Right now Frederick senior Westyn Thorpe has a very busy schedule, competing in both track and field, and golf. However, it won’t be long before the standout multi-sport athlete will return to his favorite sport of football.

The all-state player will be part of the Senior Bowl on Saturday, June 6 at Dana J Dykhouse Stadium on the campus of South Dakota State University.

When Thorpe found out through his coach he had a chance to play in the game, he didn’t have to think twice.

“I decided that I wanted to play a little bit longer and kind of get an opportunity that not a lot of kids probably get,” Thorpe said.

Thorpe is one of several local players on the all-star rosters. He is excited to play with and against some of his future Northern State teammates.

“That’s something I’m really looking forward to,” Thorpe said, “getting back with the local guys, and then playing college football with them.”

Thorpe is carrying on family tradition with his decision to play for the Wolves next fall.

“My grandpa played at Northern and my dad played at Northern and they had a lot of success from there. … I thought I might as well stay home,” Thorpe said. “We go tailgating there every year. Keep the family at the tailgating there.”

Thorpe said June’s football game will present some challenges that he hasn’t experienced.

“It’s going to be hot and it’s going to be a little different going 11-man,” he said after playing solely 9-man football during his prep career.

The one thing that won’t change will be the contact that Thorpe loves when he puts on the pads and helmet.

“I’m in track right now, too, so my legs will be fine and conditioning will be fine, it’s just the hitting,” Thorpe said. “That’s going to be the biggest part of just getting back into the pads. Something I always want to do, just getting back into the pads and just get hit.”

There’s nothing that Thorpe likes better than laying a big hit on an unsuspecting receiver as he comes across the field.

“That’s what I really look for. You see a wide receiver going for a ball, it’s go pick it, but I see it a little different,” Thorpe said. “I go if he raises his hands up, it’s different. I’m going for the hit, not the pick. Because I’m a little guy myself, not as tall, so I’m not going to go up and jump with those guys, because it usually doesn’t end well, so I really like to hit.”

Thorpe described the feeling of what it’s like to lay a big lick on an opposing receiver.

“Your eyes go shut, and you’re kind of like did that really just happen? And then you look at your teammates and your teammates are hyping you up about it and you’re like it did happen. It’s real,” Thorpe said. “In the moment it’s a great feeling, honestly.”

So has anybody put a powerful hit on him?

“You know, that’s part of football,” Thorpe said.

Thorpe was also a key member of the Leola-Frederick basketball team, and doesn’t shy away from the physical nature of that sport there, either.

“Basketball seems to be more of a contact sport every year,” Thorpe said.

Before focusing on football for the rest of his playing days, Thorpe would like to be able to compete at the state track and field meet, and also at the state golf tournament.

“That would be a goal that I would like to have,” he said.

While spring sports have his full attention right now, nothing moves his needle quite like football.

“I really like football,” Thorpe said. “I think football is easily my favorite sport.”

Here is the complete list of players scheduled to compete in the game:

BLUE ROSTER

Stephen Anawaski, Brookings; Alec Austin, Centerville; Bryce Bangasser, Brandon Valley; Jesiah Baum, Warner; Carter Barron, Gayville-Volin; Ayden Behm, Pierre; Weiland Benbo, Rapid City Central; Max Bogenhagen, Pierre; Troy Catches, Rapid City Central; Aden Good Voice, Todd County; Easton Graff, Rapid City Central; Carter Gross, West Central; Al’Shamon Gunter, Avon; Jay Harris, Brookings; Landon Hulst, Huron; Brayden Jackson, Rapid City Central; Brody Jacobson, Sioux Falls Jefferson; Lincoln Juracek, Gregory; Grayden Juve, St Thomas More; Preston Karstens, Gayville-Volin; Colt Keiser, Gregory; Gannon Knebel, Wagner; William Krentz, Great Plains Lutheran; Chase Leary, Brandon Valley; Devin Lodmell, Dell Rapids; Carson Maeschen, Dell Rapids; Spencer Melius, Faulkton; Karter Moody, Groton; Matthew Mount, Webster; Cole Nielsen, St. Thomas More; Randall Powers, Avon; Landyn Reiser, Tri-Valley; Caleb Richmond, Wolsey-Wessington; Stetson Riggs, Hanson; Kenny Swanson, Dell Rapids; Westyn Thorpe, Leola-Frederick; Ben Veldkamp, Dell Rapids; Dylan Williams, Brandon Valley; Ayden Wood, Mitchell; Haysten Wooden Knife, Todd County.

Coaches: Head Coach, Bob Kornely, Todd County; John King, Gregory; Austin Hagen, St. Thomas More; Eric Struck, Sioux Falls Jefferson; Dru Strand, Huron; Ryan Kornely, Todd County.

RED ROSTER

Prayden Acheson, Canistota; Louison Akossi, Sioux Falls Lincoln; Edley Amaro Jr., Yankton; Brody Bass, Castlewood; Dalin Billmeier, Colman-Egan; Jaxon Cano, Sturgis; Jack Coauette, Spearfish; Chase DeBoer, Tea Area; Owen Eidsness, Yankton; Garrett Feldhaus, Howard; Colby Flowers, Woonsocket-Wessington Springs-Sanborn Central; Drace Gaskins, Yankton; Shawn Glines, Harding County-Bison; Keaton Hinds, Elk Point-Jefferson; Tegan Hoffman, Tri-Valley; Jayce Hutchinson, Dakota Valley; Kyle Kneeland, Waverly-South Shore; Avanny Kony, Sioux Falls Lincoln; Connor Kramer, Hot Springs; Lincoln LeBrun, Dell Rapids St. Mary; Cole Litzen, Sturgis; Thomas Loehr, Colman-Egan; Laythan Lucas, Spearfish; Preston Marty, Sioux Falls Lincoln; Nolan Mentele, Howard; Nate Middletent, Lower Brule; Cayden Patterson, Kadoka; Gavin Pearson, Belle Fourche; Hayden Pearson, Colman-Egan; Asher Peil, Spearfish; Carlo Pica, Dell Rapids St. Mary; Dain Richardson, Vermillion; Jace Shatswell, Elk Point-Jefferson; Rip Siemonsma, O’Gorman; Camden Stahl, Mount Vernon-Plankinton; Tobin Squires, Sioux Valley; Hunter Steinhaus, Sioux Valley; Dawson Unruh, Sioux Falls Christian; Leonard Wernke, Castlewood; Slayten Wilkinson, De Smet.

Coaches: Head Coach, Brady Muth, Yankton; Ross Flemmer, Dell Rapids St. Mary; Jared Smith, Sioux Falls Christian; Brett Eckert, Hill City; Thomas Tieszen, Spearfish.