RYAN REEBENACKER, KV NEWS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TRUMPET SPORTS WRITER
In the 2019 season opener for the Wartburg College Football Team, wide receiver Kolin Schulte ’20 did something that has only been done a handful of times in the school’s history, catch four touchdowns.
After replicating a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since the departure of All-American receiver Riley Brockway ’18 in 2017, Schulte tactfully described his performance against Greenville as “just business.”
Wartburg’s all-time record versus Greenville increased to 2-0 following the win, and the all-time points differential increased to 13334, a testament to the disparity in talent between the two programs. “Their defense was kinda set up in a way that I just should have gotten a lot of catches,” Schulte said. “They blitzed and played man so a lot of the offense tends to go to the outside receivers.”
Schulte came off of a 2018 season in which he lead the Knights in receptions with 51, receiving yards with 1,091 and average yards per game at 99 over a full 11 games played.
“A lot of times last year, when I would mess up or I wouldn’t do something perfect, I knew Matt [Sacia ’19] would make up for that,” Schulte said. “I have to defer [the praise] to Matt, and to our coaches who put me in that position and had faith in me.” The biggest change for Schulte
this season is adjusting to not just one new quarterback, but two. Since Sacia’s graduation, Schulte has had to learn the ropes with two starting-caliber quarterbacks: Noah Dodd ’20 and Jace Moore ’21.
“It’s a lot different, for sure,” Schulte said. “Now that there’s a different quarterback, and there’s also another quarterback, I’m not always on the same page with them. I kinda have to focus on myself more, make sure I’m doing my thing right to help both of them
out.”
“We want the opposing team thinking ‘Oh, well Kolin had a really good game last week, so we’ll double him,’ but then we have three to four other guys who can do the same things at a really high level.”
— NICK WALL, SENIOR WIDE RECEIVER
Now in his senior season, Schulte has proven himself as the No. 1 receiving option. But his place amongst the top of the rotation was not so clear just a year ago. Nick Wall ’20, who was the presumed No. 1 option going into the 2018 season, did not play a down for the Knights that year.
Instead he suffered a broken pinky in training camps, which enabled him to take a medical redshirt and play with the team this season. In
Wall’s place, Schulte was thrust into the top spot. “I came into camp, I was one of the better receivers,” Wall said.
“He stepped up big time. I wasn’t honestly expecting it, I thought it was going to be really tough.” Now Wall is back on the roster with a receiving lineup that includes names like Schulte, JoJo McNair ’21 and Brandan Childs ’20.
“We want the opposing team thinking ‘Oh, well Kolin had a really good game last week, so we’ll double him,’” Wall said. “But then we have three to four other guys who can do the same things at a really high level.”
When the Knights faced off against the Luther College Norse on Saturday, Schulte led the way for the Knights with 10 catches for 134 yards and one touchdown. The Knights won the contest 62-10, improving their record to 3-0 on the season, and 1-0 in conference play. Schulte’s play has been elevated once again this season.
Throughout the three games he’s appeared in he’s caught five touchdowns, is averaging 116 receiving yards per game and leads the team in catches with 22. With seven games left in the Knights’ regular season, Schulte is 10 touchdown catches away from tying Wartburg’s single-season receiving touchdown record of 15, another record that is held by Brockway.
Schulte will be given more opportunities to chase this record should the Knights make the playoffs.
Knight Wire 
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