Player: Ethan Kaufman Position: G/OLB Height: 6' 0" Weight: 164 lb Academic: Senior School: Wilmington

By TODD KRISE

t_krise@ncnewsonline.com

Scouting the Wilmington High football team is hard enough.

Having to prepare for the unknown is even harder.

The Greyhounds sport running backs Derrick Burns and Sutton Whiting. They also have quarterback Jake DeMedal and receiver Chad Palladino.

But Ethan Kaufman?

He’s a variable that Forest Hills never factored into the equation during last week’s PIAA Class AA quarterfinal.

Kaufman caught two critical first-down passes in the ’Hounds’ thrilling 25-24 victory. The senior tight end also was given rave reviews by head coach Terry Verrelli for his blocking.

The performance earned Kaufman the distinction of being Lawrence County’s Athlete of the Week, as selected by the New Castle News sports staff. The award is sponsored by Washington Centre Physical Therapy.

“He was pretty key in that game,” Verrelli said.

“The first half, I didn’t really block as good as I should have been,” Kaufman said. “Then in the second half, coaches told me to play like I was mad and just play the way I did at the beginning of the season.”

The 6-foot, 165-pounder made his presence felt the most in the third quarter, where a seldom used tight-end screen pass allowed Kaufman to gain 11 yards.

“We ran it and there was no one around,” he said.

Then with Wilmington clinging to a 19-18 lead, Kaufman found an open seam down the middle of the field and gained 43 yards on a pass from DeMedal. Kaufman was tripped a yard away from the end zone, allowing Burns to score the game-winning touchdown.

Kaufman earned the Greyhounds’ most valuable offensive player award last week — his first as a team member. The ’Hounds coaching staff, which grades players after every game, gave him a score of 91 on a scale of 100.

The story of how Kaufman became Wilmington’s starting tight end is a long, yet fulfilling one.

He transferred to Wilmington in seventh grade but never joined the football team until he was a freshman.

“I wasn’t very good my freshman year,” he said. “It definitely took a lot of hard work. I had to concentrate a lot more (than other players).”

Not knowing what position to pick, Kaufman settled on guard. He remained on the offensive line for three years until this past offseason.

“Looking at the two tight ends that we had, I just said, ‘Hey, let’s give him a chance to start,’ ” Verrelli said. “He could have started for me at guard, but there were two guys coming back from last year.”

Kaufman has made the most of his opportunity, catching eight passes for 183 yards and one touchdown this season.

He’s played sparingly on defense, recording two interceptions and returning one for a touchdown against Karns City in the regular-season finale.

“He’s a great kid,” Verrelli said. “At tight end, you don’t throw to them too often, so it’s hard to outshine the guys that carry the ball and throw it.

“So yes, he’s flown under the radar.”

*****

THE ETHAN KAUFMAN FILE

POSITION: Tight end/linebacker

TEAM: Wilmington

GRADE: 12

KNOWN FOR: Kaufman hauled in two pass receptions that went for first downs in the Greyhounds’ 25-24 win over Forest Hills in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals last week. He has eight catches for 183 yards and one touchdown on the season. He also is one of Wilmington’s top blockers on offense.

PARENTS: Grant and Carol Kaufman

FAVORITE PRO TEAM AND WHY: Miami Dolphins. “Dan Marino was my favorite player when he was playing. He played for the University of Pittsburgh, so I’ve always like him.”

HOBBIES: Hunting and fishing.

FUTURE PLANS: Kaufman is going through the college selection process and hopes to major in environmental engineering.