Kokomo — The children of coaches are typically held to a higher standard on and off the field, and Kokomo’s Austin Colby is no different.

Austin led the Wildkats in tackles from his safety position last year as a junior with 64, including 39 solos. In addition, he had a team-high four interceptions, and garnered team MVP honors on defense after a 9-1 campaign that included an undefeated regular season, all while playing under the spotlight that comes with his father, Brett Colby, as the head coach.

Now a senior, he is a two-way starter, manning the quarterback position in the Wildkats’ ground-heavy attack. Defensively, he already has two interceptions through two games.

Whether Austin is the coach’s son or not, it’s easy to see his value to Kokomo.

“Pound for pound, [Austin] is the strongest kid on our football team,” Kokomo coach Brett Colby said of his elder son. “He’s a hard worker, and he has earned the respect of his teammates. There’s not a kid [on this team] that doesn’t respect what he does on and off the field.”

Football is ingrained in the Colby family’s DNA. Brett has been a varsity football coach for 22 seasons with stops at South Newton and Frankfort before Kokomo. His father, Ron, was a longtime assistant under Hall of Fame coach Jim Plummer at Western and now runs the Wildkat defense which features Brett’s two sons. Austin is joined on the squad by his younger brother, Cameron, a two-way lineman.

In addition, Northwestern coach John Hendryx is Brett’s brother-in-law and the boys’ uncle.

“I think it’s part of our life,” Austin said. “Every time we get together as a family, we’re always talking about stuff, talking about how we’re going to be next year. It’s pretty cool, really.

“As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been on the field. Since I was five, dad let me be on the field as a water boy. I’ve never missed a game.”

Does the eldest son feel any added pressure that may come with his father and grandfather on the coaching staff?

“I do, but not as much as you would think,” Austin said. “They hold me to a higher standard, and make sure that I’m getting the guys lined up in the right spot. If I don’t get someone lined up in the right spot, then it’s my fault and I get yelled at.

“I feel like being the [defensive] MVP last year made it tougher this year, because I had to come back out and lead this team again. I just feel like I have to go 100 percent on every play to make that happen.”

On the other hand, does dad think it’s extra special to experience the success with two sons on the roster?

“I’ve been looking forward to the opportunity of being able to coach them, since they were four and five years old, at the varsity level. My dad coached me at the varsity level, and it was a pretty special time for us,” Brett said.

The Class 5A No. 9-ranked Wildkats (2-0) will put their 22-game NCC win streak, as well as their 18-game regular-season win streak, on the line tonight when they welcome Muncie Central (0-2) to town. An NCC title this season would tie Kokomo with Lafayette Jeff for the second-longest reign atop the conference. Jeff won four-straight conference titles from 1979-82. Richmond holds the all-time record with six straight titles from 1970-75.

The overload of wins wasn’t something that Austin expected when the family moved from Frankfort to Kokomo, but he said that he and his teammates take the tasks of maintaining those streaks very seriously.

“[At Frankfort], we always lost a couple games a year,” said Austin, who attended Frankfort through the eighth grade. “[Dad had] never coached an undefeated team before, and to be part of that and have a significant role on that team was a big deal for me. We definitely want to keep it going.”

Brett holds his time at Kokomo close to his heart, as he’s had a first hand look at his sons as they’ve reached a high level of success both as individuals and as part of a team.

“You look at a coach’s kid, no matter what sport it is, and they just have a little bit more [knowledge] because they’ve been around it,” Brett said. “Austin and Cameron have been at every football practice I’ve had since they were in first grade, and they’ve seen the discipline that I expect. They understand the level of respect we command from our players, so hopefully they are passing that on to their teammates and classmates.

“It’s special because Austin is throwing around the idea of playing at the next level and becoming a coach. I think that’s a great career choice for him. He’s a student of the game, and he’s got a lot to give back if he decides to do that.”