Baseball standout Teafatiller makes immediate impact on Iowa Park's football team

IOWA PARK – In his coaching career, Iowa Park’s Aubrey Sims has seen plenty of athletes looking to join the football team during their senior seasons.

While there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s rare for someone who hasn’t played in years to make an immediate impact.  

So when Kaden Teafatiller said over the summer he wanted to play for the first time since eighth grade, Sims didn’t hold out much promise for the college baseball prospect.

“I didn’t even think he would step on the field,” Sims said Monday as the Hawks prepare for their 4A Division II semifinal against Texarkana Pleasant Grove. “I knew he was a good athlete, but I just thought he was trying to be a part of something, do something in the fall.

“From day one, it was obvious he was going to be a player for us. Then he got out there and started tackling people and I thought, ‘This kid can be really good.’”

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Teafatiller, who once committed to play baseball at Oklahoma University and who transferred from Rider before his junior year, has provided a huge lift at outside linebacker for the Hawks, who are on an eight-game winning streak.

Iowa Park's Kaden Teafatiller tackles Glen Rose's Westen Halcom Friday, Dec. 7, 2018, at the Ford Center in Frisco. The Hawks defeated the Tigers 31-28.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder is third on Iowa Park in tackles with 115 and is tied with middle linebacker Zane Petering with 11 quarterback pressures. Not bad for a guy who last strapped on a helmet as an eighth grader at McNiel.

Teafatiller said he never gave football much thought last season and was more focused on baseball. However, he changed his mind this summer after talking with friends and Iowa Park coaches.

“My coaches had been pushing me to do it and it’s my senior year, so I had nothing to lose,” Teafatiller said. “I just decided to play it and fell in love with it. They said I’m big enough, they’ll find a spot for me to play.”

Teafatiller is savoring this moment even more after missing out on the Hawks’ exciting baseball run to the Region I-4A finals last spring. He’d been a key cog splitting time at catcher and designated hitter, batting .350 with 25 RBIs in 18 games when he was removed from the team during district for “failing to meet team expectations" according to Sims. 

Kaden Teafatiller

“It was the hardest thing – you can’t even imagine. It was an eye-opener for me,” Teafatiller said. “I think I needed to go through that as a person as I mature and get older.

“After that happened, there’s some doors that close and others open. This has been an unreal experience. I can’t wait for baseball – but I don’t want football season to end.”

Teafatiller has benefited from playing with two returning starters at linebacker in Petering (164 tackles) and Creed Wells, whose two sacks against Glen Rose gave him a team-high nine this season.

Teafatiller referred the relationship he has with the other senior linebackers as a “relationship that can’t be described.” Petering had to slide over and replace Branden Brewer at middle linebacker, so it wasn’t only Teafatiller adjusting to his new role early this season.

After admittedly having some nerves and playing slow against Holliday, Teafatiller said everything clicked the next week against Brock, when he registered a team-high 13 stops. He had a sack and interception in the season finale against Krum and is averaging 10 tackles a game in the postseason.

“He’s got my respect. He’s stepped up a lot for us,” Petering said. “At the beginning of the season, we struggled, but we all pulled together and played really well. He’s helped us out a lot.”

And what does Sims now think of Teafatiller, who’s keeping his baseball options open during his final few months before college? In a season that has included an impressive semifinal run, his performance has been one of the biggest surprises.

“He is so much better now that he was at the beginning,” Sims said. “Talk about our slow start, guys like him are playing 10 times better than they were at the start of the year. He’s definitely been an unexpected bright spot for me.”

Iowa Park's Zane Petering (23) and Ryder Roberts (54) tackles Glen Rose's Cameron Griffin Friday, Dec. 7, 2018, at the Ford Center in Frisco. The Hawks defeated the Tigers 31-28.

 

Iowa Park defensive leaders 

Tackles: Zane Petering 164; Creed Wells 139; Kaden Teafatiller 115, Reid Lalk 108; Kaden Ashlock 61.

Tackles for loss: Creed Wells 8; Brendin Fallon 6; Kaden Teafatiller 6; Chris Dickens 5; James Bever 5.

Sacks: Creed Wells 9; Zane Petering 6; Wyatt Edwards 4; Kaden Teafatiller 3.

Quarterback pressures: Zane Petering 11; Kaden Teafatiller 11; Creed Wells 10; Jeremiah Stanley 6; Wyatt Edwards 5.

Interceptions: Kaden Ashlock 6; Brandon Hernandez 2; six with 1.

Pass breakups: Cirby Coheley 10; Slayton Ochoa 8; Reid Lalk 8; Kaden Ashlock 7; Kade Thomas 4; Logan Kimbro 4.