Blake Tekotte had reason for high hopes entering his senior year.
As a junior quarterback, he set a school record for passing yards and led the Hickman Kewpies to a District 6 football title. In the spring he led the baseball team in batting average, home runs, RBIs and runs scored.
College baseball programs, including the powerhouse University of Miami, had expressed interest.
So Tekotte entered his senior year hoping to meet his and recruiters’ expectations, but a single play threatened his chances.
In the first football game of the season, Tekotte ran a bootleg to the outside. As he turned up the field, he felt his knee pop.
“I knew right away that something wasn’t right, but I didn’t find out what it was until the MRI the next day,” Tekotte said.
His ACL had ripped. Doctors said it would be at least four months before he could play, and more likely six. What began as a highly anticipated senior campaign transformed into a struggle to get back on the field. Perhaps most importantly, many wondered if the college athletic opportunities would still be available.
“He hadn’t committed to a school yet,” third baseman Justin Jackson said. “We knew how much work he had put into it.”
Pitcher Steven Boyer said he was frightened for his teammate.
“My heart pretty much dropped,” Boyer said. “Baseball is his main sport, and he loves to play. I was worried that the colleges wouldn’t want to recruit him anymore.”
It would take resolve and a competitive drive for Tekotte to prove to scouts he was worth the risk, traits baseball coach Dave Wilson says Tekotte has in excess.
“He has an excellent work ethic,” Wilson said. “We have an off-season conditioning program, and when he didn’t have rehab he would come to the workouts and work out with the team.”
Jackson agreed with his coach.
“His mom told us a story one day about Blake practicing his swing late one night,” Jackson said. “She told him that it was late and that he should go to bed. He said he wanted to keep working. He said he wasn’t going to let the ACL keep him down.”
Boyer said he always thought Tekotte would be healthy in time to play baseball.
“He’s a competitor and a real strong guy,” Boyer said. “I knew he’d bounce back.”
“Every time I saw him, he was doing something to help his knee. He was always either icing it, or stretching, or riding the bike, or swimming.”
Tekotte’s strong work ethic was enough to convince Miami. He signed a letter of intent to play for the Hurricanes on Nov. 11, 2004, well before he had recovered from the surgery required to fix his ACL.
Wilson said he could see why Miami was willing to give Tekotte a chance.
“The young man is such a fierce competitor,” Wilson said. “I could see he was chomping at the bit to get out there and start competing again.”
A major reason he was so eager to start playing, Tekotte said, was the success the football team had after his injury. The Kewpies went on to win the state title, and Tekotte said this motivated him to be ready when baseball started.
“I was very proud of the team,” Tekotte said. “Sometimes a team will crash and burn when they lose their starting quarterback.
“But I also felt like I wanted more. It made me hungry to be a part of a
championship team.”
Tekotte has a good chance to do just that with the baseball team. The Kewpies are No. 1 in Missouri, and will play Lee’s Summit on Friday in the state tournament semifinals.
Wilson said a lot of their success this season is because of Tekotte.
“He’s a great leader,” Wilson said. “He’s not a very vocal guy, but he’s willing to say something to someone if it needs to be said. He’s a good team player. Nobody is happier for his teammates when they do well than Blake Tekotte.”
His teammates point to instances on the field where Tekotte has pulled them through.
“He carried us through the district championship,” Jackson said, referring to Hickman’s win against Helias.
Tekotte, an outfielder, hit a two-run home run to put his team ahead.
Boyer said Tekotte’s play often gives the lineup the jumpstart it needs to win the game. His .524 batting average, 49 RBIs and 11 home runs all top the team, and his 44 hits are tied with Jackson for the team lead.
“Being a pitcher, it’s always nice to have some good hitters,” Boyer said. “When he steps up to the plate, you can count on him to come up with something big for the team.”
Jackson also said Tekotte finds ways to get the team going.
“If we’re struggling, Blake will go up and hit a laser, and everyone starts to follow that,” Jackson said. “It’s real fun watching him play. He just gets the job done.”
Tekotte is quick to share the credit.
“We have some very good hitters on this team,” Tekotte said. “With our lineup, all it takes is one hit to get things going, and then it can get contagious.”
Tekotte may be right, but more often than not it seems like he is the player coming up with the hit to get the team started. He has hit home runs in his last four games, two in the state playoffs.
Despite the excellent play, his teammates have come to expect such humility from Tekotte.
“He’s always been really positive,” Boyer said. “Most guys could be really cocky about going to Miami, but he’s one of the most humble guys I know. He’s still the same old Blake.”
Wilson said he sees a bright future for Tekotte, and looks forward to seeing him in the College World Series.
“Everything you preach and coach, like teamwork and looking out for your teammates, he’s a kid that that does all that,” Wilson said. “He’s a fun kid to coach, and I’m going to miss him next year.”