Aberdeen High School football coach Kevin Ridout is of the thinking that his star running back, Kylan Touch, has the potential to find the endzone every time he touches the football.
Well, Touch nearly did just that in the Bobcats’ homecoming game against Elma.
Touch scored seven touchdowns and finished with 521 total yards of offense in Aberdeen’s 56-34 non-league victory over the visiting Eagles on September 15.
Both accomplishments are school records.
“It didn’t really hit me until afterwards just how crazy of a game it was,” Touch said. “To be honest I had no idea I had those types of numbers (during the game). The only thing I was thinking about was how we needed to score every time we got the ball because (Elma) kept answering every touchdown we scored with one of their own. It was a pretty amazing game.”
Touch finished with 328 rushing yards and six TDs on 26 carries, returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score and added another 98 yards through the Bobcats’ passing game (registering 66 receiving yards and completing a pass for 32 yards). It all added up to one spectacular performance.
“He’s a special player,” Ridout said. “He has speed going north and south, but what’s really impressive about Kylan is his vision and just how fast he can move laterally. He can make a cut and change directions and he doesn’t slow down too much when he does that. He’s dangerous when he has the ball.”
Touch’s 95-yard kickoff return broke a 32-year-old school record. Tim Langhans, the Black Hills League most valuable player in 1986, held the previous benchmark, returning a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown against Timberline in 1985.
“I didn’t know that was a school record,” a surprised Touch stated. “I didn’t think it was that long of a return. I had to chase the ball down to the corner and pick it up. Once I had it I think I made one move and everything just opened up for me. The blocking was incredible.”
Touch opened his offensive onslaught on the record book with a 27-yard touchdown run on the Bobcats’ opening drive.
“It was just a toss to the right,” Touch said. “You have to give all the props to the linemen. Without them I don’t go anywhere. Everyone was opening up holes that game. It was a total team effort.”
Touch, who had previously shared the school record of five touchdowns in a single game with a handful of players, also added touchdown runs of 9, 21, 37 and 6 yards and hauled in a 57-yard scoring strike from Ben Dublanko to push his game total to seven scores.
Remarkably, Touch had a pair of touchdowns called back due to penalties as a 60-yard interception return for a score and a 59-yard TD run were both waved off.
“I guess (the referees) figured scoring seven touchdowns was enough,” a joking Touch added. “It would have been nice to have those as well, but as long as we get the win, I’m happy.”
Ridout stated that each week players are award helmet stickers for outstanding play. He may have to place another order following this game as he is likely to run out.
“We give out stickers to linemen every time we have a running back rush for over 100 yards,” Ridout said. “We’re going to be giving out a few stickers this week.”
More importantly than all the records, however, Touch said the biggest aspect was getting the Bobcats’ first victory on the season. Aberdeen had dropped its first two games, losing non-conference contests to Montesano (41-20) and Hoquiam (14-12).
“Without a doubt, that’s the best part of all of this,” Touch said about the win. “We opened up the season losing to a very good Monte team then lost a heartbreaker to Hoquiam. This team didn’t get down and just kept working.”
Touch, a first-team all-EvCo running back last year as a junior, has a gaudy 649 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns through the first three games of the season. He also ran for 132 yards against Montesano and 189 against Hoquiam.
Prior to the start of the season, he listed breaking the school’s single season rushing record his top individual goal.
According to Ridout, the school record of 1,066 yards was set in 1997 by Aaron Gozart, placing Touch a mere 418 yards shy of surpassing the mark.
The Bobcats play two more non-conference games beginning at Castle Rock on September 22, before beginning EvCo play at home against Black Hills on October 6.
