NORTH ROBINSON (Crawford County Now) — Kaden Bruner, Colonel Crawford graduating senior linebacker and tight end announced his intentions to sign and enroll at Otterbein University in the fall majoring in secondary education and special education as well as to play football for the Cardinals.
Bruner a three-year letter winner in football, two in basketball, three in track and one in baseball has been a part of lot of great seasons for the Eagles. In four years at CC the Eagles football team has gone 39-8, all losses to playoff teams. This is the best record in CC football on any three- or four-year period in program history. He was part of three 10-win seasons for the Eagles, 5 Iron plow championships (vs. Wynford) in a row, and regional Sweet 16 team, all of which are records for the program.
Bruner also played for 4 years for the Eagle basketball team, two years as a starter, and was part of two Northern 10 Athletic Conference titles and a final four appearance. Bruner, as a three-year letter winner in track scored in the N10 meet three years in a row in the throws but opted to play baseball his senior year and traveled to the regionals this year.
Bruner was All N10, NCOFCA, All District two years in a row at linebacker and twice at tight end. He was selected All-Ohio this season in football and will play in NCOFCA Football All-Star game. Ironically, former CC assistant and teacher, current Northmor head football coach, Scott Armrose will be his coach of the South NCOFCA team.
Bruner visited many schools including Adrian, Ashland, Baldwin-Wallace, Heidelberg, Dennison, Ohio Northern, Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenberg, and Wooster. Bruner decided late on Otterbein as coaching changes occured after the season this fall. Adrian, Heidelberg and Wittenberg were tops on the list.
He loved the Otterbein campus, Westerville, and surrounding Columbus area when he visited as a junior. Kaden’s mom, Sarah Bruner, went to Ohio State and was on the swimming team for four years. Kaden’s junior sister, who runs and swims for Lexington, also swims in on the Greater Columbus swim team year-round so the family was excited when he announced his decision. Bruner will be close enough to see his dad, Jake, coach Colonel Crawford and brother Trey play for the Eagles.
The Cardinals have struggled in football in last few years, but Bruner wants to be part of rebuilding that. His grandfather, Ted Bruner, former administrator and coach at CC, played at Heidelberg in 1970s and was part of a national championship in 1972. Kaden’s father, Jake, played at Otterbein 1997-2000 and was a four-year letter winner and captain of the Cardinals.
Kaden will be playing alongside teammates Lucas Foy (Bluffton) and Brennan Reber for the NCOFCA all-star football game at Clearfork High School, Friday, June 13 at 7 p.m. for the South Team.