Prospect Spotlight: Kage Montoya – Chaska (2021)

Five shutouts, nine games allowing one score or less, only one game giving up more than 15 points, one loss, and one state championship. Those are the kind of numbers the Chaska Hawks’ defense put up in 2019. Senior to be [player_tooltip player_id="23689" first="Kage" last="Montoya"] was a huge part of one of the best defenses in the state. Last year he played with a chip on his shoulder. This year, Montoya focused on helping his team make another run in the playoffs and fulfilling a lifelong dream. "Historically, I think we had one of our best defenses in the history of the school and maybe the state," Montoya said. "Those results started with us buying into the system. We had a great linebacker core and one of the best secondaries we have had in a long time. That led into our offense making big plays off the turnovers we were able to get." The Hawks – who finished their championship season with a 12-1 record – played a year-long game of keep away. "We kept the offense on the field as much as possible with turnovers," Montoya explained. "I think we had thirteen interceptions. We had a lot of fumble recoveries as well. It kept the defense off the field and the offense on the field. We were big on establishing the run. We had three big running backs, so establishing the run opened up the passing game." The chip on Montoya’s shoulder came from a disappointing sophomore season. "I think I had a really good (junior) season," Montoya told prepredzone.com. "I came into the season with something to prove. I didn’t play much in my sophomore year, and I thought I had a chance to play sophomore year. I knew my junior year I was going to have to prove myself and show people I could play. It was a big eye-opener as well. I am not always going to make the big plays, but it is more about doing my job, so my teammates can make the big play. I thought I played my best in the playoffs and established myself as an aggressive corner." "I played the left corner," Montoya continued. "My strengths are tackling and finding and reacting to the ball. The thing I work on the most is not missing tackles. To me, missing a tackle is one of the worst things I could do because I know my capability as a tackler. I had four interceptions this year, and a couple I should have had. I am able to find the ball well." Although he was a defensive starter all season, Montoya holds special teams close to his heart. He also plays on the kickoff team, the kickoff return team and the punt team. "Special teams are where I started, and that is where I became a good football player – on the kickoff team." This offseason, the 6’1" 170 defensive back, has worked on polishing his coverage skills. "I have been working on my footwork to help me react to different routes, flipping my hips, putting my foot in the ground, and closing on a route. I have been doing a lot of route reaction drills and footwork." Right after the football season, Montoya was in the weight room. "This winter, I was in the weight room, and we did a lot of bench clean and squat. We worked on getting explosiveness – especially in my hips. I was in track for about a week and a half before it got closed down. I would have run the 200, 400, and 4X400 relay." When COVID 19 took over everyone’s lives, Montoya found ways to stay active. "I have neighbors around my age who are really competitive. They play soccer and basketball. I was able to play some pick-up games with them for conditioning, and we could do footwork drills with them too. I work too. My job is in masonry, so I do a lot of heavy lifting with stones and mixing cement, so that kind of substituted for weightlifting until we could go back in (the weight room) again." COVID 19, nor moving the season to the spring, has slowed Montoya. "I was bummed out (about the season), but then I started thinking some states are canceling seasons, so at least we still have the opportunity to play. We are preparing like we are going to play two weeks from now." Colleges did not notice Montoya last offseason, but this year, they have. "Recruiting has been going great. I didn’t play much as a sophomore, so I wasn’t getting recruited much going into my junior year. Now, I have been talking to all these coaches. It is surreal – as a kid, I always wanted to play college football. I watched my cousins play college football, and now I am here with these offers. It has been a cool experience." "Almost every NCIS school has offered me," Montoya, who likes fishing for bass and trout and just going on the boat, continued. "They are recruiting me as a defensive back – not really a corner." Coming off a state championship and an outstanding defensive season, Montoya and the Hawks have a lot to live up to. That is just the thing to put another chip on Montoya’s shoulder again.