The excitement surrounding his senior football season goes well beyond the wins and losses for Neodesha’s J’Vonte White. It’s about sharing one final campaign with teammates who have been by his side since childhood.
“What I’m most excited about this upcoming season is getting to play my senior year with my friends and teammates that I’ve been playing with since my middle school years,” White said. “It’s special to have one more chance to be on the field with those guys.”
White has spent the offseason making sure he’s ready to make the most of that opportunity. His summer schedule included attending camps, participating in 7-on-7 competitions, lifting weights, practicing and putting in extra workouts to prepare for what he hopes will be his best season yet.
One area of emphasis has been improving his speed, something he believes will make him even more effective on both sides of the ball.
“One area I’m wanting to improve this year is speed,” White said. “I’ve been working on that with speed training and weights.”
White already proved to be a versatile weapon during his junior season. Offensively, he rushed 29 times for 111 yards and a touchdown while adding 15 receptions for 256 yards and two scores. Defensively, he totaled 39 tackles, including 22 solo stops, along with 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
After producing across multiple positions last season, White has set ambitious goals for his senior campaign.
Among his individual objectives are recording more than 50 tackles, 10 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, at least 200 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He’s also aiming to earn all-league, all-district and all-state honors while playing multiple positions, including defensive end, tight end, wide receiver and quarterback. Another dream is earning a spot in the Kansas Shrine Bowl.
While the personal accolades would be meaningful, White says team success remains the top priority.
“Some goals I have for the team are to win league, win district, make a deep playoff run and make state,” he said.
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