While Nate and James Keller watched that final game and reflected on what they had been watching all season, the quarterback knew his performance was not acceptable. The father-son conversation focused on what needed to change.
“Everything I’ve done throughout my life he’s been there to coach me, help better myself – he’s someone I can trust,” Keller said. “I know he’s not going to sugarcoat anything. He’ll give me the hard truth if that’s what I need to hear.”
Keller achieved something rare for Stebbins quarterbacks last season. He led them to a winning record (5-3) and a division title in the Miami Valley League (4-0). He has passed for almost 2,000 yards over the past two seasons and rushed for over 500 yards in each season. But when he looked at other numbers, he saw this:
· Completion percentage: 56% in 2019, 50% in 2020
· Touchdowns to interceptions ratio: 3 to 6 in 2019, 9 to 13 in 2020
“I never felt satisfied with my performance last year,” Keller said. “I felt like I could always do better.”
Keller, a three-time captain, channeled self-motivation into an offseason dedicated to football, and the results are obvious. The Indians have started 3-0 for the second straight season. Keller leads the MVL with a 70.8 completion percentage, in yards with 640, in touchdowns with nine and has by far the highest quarterback rating. And he’s thrown only two interceptions.
“He’s making better decisions, reading the defense better and not waiting for somebody to get open – he’s throwing before they’re open.” Stebbins head coach Greg Bonifay said. “The anticipation is a lot better.”
Keller’s offseason improvement plan began in the weight room with senior teammates Omar Holloway, the Indians’ leading rusher, and defensive end Dalton King. At the start, Keller’s maximum bench press was 235 pounds. Now he benches 315.
The added strength and using his hips more in his throwing motion – something he learned from quarterback coach Marcus Fails – has added velocity to Keller’s throws and increased his confidence.
Keller also attended three one-day camps to learn and compare himself to other quarterbacks. That feedback added more motivation to improve.
Keller’s other offseason regimen was more time throwing to his receivers. The extra reps increased the group’s chemistry and timing. This year’s corps is led by junior Adrian Norton with 12 catches for 248 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Shawn Dozier, sophomore Rayvonn Harris-Belle and junior Caleb Gray have combined to average 19.7 yards on 19 receptions and three touchdowns.
“They can do it all,” Keller said. “They have speed, hands and the ability to turn nothing into everything. They can go get a ball, and once they have the ball in their hands in the open field, they’re dangerous.”
Keller also exercises his mind more than ever. He studies video of himself over the weekend after each game. The team watches opponent video on Monday and Thursday, and Keller studies opposing defenses on his own on the days in between.
“I was just going out and playing and didn’t really have the mind part of the game down,” Keller said of previous seasons. “I play with my mind now. It came this year with watching film and offseason work and working harder in practice.”
Keller wants to play in college. He has an NCAA Division III offer from Wilmington and NAIA offers from Bethany in Kansas and Clark in Iowa. He’s not in a hurry to make a choice. His wants his play this season to result in more choices.
For now, Keller wants to make the most of this season and help Bonifay, who is in his fifth season, build a sustainable program.
“We definitely didn’t want people to look at last year like it was a fluke season just because of COVID, so we had a lot of motivation in the offseason,” Keller said. “Last season started it, this season we’re off to a great start and everybody’s starting to notice us. They’re coming out to watch you, so to perform for them means everything.”
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