[blue1424]

For Ben Axline the proposition of playing Division I football and reuniting with his brother, was too much to pass up.

That’s why Axline, Collins’ wide receiver, has committed to play at the University of Tennessee-Martin.

“A Division I scholarship is pretty much everybody’s dream; not too many people get to say they got to play Division I football…plus, I get to play four more years with my brother,” Axline said.

His older brother, Matt, was a red-shirt as an offensive lineman this past season for the Skyhawks.

“He was excited,” Ben Axline said of his older brother’s reaction to his college choice. “He said he’s thinking about getting a house together.”

The two previously teamed up at Shelby County, where Matt graduated in 2010. Ben transferred over to Collins for his senior season.

Axline was one of the top receivers in Class AAAA this season, finishing with 57 receptions for 928 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games.

“This season was really good, being a first-year school and going eleven and two and having a chance to win a state title...overall it was a pretty good season,” Axline said.

He said he wishes it could’ve ended differently, though. Axline tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in Collins’ victory over Fairdale in the second round of the AAAA playoffs and missed the Titans’ 31-26 loss to Western – in which Collins had a chance to win the game on its final possession – in the state quarterfinals the next weekend.

“Nobody wants to miss their last high school game,” Axline said. “It was really tough watching that last drive, there was a lot of hope. There were a lot of ‘what ifs’ for me.”

Axline had surgery on his injured knee Dec. 14 and said the rehabilitation is going well.

“I’m doing pretty good,” he said. “I’m walking on it and riding a bike...it doesn’t really hurt anymore, it’s just a time-based thing.”

Axline, who also played safety for the Titans, said he was recruited to the Skyhawks to play wide receiver.

UT-Martin went 6-5 in Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) this past season, tying for fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference, with a 5-3 record.

Axline said he also considered Lindsey Wilson and Centre College.

http://www.sentinelnews.com/content/brot...-ut-martin

[Stardust]

This is awesome for the parents.

[Navajo4life]

I coached both Ben and Matthew and this is very special for me as a former coach and a very close personal friend of the family...

[goscots56]

bol to both of them

[NEWARKCATHOLICFAN]

Good luck and congrats.