By HUNTER O. LYLE
BRADFORD, PA – Coming into the season, there was a lot of ‘new’ for the Bradford football team.
There was a new man at the helm of the offense and a new offensive scheme to go along with it. There was a new league composition and a bunch of new faces in old positions. However, through it all, there has been one team-leading constant: Logan ‘Speed Kills’ Kohler.
Through two weeks of the regular season, Kohler has stood out as the Owls’ star. He both passes the eye test visually and has the stats to back it up, leading Bradford in a handful of categories as he has bolstered their offense to a 1-1 record. However, individual stats and the attention that comes with them wasn’t something he thought about when entering the season.
“I think, individually, I’m pretty proud of myself for what I’ve been doing. (My goal) was just to be better because I changed positions and all and I just wanted to fit in where I’m needed and help out the team,” said Kohler, who enters his fourth season with the Owls. “I definitely think with the new offense there’s going to be a lot of things we have to learn from but for right now I think we’re doing pretty good. I think we’re going to be able to surprise a lot of people this year, but we have to have our community believing in us.”
Consciously or not, Kohler has dominated the field. As the team’s No. 1 option on the ground, he has racked up 488 all-purpose yards and a team-leading four touchdowns. Getting the ball 16 times, Kohler averages 11.8 yards per touch and 188 rushing yards, including 108 in the Owls’ most recent win against Otto-Eldred on Friday.
His success as a running back has come at a time where Bradford needed someone to carry their newly implemented Wing-T offense, something the team has admittedly struggled getting the hang off out of the gates. Traditionally, Kohler operated down range as a receiver through his first three years in the Black and Red and while he had his concerns about adapting to a new role on the team coming into the season, he said the transition has been nothing but smooth.
“I thought it was going to be a lot harder but I feel like I’m fitting in better because in previous years I was running back for travel leagues when I was younger,” said Kohler. “I know about running the ball and finding the gaps. I’m glad I kind of came back to it. I do like it.”
Kohler has proven that he can uphold the Owls’ offense come first down, however, where he really shines is in the backfield awaiting kick off. The real danger comes when the ball reaches him and he finds enough room to reach top speed, which, granted, doesn’t take long.
“I just try to prepare myself,” Kohler said of his mentality when he lines up for a kick off. “I know if I get to top speed, that’s going to be better than if I’m scared. Yeah, there’s a lot of intimidating people coming at me but I just have to push through that. I know if I can get to my max speed and find a hole it’s going to be hard to get to me. If I let up, that’s where things can start going wrong, where I have to try juking or making something work. Usually our blocking has been good to where I can just find a hole and go. I’m thankful for my team.”
In both of Bradford’s games, Kohler has taken a kick and brought it back to the house, scoring a 97-yard return against Port Allegany in Week One before repeating the feat for a 75-yard return touchdown against the Terrors.
“(Returning a kick) is definitely tiring but afterwards I feel good. It’s definitely a big thrill, like it’s crazy to look behind and see the crowd cheering and yelling,” said Kohler. “It’s definitely better than just running it into the endzone. Kick returns are a lot crazier. It doesn’t happen all the time.”
At the time of publication, he has recorded 267 kick return yards, which ranks No. 2 in the entire country — the leading returner has 299 yards on eight returns compared to Kohler’s four returns — and averages 66.75 kick return yards per carry, which is second in the nation as well. State-wide, he leads in both categories as well, holding a nearly-100 yard advantage over the next contender in total kick return yards.
“I definitely just have to thank God for that, to have the talent to do that,” said Kohler, who also runs track during the spring. “I’ve been busting my butt so I’m glad and I’m surprised to be able to look at (the stats) and know I’m ranked in the country. It’s very crazy.”
Although Kohler is the tip of the spear on offense, he is no slouch on the other side of the ball. Currently, the senior leads in total tackles with 14, solo tackles with seven and is tied for assisted tackles with 7 as well. He also stands as one of three Owls to register an interception on the season, his coming against O-E which eventually turned into a 75-yard touchdown from quarterback Andrew Giordano to Braylon Austin in the closing seconds of the first half.
Part of the allure of Kohler is his humble mentality, which seems focused solely on the team’s success. Even when opening up about his individual goals and determination, about what keeps his fuel-injected engine running, his answers reflect selflessness.
“I’m definitely motivated by my family. My (grandfather) wants to see me in the Big 30 (All-Star Charities Classic) and that’s definitely a big thing for me. I’ve been pushing myself to be the best I could possibly be because I want to fulfill that wish and I want to make everybody proud,” said Kohler. “And I want to make myself proud, which I’m currently doing right now. I’ve received a lot of good things and love from my family so I can’t be happier than I already am.”
