Tyler Dralle wouldn't have it any other way.

Dralle was a standout in both football and baseball during his prep career at Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

When it came time for college, Dralle wanted to continue his dual sports participation at Coe.

Now preparing for his junior year with the Kohawks, Dralle has a busy summer ahead. During the week, he hits the weights hard at Coe. On Sundays, he's back playing baseball again for the Stars in the Iowa Valley League.

"This summer I've been lifting five days a week," he said. "Then on the weekend, I play for fun with the Stars."

Dralle was a key member of the Stars' IVL and IABA state championship teams last summer and was back working in the outfield during the team's home opener last Sunday at Mount Mercy.

The upcoming football and baseball seasons at Coe are setting up to be big ones for Dralle. On the gridiron, he rushed for 452 yards in six games before missing the final four games due to a leg injury as the Kohawks finished 4-6.

During this past spring, he batted .250. As a pitcher, he went 2-0 with one save as Coe finished 24-18.

"I'm definitely looking forward to building off what I did last year," he said. "I'm looking to get better in both."

The thought of giving up one sport or the other has never crossed Dralle's mind.

"No, I've never really thought about it because I love both of these sports so much," he said. "I enjoy doing it all the time and I've never really felt burnt out or anything like that."

Dralle has never strayed far from his Kennedy roots. He was an all-state running back as a senior, leading the Cougars to the Class 4A state title game in 2015 by rushing for 2,254 yards on 408 carries.

Playing with the Stars has allowed him to stay connected with other Cougar alums on the team.

"All these guys play ball the right way," he said. "We all have the same mindset out here so we play really well together."

In baseball as a junior, he was part of the Cougars' 2015 state tournament team that lost to Iowa City West in the semifinals.