Balancing act
Jefferson-Morgan’s DeHoet switches between bat, glove and spikes, starting blocks
Deakyn DeHoet wasn’t sure how he would do competing in track & field, but as the WPIAL individual championships approach, the Jefferson-Morgan junior is glad he gave the sport a try.
DeHoet, who also plays third base for the Rockets in baseball, didn’t have the opportunity to compete in track & field his first two years of high school, as Jefferson-Morgan doesn’t have a track & field program, but the chance to compete for Beth-Center as part of a co-op has worked out well.
“It was different at first because I never did it,” DeHoet said. “I asked some questions, and the coaches have been very helpful. I had to learn about getting out of the starting blocks and things like that, but I feel pretty comfortable with it now.”
DeHoet has a personal record (PR) of 10.95 in the 100-meter dash and 22.28 in the 200. He also runs a leg on the Bulldogs’ 1,600-meter relay team.
DeHoet faced solid Class 3A competition this past Friday in the Washington-Greene County Championships at Canon-McMillan’s AHN Field, but fared well in winning the 100 and finishing in a tie for second in the 200.
DeHoet edged Trinity’s Jake Phillips in winning the 100 in a time of 11.05. Phillips broke the imaginary tape as finishes are now viewed on camera in 11.08.
DeHoet and Phillips each ran 22.28 in the 200, and the photo finish determined a tie behind Canon-McMillan’s Aaron Taylor, who won the race in 22.15.
Another hurdle, no pun intended, DeHoet and his track & field teammates at Beth-Center face is the school doesn’t have a home track & field facility. The Bulldogs travel to nearby California Area High School in Coal Center to use the Trojans’ facility.
“It is tough to not have a track & field facility, but we can go to Cal to work on some things, plus I am just glad to have the opportunity to compete,” DeHoet said. “Also, since I play baseball, I don’t always get to many meets. I try my best to work around so my baseball and track schedules don’t overlap, and our school has been good at scheduling events to help me get in everything. So far, I haven’t really had anything overlap.”
Jefferson-Morgan is enjoying one of its better baseball seasons in recent years, as the Rockets are 7-3 in section play and 9-3 overall. J-M lost twice to Greensburg Central Catholic and once to Carmichaels in section play, but are in a good spot to finish second in the section and qualify for the WPIAL Class A playoffs under veteran coach John Curtis.
“We were pretty confident coming into the season because we have played together all our lives,” DeHoet said. “Coach Curtis is a good coach and he really knows baseball. He just has that knack for things. I have been playing baseball since I was in kindergarten.”
DeHoet was the Rockets’ leading receiver in the fall, as he pulled in 52 receptions for 1,100 yards and returned three kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns to help lead Jefferson-Morgan to a Tri-County South Conference title and an undefeated regular season.
DeHoet is confident the Rockets can have a solid season his senior year, despite the loss of quarterback Houston Guesman, who will graduate this year.
“We should still have a good football team coming back,” DeHoet said. “I have been playing football for about as long as I have played baseball. If given the opportunity, I would play football in college.”
The biggest difference between the three sports, according to DeHoet, is the level of sportsmanship that borders on friendship in track & field, which isn’t the same for baseball, and definitely not in football.
“It’s not that there isn’t sportsmanship in baseball and football, but in track, pretty much everything that someone says to you is positive,” DeHoet said. “Guys will cheer for you even if they don’t know you. Obviously, with my position in football, you know guys are going to talk a little trash. That is just part of the sport. Not as much negative stuff is said in baseball, but the opposing team is not going to cheer you on.”