NEW COACH BRINGS NEW SYSTEM TO KEYSTONE

KNOX – There is a new sheriff in town for the Keystone football team with assistant coach Jason Nellis taking over for Dan Reed, who resigned because of personal reasons two weeks before the start of training camp.

Nellis is no stranger to Keystone or District 9. He has been an assistant coach with the Panthers for "five or six years" and was a star linebacker on Keystone’s 1989 football team that made it to the state championship game. That year he was named an Associated Press First-team All-Defensive Player.

Nellis became a coach after his playing days and has coached with five current or former District 9 head coaches include Reed, former Clarion-Limestone boss Clyde Conti now at Slippery Rock, current C-L head coach Todd Smith, current Brookville head coach Chris Dworek, who was also head coach at Keystone, and former Union head man Al Pryor, who was an assistant coach at Keystone a couple of seasons ago.

Having coached with so many different coaches who have very different philosophies, Nellis is planning on using a hybrid of each in the Keystone’s offense. The Panthers will no longer be a pass-first, run as a last resort team.

"We’re definitely going to be more run-oriented," Nellis told the Clarion News’ Jeff Say. "We’ll keep some of the passing game, but we’ll focus a little more on ball control."

Nellis would like to run an offense that utilizes a lot of different formations similar to what two-time defending District 9 Class A champion C-L uses.

"It won’t be quite as many as C-L runs," Nellis told Say. "But we want to run different formations. We want to run as many different plays as we can from several formations just to make the preparation for us a little harder."

Nellis will have a young team to work with this year, and a team with a lot of question marks.

"We are pretty young, but the players are responding pretty well since I’ve been here so long," Nellis told the Clarion News’ Jeff Say. "This will be my sixth or seventh year coaching here, so in way it’s a transition and in a way it’s not."

One of the biggest question marks for the Panthers will be at quarterback where junior Justin Bifano (21-of-58, 331 yards, 3 TDs, 7 Ints) was suppose to be the starter. But Bifano injured both of his legs in a car accident over the summer, and some complications put his availability in question.

"We’re planning on him playing as long as he’s healthy," Nellis told Say. "There are situations where you can throw a different guy in at quarterback, and we’re working three or four different guys at the position. Sam (Swartzfager) would be a possibility. We have a freshman, Mike Switzer, who we might put in there who has pretty good speed."

Swartzfager saw a lot of action at quarterback over the summer, but at the same time he is the Panthers returning leading rusher having gained 865 yards on 165 carries while scoring nine touchdowns last season. He was the ninth leading rusher in District 9 a year ago while also catching 13 passes for 137 yards and a score.

"Sam’s powerful," Nellis told Say. "He has speed, and he can get to the outside. This is his fourth year, so his technique is good."

Joining Swartzfager in the backfield will be fullbacks Korban Mohney and Zach Banner (3 carries, 15 yards).

Keystone will have a young line opening holes for Swartzfager and the other backs.

"Our line is coming along," Nellis told Say. "They’re pretty young too. They have some quickness, and they get off the ball quickly."

Leading the line will be seniors Zach Witkowski and Adam Hallberg. They will be joined by Adam Dechant, Blake Cataldo and Cody Colwell.

"They’re all pretty strong," Nellis told Say.

Adam Hilyer will be the tight end and Zach Curran, Ryan Seth, Ross Neely and Kyle McMunn at wide receiver. McMunn is the only receiver returning who caught a pass last year snagging one for 20 yards.

"They are all solid football players," Nellis told Say. "We’re not afraid to go to them."

The linebacking corps will be the strength of the defense with Witkowski, Swartzfager, Banner and Neely headlining the group.

Witkowski will also see time at defensive end and will be joined there by Dechant and Catadlo with Colwell and Hilyer at defensive tackle.

Dan Irwin, Seth, Curran and McMunn will make up the secondary.