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McCook's Josh Cherry verbally commits to K-State football
McCook High School's Josh Cherry made an official verbal commitment Friday morning to play football at Kansas State University.
Cherry, who also received interest from the University of Nebraska, has not signed anything and cannot sign until the official signing period in Feb. 2007.
Cherry will specialize in place-kicking for the Wildcats and hopes to compete for the starting job in 2007.
He will join McCook teammate Tony Purvis as a member of the Wildcats. Purvis signed with the Wildcats for the fall of 2006.
"I feel a lot better -- I can sleep at night," said Cherry. "I don't have to impress anyone my senior year. I wanted to play football right away. The coaches there (at Kansas State) treat you as a person. Nebraska has a big-time kicker.
"Their kicker is a junior and a walk-on and he'll be a senior when I'm a freshman. I'll compete with him. If I don't win the job my freshman year, I will redshirt and then I will have the job for three years."
Cherry will specialize in place-kicking at Kansas State because the Wildcats are set at punter.
Cherry, a 6-foot-1, 170-pounder, has run the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds and 10-yard sprint in 1.61 seconds (both hand-held times) and has a vertical jump of 31 inches.
He started at free safety for the Bison and is projected as the starting quarterback next season, said Bison coach Jeff Gross, who said he plans to send Cherry to several quarterback camps this summer now that Cherry won't have to attend kicking camps
Cherry will follow in the footsteps of Bison quarterbacks Reed Gottula, Krae Dutoit, Trent Lyons and Purvis.
"I've played quarterback my whole life," Cherry said. "We have had some great athletes play quarterback (at McCook)."
Cherry made 10-of-15 field goals (including a school record 52-yarder), 41-of-43 extra points, punted 34 times for a 37-yard average and 49 of his 75 kickoffs went for touchbacks. On punts, he pinned oopnents inside the 20-yard line 13 times.
Cherry also made 78 tackles on defense (44 solos, 34 assists) and tied a school record with seven interceptions and recovered a fumble. On offense, Cherry rushed 11 times for 54 yards, caught five passes for 131 yaards and scored two touchdowns.
During his sophomore year, Cherry made 6-of-11 field goals (including a 44-yarder), was 49-of-57 on PAT kicks and had 19 touchbacks on 85 kickoffs. Defensively, he made 37 tackles (19 solos, 18 assists), intercepted three passes and recovered a fumble.
Cherry also played some his freshman season.
The McCook Bison have been the Nebraska Class B state football runner-ups the last two seasons after winning state titles in 2002 and 2003. Cherry's record as a two-year starter and one-year backup is 37-2.
Cherry is a two-year starter on the basketball team. In track, Cherry competes in the 800- and 1600-meter races and competes on the 4x800 relay. He is a four-time state track medalist.
He is a member of the McCook Daily Gazette's All-Area First Team in 2005, was First Team All-Nebraska Kicker and Super State, Omaha World Herald; Class B player of the year, safety and kicker, Omaha World Herald; First Team Class B kicker/safety Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal star; First Team GNAC Conference and First Team All District.
Josh Cherry is the son of Pat and Melanie Cherry, McCook.