H-S Athlete of the Week: Linkon Keller, Connellsville
Name: Linkon Keller
School: Connellsville
Class: Junior
Sport: Football
Keller无毛视频檚 week: Keller scored a trio of second-half touchdowns in three different ways to help Connellsville rally for a 28-13 win at Latrobe, avenging a 41-0 home loss to the Wildcats a year ago. The Falcons trailed 13-7 in the third quarter when Keller came up with the biggest play of the game, a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown that put his team ahead to stay after Hunter Brown无毛视频檚 extra point. Keller added an 18-yard touchdown run and then a game-clinching 72-yard punt return for a score, both in the fourth quarter. 无毛视频淗e has an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time,无毛视频� said Jace McClean, one of Connellsville无毛视频檚 trio of head coaches. 无毛视频淔riday无毛视频檚 game gave everyone a closer look at what we see everyday during practice. He made some key plays when the team needed it most. To score three different ways in a whole season is tough, but to do it in one half is really special.无毛视频� Keller, the 16-year-old son of Nicholas and Bethany Keller of Vanderbilt, recalled the three key TDs.
Game-changing play: Connellsville fumbled the ball away on the possession after Latrobe had taken the lead and Keller could sense his team needed a lift. He provided it with his pick-six. 无毛视频淭he first drive of the game we scored a touchdown and the momentum was all ours then,无毛视频� Keller said. 无毛视频淭hen they scored and scored again to take the lead and I felt it kind of slipping away. But after that interception everyone started to believe again that we can do this, we can win this.无毛视频� Keller explained how the play unfolded. 无毛视频淭wo wide receivers were split out. I was over top the second one about 10 yards off. As soon as the quarterback dropped back I saw the receivers both running go ball so I was getting back. I watched the quarterback pull up and throw it and I knew he wasn无毛视频檛 going to be able to get it deep so I fell off a little bit, he threw it too short and I undercut it. As soon as I caught it I just saw grass so I knew nobody was getting me.无毛视频�
Breaking free: Keller then gave his team some breathing room with his touchdown run. 无毛视频淲e got the ball in pretty good field position and a couple running plays got us close,无毛视频� Keller said. 无毛视频淚 got the ball on a down and I held up to let the blocks form, found a hole and shot through it. A couple guys got their arms on me but I wasn无毛视频檛 going to let anyone bring me down and kept going into the end zone.无毛视频�
Exclamation point: Keller无毛视频檚 final TD all but sealed the victory but it was the Falcons无毛视频� defense that set it up, he pointed out. 无毛视频淎fter the kickoff I told our guys if we stop them here we win the game, I promise you that,无毛视频� Keller said. 无毛视频淲e did. They went three-and-out and punted it.无毛视频� Keller thought he had returned a punt for a touchdown earlier in the game but was ruled out of bounds. 无毛视频淎fter that I told my teammate Jayden Mickens I无毛视频檓 going to get one,无毛视频� Keller said. 无毛视频淭hat ball was kicked short but it bounced toward me and I wasn无毛视频檛 going to let it go. I picked it up and there were about three or four jerseys in my face so I went left first, then I cut right at the sideline and after that it was a clear field except for the punter. I juked him and went inside to the left and I was free.无毛视频� His teammates mobbed him. 无毛视频淚t was surreal, one of the best feelings I ever had afterwards, everybody running up to me and then once I got to the sideline everybody was congratulating me,无毛视频� Keller said.
Versatile leader: Keller plays H-back on offense from where he is used in a variety of ways, and is leader on defense where he plays strong safety and is adept at anticipating what play is coming. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 kind of up to me,无毛视频� Keller said of defensive adjustments made before the snap. 无毛视频淢e and Jayden 无毛视频� this is his first year of playing safety 无毛视频� know each other无毛视频檚 jobs and we无毛视频檒l talk and make sure we无毛视频檙e on the same page on who无毛视频檚 going where, and I always check our alignment and if I see some guys are misplaced I无毛视频檒l try to line them up in the right spots.无毛视频� McClean praised Keller for his demeanor. 无毛视频淗e is a natural born leader both on and off the field,无毛视频� McClean said. 无毛视频淓ven though Linkon is just a junior, everybody in the locker room respects him. He is always cool as a cucumber. Every once in a while I无毛视频檒l get a smile out of him, but most of the time he is in the zone and all business. He never gets rattled and his leadership is exactly what we need, especially in high-pressure situations.无毛视频�
Head coaching threesome: Connellsville has a unique situation with three head coaches as McClean, Chad Lembo and Mick Lilley all work together to guide the team. Keller is fine with that set-up. 无毛视频淚 respect all my coaches and listen to all of them, whether they无毛视频檙e one of the head coaches or an assistant coach or whoever,无毛视频� Keller said. 无毛视频淚 think they all do their jobs really well.无毛视频�
Three-sport Falcon: Keller plays sports during the entire school year. 无毛视频淚 also play baseball and basketball,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淥f the three, I definitely like football the best but I enjoy whatever is in season. I always try to do the best I can at whatever sport I无毛视频檓 playing at the time.无毛视频�
College plans: Keller would like to further his academic and athletic careers in college but hasn无毛视频檛 made a decision yet on where that will be. 无毛视频淚 definitely want to do athletics in college and want to get my name out there so some coaches or scouts will look at me and know who I am,无毛视频� Keller said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檒l see where it goes from there.无毛视频�
Siblings: Keller has two older sisters, Raigan, who is a freshman at West Virginia, and Ashlyn, who is a senior at Connellsville. Raigan participated in soccer, cross country and track and field in high school.
无毛视频� Compiled by Rob Burchianti