Kenton’s Searson signs to play football at Wittenberg University

By SEAN BLEVINS

Times sports editor

Kenton senior Dylan Searson plans to become a college football coach one day and he became one step closer by signing on Friday afternoon to continue his academic and football playing career at Wittenberg University.

Searson will be an offensive guard for the Tigers. Once his playing days are over, he hopes to enter the coaching ranks. He will major in sports management and education. Ohio Northern University and the Ohio State University at Lima were the other options he was considering.

“I chose Wittenberg because of their culture and everything there,” Searson said. “They’ve only had one losing season in the last 50 years. Their facilities are amazing for a school at the Division III level. It can honestly be just like some Division I or Division II colleges. The culture is great. I felt welcome. I got to meet a lot of the players. They also have a church service on campus. They have great coaches that connect well with the players. To have a former Division I coordinator as your head coach is amazing to have.”

Wittenberg University is located in Springfield, which is 53 miles south of Kenton High School.

“It’s a small campus, easy to get to everything,” Searson said. “They have what I want school-wise. It’s affordable as well. It seems like it’s a great place in general. The students seem like a family there.”

Searson is listed at 5-foot-11 and 280 pounds. He boasts a high IQ, a standout work ethic and he’s very coachable. He is a role model and a leader for the younger kids, which will come in handy for the career path that he is pursuing. He is willing to inspire and is always thinking outside of the box.

Searson’s senior season was cut short after three games due to a knee injury. He provided some meaningful snaps before he was sidelined. The Wildcats went 2-8, but they had the top offense in the Western Buckeye League.

“He started off really strong for us,” Kenton head football coach Zach Turner said. “He got banged up at the beginning of the season, which kind of really hampered him. He’s a high IQ player. Not only did he understand his role, he wanted to teach the younger kids along the way. He wants to be a college coach – if you want to do that then you have to have a love for the game – which he does. He was always asking questions. He was always trying to tweak his technique and figure out what worked. To coach college football a big step is to play college football. He gets an opportunity to do that here at Wittenberg University.”

In Searson’s junior season, he played in all 10 games as a defensive tackle. He was a solid contributor in several facets as the Wildcats went 3-7. He noted that his favorite moment in his four years was when Kenton beat Lima Bath 38-34 in week four of 2023 on a hail mary from Korbin Johnston to Grady Kleman-Beazley as time expired.

“He’s going to work super hard,” Turner said. “He’s going to put the time in to understand what happens in the game of football and what it takes to be successful. Most college teams will use gap schemes and they’re going to ask him to pull and things like that. He’s just going to have to work on his athleticism and his quickness because at that level you’re playing the best of the best. His understanding of things pre-snap and his work ethic will help him a lot at the next level.”

Searson played sparingly on varsity as a sophomore. He enjoyed getting some reps on the junior varsity squad, but was a bit limited as he suffered a knee injury while working on his family farm.

As a freshman, Searson switched to playing defensive tackle after playing on the offensive line in middle school. There was a big learning curve and it certainly took some time to become serviceable at the new position.

“He’s come a long way over the years,” Turner said. “His biggest thing is he got into the weight room and started working hard at it. He got a lot stronger from his junior to his senior year. He put his mind to it and he was a contributing factor for us. Not only was he that, he was a good leader for the younger kids. Dylan’s heart is big and he loves to help and encourage people. I think that’s a huge thing when you’re looking at a teammate – that’s someone you will go to battle with every day.”