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When Kyle Meier was in elementary school, his Pop Warner coach wanted him to play left-side tight end so he could block the opposition’s best player. But Meier wasn’t interested.

Driving home after receiving the news, Meier’s father, Ron, asked for his son’s thoughts on playing tight end. Meier was determined to prove his coach wrong.

“Dad, I don’t want to block the best player,” Meier said. “I want to be the best player.”

From the moment he arrived at Whitesboro High School (Marcy, NY) in 2020, Meier’s sights were set on accomplishing just that. A four-year quarterback on the Warriors’ varsity squad, Meier shattered eight program records, including rushing yards (5,239), rushing touchdowns (66), passing yards (3,652), and passing touchdowns (46). He led Whitesboro to a state championship game in 2023, the program’s second-ever appearance, and garnered a scholarship from Dartmouth College.

Despite being overlooked when he was younger, Meier has simply let his play do the talking, leading to a historic high-school career.

“He’s not in the center of the locker room, he’s not dancing in the middle of everything, but he is steadfast, continuing to do whatever it takes (to win),” said Meier’s mother Andrea. “And he’s always learning and kind of taking things from people around him.”

As a freshman at Whitesboro, Meier displayed remarkable maturity after being called up to varsity. His ability to pick up on subtleties and learn from his peers earned him the esteem of his teammates.

“I mean, for us to call a freshman up, he’s got to be a special kid,” said Whitesboro head coach Curtis Schmidt. “And (Meier) came right out and got the respect from his teammates from day one.”

After acclimating to the varsity level as an underclassman, Meier stepped in as Whitesboro’s captain and starting quarterback as a junior, throwing for 1,002 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 2,270 yards and 26 scores on the ground. Meier’s play helped elevate the Warriors to a 7-3 record — their best season since 2018-19.

“I mean, from being a freshman on varsity… (Meier) was scared. He didn’t really know what was happening,” said Memphis Ferguson, Meier’s teammate. “His (junior) year, he definitely stepped up. He got a little bit more comfortable. He really led the team. And then this year, he just was outstanding… he did everything.”

After Whitesboro lost its first game of the season 25-15 to Shaker High School in 2023, Meier led the Warriors to seven consecutive wins heading into the playoffs.

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But during their first playoff game against Fulton High School, Meier endured a late hit out of bounds, leaving him with a gaping laceration on his right elbow that required five stitches. Teammates and coaches compared Meier’s injury to that of a shark bite, yet the quarterback refused to draw attention to himself, playing through the injury.

“He’s a physically tough specimen, but he’s also very mentally tough,” Schmidt said. “He was stitched, he was glued, he was dealing with an elbow infection for five weeks… and it didn’t stop him.”

The Warriors won their next four playoff games, outscoring opponents 177-57, to clinch their second-ever state championship appearance. They failed to win the state title, but Meier’s play exceeded expectations.

Despite running the ball 31 fewer times than he did as a junior, Meier rushed for a new career-high 2,339 yards and 36 touchdowns. Additionally, Meier developed as a passer. After completing just under 54% of his throws in 2022, Meier increased his completion percentage to 64%, setting career bests in passing yards (1,859) and touchdowns (23).

“Last year I thought I had a good year, but this year I thought the game slowed down and everything kind of came to me,” Meier said.

Throughout his career, Meier has excelled on the field while maintaining his humility through the ups and downs, resulting in admiration from his teammates and coaches.

“You get a kid like (Kyle) once every 20 years,” Schmidt told the Daily Sentinel on Sept. 13, 2023.

Published on January 23, 2024 at 11:02 pm