Why this Washburn Rural trio signing to play college football 'is a big deal'

TOPEKA — Branton DeWeese and JC and Jaren Heim have experienced all levels of football together. They started playing as kindergartners with their fathers coaching them. This is when their love of the sport began.

The Washburn Rural seniors put pen to paper and signed their National Letters of Intent to Washburn University on Thursday. They will be making the short jump to the Ichabods to continue their football career. The signing is an accomplishment that quarterback DeWeese has been working hard to achieve.

“I’ve been dreaming about this for a while now since we were little kids,” DeWeese said. “To make that a reality today, is a big deal for us. It is cool to be able to play together forever and to be able to start a new chapter today.”

JC and Jaren, who are twin brothers, will bolster the Washburn defense at the linebacker position. They were crucial components of the Junior Blues historic season last fall.

Last season, Washburn Rural won 11 games, which was the second time in school history that they secured that many wins. For Jaren, developing into a college player all came down to his time with Washburn Rural.

“One of the big things was the coaches,” Jaren said. “We have so many different defenses that we run and knowing that in college football that there are so many different defenses to run which will help going into college.”

When many high schoolers turn to far away schools for college, this group emphasized their love of Topeka and staying close to home. During the signing ceremony, Washburn Rural head coach Steve Buhler expressed his excitement to be able to watch them play in the capital city.

It was a no-doubter to stay near his childhood home according to JC. He knows that he can succeed with the Ichabods and be near his supportive family.

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“Knowing that I can play close to home and to watch my younger brother grow up and be able to play with some of my high school teammates,” JC said. “Also, the community support which is huge for me, all of their love and support and I am just looking forward to it.”

DeWeese, JC and Jaren aren’t the only local standouts to make their move to Washburn. Their Washburn Rural teammates have all signed for the Ichabods: Jamond Lane (DL), Shawnee Heights’ Christian Gonzales (DL), Topeka High’s Isaiah Kincade (DB), Silver Lake’s Blake Redmond (RB), Lyndon’s Jalen Massey (RB) and Sabetha’s Jacob (OL) and Joshua Grimm (OL).

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Emphasizing local talent and bringing them to Washburn has been a calling card for head coach Craig Schurig. Although they recruit across the country, the Ichabods' presence in the local football community has been an important part to team culture and success.

“When you sign local kids, you feel like it is a great fit because they will be involved in everything with the program from summer training to everything,” Schurig said. “It’s kind of the challenge to prove that this is going to feel like college even though you are staying near home.”

Last season, Washburn finished with a 2-9 record, but many players return for the Ichabods this fall. Schurig explained that his young team from last year will only improve and it excites him. He is also hopeful that local freshman talent from the Topeka area can step in and make an immediate impact.

“Some of these freshmen, we think can challenge and play,” Schurig said. “We will be on the younger side as a team, but these kids are talented enough and they train hard enough that they are college-ready physically.”

The future can always wait. On Thursday, celebrations were in order for the Heim brothers and DeWeese on their accomplishments with the Washburn Rural football program. A place that they call home and have succeeded for a long time.

Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: How Washburn Ichabod football succeeds with local Topeka-area talent