Prescott junior guard Kobe Russell is a serious bigtime football prospect at the defensive back position. Serious, meaning he has the size (6'1" and 185 pounds) and speed (4.5 40-yard dash) coveted by college football programs. Kobe Russell is serious about basketball, too.

"He gets angry when the person he's guarding scores," says Prescott Head Basketball Coach Nick Johnson. "And not all high school players are like that."

"I am serious in practice and I want my teammates to feed off my energy," says the three-sport star in football, basketball, and track. "If they ever score two points on me, I'm mad, even in practice. Defense is how you win games. It's effort and I got to give that every trip down the court. My mindset is they're not scoring on me."

Russell was on a mission this past summer. Last year as a starting sophomore guard, Russell did help the Cardinals advance to the WIAA State Tournament, capturing their ninth Middle Border Conference title in the last 11 years.

"We were picked to finish third in the conference last year," said Johnson. "We had our ups and downs but we were playing our best ball in the post-season and Kobe was a big reason for that."

As a sophomore, Russell averaged just under eight points per game and shot 21% from beyond the arc.

"Last year, he was struggling from the 3-point line," said friend and teammate Aidan Dorau. "But this year, he's lights out."

"He's come so far in his offensive skills," said Johnson.

Russell is averaging over 19 points per game this season, shooting 41% from long distance.

"Kobe is one of the best two-way players I've coached in 14 years," said Johnson. "The way he plays offense and defense, he's just a special player. He's got every piece to the puzzle. He's a great kid, he works hard, and he's a leader. Kobe is the real deal."

Russell is a two-way player on the football field, too, playing receiver and defensive back. When asked about what position he'll play in college, Russell squints his eyes, gives a serious look, and seemingly considers the question to be preposterous.

"I'm not just a d-back, I'm an athlete," said Russell. "I play both ways like Travis Hunter (Heisman Trophy winner)."

Russell's comment wasn't meant to be boisterous. It was simply a serious reply to a question. It was matter of fact to him. He doesn’t list a specific position on his Instagram page; it just states “ATH,” short for athlete.   

"Kobe does act serious to everybody," said Dorau. "But behind the scenes, he's a jokester. He does keep it pretty serious on the court or on the football field, but off it, he's a pretty funny dude."

Dorau wanted to have some fun with his buddy: "Tell him I said I beat him in Fortnite (XBOX video game) all the time. I don't, but that'll get him going."

"That is not true at all," said Russell. "Aidan Dorau does not beat me. I'm one of the best Fortnite players in the world; well, not the world but in Prescott."

The Cardinal boys' basketball team is currently 7-2 before Monday's game against River Falls. Four-year varsity player Barrett Temmers broke his fibula in the first round of the football play-offs close to three months ago. Temmers just had his walking boot removed and is ahead of schedule to return in about a month.

"Barrett is going to help us a lot," said Russell. "Barrett locks people up on defense, too. I love that. Especially when you lock up their best player, it messes up their whole team."

What is Kobe Russell best at when it comes to football, basketball, or Fortnite?

"I'd say football," says Temmers. "But it's pretty close, actually. He's pretty good in basketball, too."

The Cardinal boys' basketball team is currently 3-0 in Middle Border Conference action this season. Their next game will be in Altoona on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.