Battle ready to make his own mark with Washburn football

Football has always been a big part of Declan Battle’s life, so the idea of playing in college has always been something he’s desired.

He certainly did everything he could at the high school level to get to that point. Battle led Louisburg to back-to-back Frontier League titles, became the school’s all-time leading passer and earned numerous all-league and all-state honors.

After making several visits and looking at multiple offers, he found the place that was right for him. Battle will join the Washburn University program this fall after signing with the Ichabods earlier this year.

“Since I first started playing, I always had a dream of playing college football,” Battle said. “It seems crazy to think I am already heading off to do that. It feels amazing.”

The journey to find a home wasn’t always an easy one, but when then time came, Battle found a spot that was very familiar to him — and his family.

Battle’s father, Aaron, played football for Ichabods and his mother, Torrie, was a member of the Washburn softball program. So needless to say, the Battle family bleeds the Yale blue and white.

“It didn’t play too much of an impact on my decision, but it definitely helped a little bit,” Battle said of the family connection to Washburn. “Washburn gave me a great opportunity to come play in a highly competitive MIAA. They have amazing facilities and an awesome school. I loved it there.

“The recruiting process is definitely the real deal. It was a lot harder than I thought of it would be. Lots of coaches just said no, or wouldn’t respond at all. I just had to let that fuel my fire to keep improving week in and week out. After the season I started getting some more opportunities, but I still had a lot of weight on my shoulders knowing I wasn’t where I wanted to be yet. When I made my decision to make it official to Washburn, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

Battle will compete at the quarterback spot when he arrives on campus and will look to continue his success from the high school level to college.

He was a first team All-Frontier League quarterback and defensive back. He was an all-state pick from multiple media outlets and was a finalist for the Frank Fontana Award, which is given annually to the best all-around small school player in Class 1-4 on the Kansas and Missouri sides of the metro. 

In 10 games for the Wildcats, Battle completed 105 passes for 1,364 yards and had 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He also did a lot of damage on the ground with 1,009 yards rushing and 16 more touchdowns. As a defensive back, Battle finished with 36 tackles and also had an interception for a touchdown.

Following the season, Battle also became the school’s all-time leading passer and is fifth on the Wildcat career rushing list. He was the Wildcat starting quarterback the last three seasons.

“I am coming in to play quarterback, what I dreamed of playing as a kid,” Battle said. “There is not really an ‘upperclassman’ quarterback there. Most of us are young and it’s definitely going to competitive every day for the starting spot.

“Having three years of varsity experience has taught me a lot. I truly felt that every year I progressed a ton. Playing in a tough Frontier League is definitely a grind and is something I think has got me more prepared for college football, where it will almost turn into a full time job for me.”