playing sick, and not complaining about it, but by just strapping on his pads and going out and doing it. Besides that he is also a leader in the classroom. He carries a very high GPA and is always willing to help other teammates out if they need help on or off the field.”
Walkley knows he wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without the hard work he has put in either.
“The hard work in the weight room has really paid off,” he said. “I’ve heard coach preach it time and time again about how you have to go out there every single day and work hard to get better, and it’ll happen on the football field if you work hard in the weight room.
“I know I’ve got to make the most of the chances I get. If I get the chance to rock somebody I’ve got to do it, so I’ve got to be focused in doing that. I’ve got to know what I’ve got to do, how I’ve got to do it, and when I go out there I’ve got to know I’m the best. I’ve got to know that no matter what I have to think that I can beat anybody.”
It’s that type of determination and focus that has Reef believing that the 6’2”, 220-pound linebacker can excel at the next level too.
“Dakota’s future is really up to him and what he wants to do academically and then he’ll mesh that with athletics,” Reef said. “I think he’s got a couple ideas in mind, but he doesn’t have anything summed up just yet. As soon as the season is over we’ll sit down with him and start talking about some options.”
And regardless of where he ends up, one can guarantee Walkley will bring 100 percent.
And despite losing 44-0 to County on Oct. 23, there is good news for the Panthers (3-5). After going 0-5 on the road this season, they won’t have to leave Woodland Park again this year.
Woodland will attempt to close out the season with a perfect home mark as it hosts Pueblo Centennial (4-4) on Oct. 30 and Pueblo East (3-4) on Nov. 6. Both games start at 7 p.m.
There is at least one senior on the roster, linebacker Dakota Walkley, who is more than ready to see the Panthers pull their record to even on the year and salvage a season that began 1-4.
“I know Friday morning when I get up that it’s time to play football,” Walkley said. “There’s nothing more I love than playing and I’ve got [two] games left as a senior to make the most of it.”
And for anyone who has seen Walkley play it should come as no surprise that he leads the Panthers in numerous defensive categories; including tackles with 89 (73 solo, 16 assists), sacks with three, forced fumbles with five and tackles for a loss with five.
Walkley also has recorded the lone safety this season for the Panther defense and has one of three WP blocked punts on the year, which he promptly returned for six against Canon City earlier this season.
But if you ask him, he will tell you he couldn’t do any of it without the other guys on the field with him.
“It’s all of them that make me look good,” he said. “They allow me to do my job, and yeah, I work my butt off but it’s the other 10 guys out there with me. I owe so much to them. I couldn’t be more proud of the guys I play with.”
He couldn’t be happier about the community he plays in either.
The week of the Harrison game earlier in October when the Panthers snapped their four-game losing skid, Walkley discovered he had accidentally misplaced his jersey.
“The last time I remembered physically seeing it was in Cripple Creek when we took our senior pictures, and I drove out there and was looking for it and it was hanging on this rancher’s fence— whose property we had trespassed on to take pictures— and it was in a dry cleaning bag, washed and cleaned, and it had a note on it that said ‘you’re welcome, good luck Friday,’” he said. “I think that shows you just how much people in this community care and that means so much to me and to the team as a whole. People love football in this town.”
And as much as Walkley will miss playing in this town after it’s all said and done too, his teammates and coaches are going to miss having him around as well.
“Dakota has been one of the heart and souls of the defense,” said defensive coordinator Carl Reef. “Effort and attitude is something we always preach around here and he’s brought great effort and he’s had a great attitude by playing hurt and playing sick, and not complaining about it, but by just strapping on his pads and going out and doing it. Besides that he is also a leader in the classroom. He carries a very high GPA and is always willing to help other teammates out if they need help on or off the field.”
Walkley knows he wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without the hard work he has put in either.
“The hard work in the weight room has really paid off,” he said. “I’ve heard coach preach it time and time again about how you have to go out there every single day and work hard to get better, and it’ll happen on the football field if you work hard in the weight room.
“I know I’ve got to make the most of the chances I get. If I get the chance to rock somebody I’ve got to do it, so I’ve got to be focused in doing that. I’ve got to know what I’ve got to do, how I’ve got to do it, and when I go out there I’ve got to know I’m the best. I’ve got to know that no matter what I have to think that I can beat anybody.”
It’s that type of determination and focus that has Reef believing that the 6’2”, 220-pound linebacker can excel at the next level too.
“Dakota’s future is really up to him and what he wants to do academically and then he’ll mesh that with athletics,” Reef said. “I think he’s got a couple ideas in mind, but he doesn’t have anything summed up just yet. As soon as the season is over we’ll sit down with him and start talking about some options.”
And regardless of where he ends up, one can guarantee Walkley will bring 100 percent.
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