Caleb Strauss’ decision to search for a college football scholarship instead of a basketball offer came down to simple math.“In basketball, there are thousands of 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-9 kids out there,” he said. “But in football, being 6-8 comes once in a lifetime.”The 6-foot-8 senior-to-be is a starting forward on the Warrenton basketball team, where he  averaged  11.9 points and 9.2 rebounds as a junior.He will be the leading returner in both categories when basketball picks up in November.Until then, though, his mind is on the gridiron.“It wasn’t really that tough of a decision for me,” he said of focusing his time on football recruiting. “I love each sport, but I know my physicality would help me more in football.”Last season Strauss caught 13 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 13.7 yards per catch.That type of athleticism has caught the attention of college coaches, and Strauss estimates six or seven schools have reached out so far.He has been in frequent contact with coaches from Missouri State and Western Illinois, two programs that compete at the FCS level (formerly Division I-AA).Wyoming, a school in the Mountain West Conference that plays at the highest level of Division-I, has also been in touch.“If money weren’t an option, I would definitely take a trip to Wyoming,” Strauss said. “Laramie is a smaller town and everything is about Wyoming football. I’ve talked to (Assistant) Coach (Jake) Dickert a lot and he told me they have a big family atmosphere. You’re basically going up against the best guys at that point, and that would be fun.”He added: “Wyoming coaches have sent me a lot of stuff in the mail, too. They did some Twitter stalking and put some pictures of mine into a poster and sent me that in the mail, and that was cool.”Taking advantage of their proximity to Warrenton, Missouri State coaches invited Strauss to their camp last weekend.“I’ve talked to (Assistant) Coach (Justin) Kramer a lot and (Head) Coach (Dave) Steckel, and he’s a pretty great guy. The atmosphere at Missouri State was really intense and I really liked it.”Strauss said the message from Missouri State coaches has mimicked the feedback from most schools.“They want to see some more stuff on film and see what else I can do,” he said.That starts with blocking.Playing in a spread offense at Warrenton, Strauss has had limited snaps as a run-blocking tight end.That would change in college, and he hopes to show coaches his potential in that department.“They’ve told me they want me to both catch and block,” he said. “I think the reason some of the schools haven’t offered yet is because they haven’t seen me put my hand in the dirt and block, and that’s why I’m going to all of these camps.”Strauss will visit Northwest Missouri State Friday before attending a camp at Western Illinois over the weekend.While he waits for scholarship offers, Strauss said he is in no rush to make a decision.“I’m taking my time right now and seeing what schools have to offer,” he said. “I’m looking at what school can give me the best education. I’ve talked about that a lot with my family. If the school give you the best education and gives you the best chance to succeed, that’s where I want to go.”.CHASING HIM DOWN — Caleb Strauss chases the Jennings quarterback down during a game late last season. Derrick Forsythe photo.