By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Being a state-class athlete in three different sports has been a blessing for Seaman product Bryer Finley.
Seaman three-sport standout Bryer Finley will play wide receiver for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Dodge City. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But that versatality has also presented challenges for the football, basketball and baseball standout as he's tried to decide which sport he'll pursue at the collegiate level.
The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Finley, who will play wide receiver for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl all-star football game at Dodge City, is leaning towards playing baseball in college, but that decision is not set in stone.
"I'm still basically undecided to where I'm going to go to college,'' Finley said this week before an East practice at Ottawa University.
Complicating Finley's college decision is the fact that a big senior year afforded him college opportunities in all three sports.
Finley was named the United Kansas Conference offensive player of the year and TopSports.news Shawnee County co-offensive player of the year last fall in football after catching 82 passes for 1,556 yards and 21 touchdowns as Seaman posted an 8-3 record and advanced to the Class 5A state quarterfinals.
Finley earned Second 10 all-county and second-team All-UKC honors in basketball and was a second-team all-county selection in baseball while receiving All-5A and All-UKC honorable mention.
"It's still hard to make the (college) decision because I love all three and played all three growing up,'' Finley said. "It's hard to make a commitment to one when I've been playing them my whole life, but if it's the right one hopefully I'll do good at that one.''
And if Saturday proves to be his final football game, Finley can't think of a better way to go out than in the state's premier all-star game while playing with former Seaman teammates Max Finley and Kaden Jordan.
"I get to play one more football game and it seems awesome to come out here with my two other teammates and get one more game with them,'' Finley said.
Huston (6-1, 185) is playng quarterback for the East while Jordan (6-2, 305) is a defensive lineman and Seaman coach Jared Swafford is an an East assistant coach.
Also playing for the East is former Washburn Rural standout offensive lineman Caden Estrada (6-2, 270).
