Kyle Markway watched in awe as the glaciers collapsed around him.
A Vianney senior tight end/defensive end and the No. 3 prospect in the Post-Dispatch Super 30, Markway and his family vacationed on an Alaskan cruise ship.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,†Markway, 18, said.
He spent part of a day fishing in Ketchikan. Markway and his family hauled in more than a dozen salmon then donated them to be used at a local food pantry.
Though he's not prone to seasickness, Markway struggled with stuffing his 6-foot-5 and 236-pound body into the small bed inside a tiny cabin.
“My legs were dangling off the bed,†Markway said. “I had to sleep sideways.â€
Markway and teammate Jordon Hardwick have the potential to leave opposing coaches sleepless. The massive Markway has the ability to dominate a game in the trenches. Last season he had 64 tackles, 14 of which were for a loss. He also had a team-high seven sacks.
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He was equally talented on the offensive side. He caught a team-high 28 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown for an offense that was built around a power rushing attack.
Markway's offensive stats might not jump off the page, but his skills were enough to catch the eye of South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who liked what he saw and immediately offered Markway a scholarship. Markway was surprised. South Carolina wasn't on his radar when the recruiting process began. He took an official visit, fell in love with it, and verbally committed to be a Gamecock.
There were plenty of programs chasing Markway. Some thought he'd fit their system as a tight end. Some thought he'd make a great defensive end. Some didn't know but wanted him anyway.
South Carolina sees Markway as a tight end. Which suits him just fine. The way the Gamecocks fling the ball around, there should be plenty of passes for Markway to haul in during his career.
But before he packs up and leaves, he has a senior season full of intrigue and expectations awaiting him.
Vianney completed the renovation of Don Heeb Field over the summer. The biggest investment was in the artificial playing surface. Markway said he has noticed a difference in the way the Golden Griffins move at practice because of the turf.
“It makes our team quick and athletic,†he said.
Markway mentioned the new turf is blazing hot in the summer sun. But he will trade hot feet for dry ones come the later stages of the season. Vianney's grass field often took a beating between soccer and football using it regularly throughout the fall. The soccer team had to secure alternate places to play postseason games because its home turf was in such rough shape.
The football team was not immune, either. Markway said the mud and muck were part of the reason the Golden Griffins lost 14-0 to Jackson in a Class 5 sectional. The ball was slippery, it was hard for the linemen to get their footing. It was not the kind of night Markway wants to relive.
“I used to like playing in the mud,†Markway said. “Until it cost us a game.â€
With the graduation of All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year Markel Smith, Markway knows there are serious doubts about whether or not Vianney will be able to find its way this season. You just don't replace Smith's 35 touchdowns and 2,416 rushing yards. Still, Markway thinks Vianney is on the verge of making the leap.
“I know this season will be something special for us,†Markway said.