KNOX, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Keystone football coach Todd Smith was scrolling through Twitter after a heartbreaking loss to Brockway on Friday night.
(Above, sophomore Drew Keth scrambles during a game earlier this season/photo by Madison McFarland)
He came across a tweet describing one of the Panthers’ touchdowns against the Rovers.
Drew Keth pass to Aidan Sell.
Smith couldn’t help but chuckle softly to himself.
“Who would have thought that?” the first-year coach said.
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It certainly wasn’t Plan A for Keystone this season, but injuries have forced Smith and his staff to improvise.
Keth, just a sophomore, was thrust into a starting role at quarterback after junior Rayce Weaver suffered a season-ending dislocated elbow during a win against Smethport on Sept. 23.
Keth had never played quarterback until this season. He played the position in just two junior varsity games before he was called upon to run what can be a complicated Keystone offense under Smith.
“It’s quite a process to go through in such a short amount of time,” Smith said. “He’s just a sophomore and I can’t say enough about him. He’s really doing a fantastic job. He’s athletic and I’m most impressed with his poise under difficult circumstances.”
Keth has done yeoman’s work in the two-plus games he has played.
He had a big night against Brockway in the 21-20 loss, completing 12 of 18 for 183 yards and a touchdown.
This season, he is 23 of 49 for 427 yards and three TD passes.
Not bad for someone who had been a wide receiver until seven weeks ago.
Keth said he is happy with how quickly he has gotten up to speed on playing quarterback on the varsity level. He just wishes the Panthers could have gotten a pair of wins in the process.
“I’m pretty proud of myself, even though we lost the last two games,” Keth said. “We’ve been in games. We’ve executed the plays. We lost basically on the last play of the game the last two weeks. That’s tough. But that’s football sometimes.”
Keth, who is only 5-foot-4 and 123 pounds, plays much bigger than his size.
He has a strong, accurate arm. But he wants to increase his arm strength in the future.
“There’s still a lot I can get better at,” he said. “Getting the plays in quicker. Footwork. Reading the field.”
Weaver has been helping Keth through the growing pains.
“Rayce has helped me because he’s played quarterback for pretty much his whole football career,” Keth said. “He’s helping me with a lot of things and giving me confidence.”
Weaver was playing well before his injury.
“It’s tough because he has put in so much work and he is just such a super kid,” Smith said of Weaver. “We’re hoping he can get back and still play some basketball this year after working through that injury. He doesn’t need surgery, but it’s going to take awhile to rehab it.”
Keth has a lot of help around him on the field, too.
When they are healthy, that is.
Senior running back Kyle Nellis has missed the last two games due to injury, but should be back this week when Keystone hosts Kane on Friday night.
Senior Tyler Albright has also been banged up.
With so many skill position injuries heading into last week, Smith made another bold move, shifting senior Aidan Sell from tight end to running back — a position he had never played before.
(Aidan Sell/photo by Madison McFarland)
Sell weathered his own injury issue this season. Six days before the opener, Sell broke his hand. He played five games with it in a cast, which limited what he could do.
“It was frustrating at times,” he said.
He finally shed it against Ridgway.
Smith needed a running back with Nellis hurt and Albright not 100%.
“With the injuries, we were asking, Who can we get the ball to?’ Kyle wasn’t playing and (Albright) wasn’t practicing because he was hobbled,” Smith said. “We were like, ‘Well, let’s see what Aidan can do.’ Then he goes out there and has the game that he did the other night.”
Sell, a 6-foot, 180-pounder, rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a TD pass from Keth in the one-point loss to Brockway.
“It was different for sure,” Sell said. “It’s a position I never played before, but as coach always says, ‘Next man up.’ With Kyle out we needed a running back and I just had to fill in.”
Sell said he found out on Monday that he was making another position shift. He had three days to prepare for his new role.
Sell was already moved from wide receiver to tight end before the start of the season.
“It was really fun,” Sell said of playing running back. “It was an experience for me, and I really enjoyed it. We have a couple different formations that I’ll be getting the ball at running back, but I will be playing tight end again.”
Keystone is hoping the injury bug will stop biting.
“It seems every week we’re teaching somebody a new position,” Smith said.
Keth and Sell, though, have come through in a pinch when the Panthers needed it the most.
“Injuries happen. It’s football,” Sell said. “You face adversity.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
