By Ken Hansard
Wichita West High senior Rhytrale Wilson is a bit of a jack of all trades. He plays safety on the defensive side of the ball and a running back and wide receiver on the offensive side. In the winter, he plays point guard and shooting guard for the Pioneers on the hardcourt, but his introduction to sports came from playing baseball as a youngster. And now, in his final year with the Pioneers, Wilson wants to make history at West High – he wants to win a state championship.
Wilson, who as a junior scored multiple touchdowns offensively for the Pioneers, was also awarded Honorable Mention All-State at safety. As for his goals beyond that potential state championship, Rhytrale says that he would really like, “To prove that we should be in the top five and to make it to state.” Wilson has also set some personal goals that are both realistic and achievable, “Mostly, I want to work to get recognition and hopefully some college offers, but first I need to continue to work on my skills for the next level. To do that, my goal is ‘No days off.’ I’m just working on making big plays on and off the field.”
When asked about his role with the team, Rhytrale responded, “I want to be the guy you can call on to make the game winning play or the hardest hit.” Making the hardest hit is something that Wilson has been preparing for since the first day he put on pads as a youngster, “My uncle took me to a little league football game, and I enjoyed it. I said I wanted to be out there. The next day he brought pads and a helmet and told me to knock down the clothing line pole. So I tried, and I did that every day until I finally tilted it just a bit.”
Following graduation from West High, Rhytrale wants to continue to play football at the collegiate level and would love to someday play on Sundays. More than anything, he would eventually love to, “Give back to my mom and help my siblings out.” As for career plans beyond the gridiron, Wilson has plans to become a real estate agent. He also mentioned that he would really enjoy doing something to help kids get scholarships more easily so that they can attend college without having to worry about money.
