SMALL WORLD: The coach Keyes replaced on Peavey’s 2000 staff was Jim Rowell, who moved on to another school. Now, Peavey, Keyes and Rowell have been reunited in Salisbury with Keyes as defensive coordinator and Rowell as offensive coordinator.
“I coached high school ball in Georgia at a school with 20 coaches,” said Keyes. “But the staff we’ve got here at Salisbury is as good as any I’ve been on.”
The new coaches have had plenty of praise for holdover staff members like running backs coach Doug Faison and linebackers coach Jared Eure.
“Those guys have got the same belief in discipline that we have,” said Keyes.
Hornet players are high on the coaching staff as well.
“Coach Peavey keeps you going,” said quarterback/punter Tommy Ludwig.
“I’d say we got the best coaches around,” added cornerback Trey Wallace.
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THE BIG GUY: Keyes is a mountain of a man and a tower of positive thinking who will remind fans of former East Rowan Shrine Bowler and current West Rowan assistant Darrell Misenheimer.
After his prep school days, Keyes went on to play at Newberry College, where the offensive coordinator was none other than current Catawba head coach David Bennett.
What was Bennett like in 1988-89?
“About the same,” laughs Keyes. “Just maybe he’s a little bit calmer now.”
Keyes does have one small bone to pick with Bennett.
Back in their Newberry days, Keyes saw occasional duty as a fullback when the Indians went to their “heavy jumbo” set for short-yardage situations.
“But I never got to carry the ball in a game,” said Keyes. “Only in practice.”
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NEW FACES: The Hornets have been reinforced by three former East Rowan Mustangs — 260-pound junior lineman Matt Butler, who is already being looked at as a team leader by coaches, and backs Antwain Blakeney and Vincent Brown.
“I like it here,” said Brown. “I’ve found a home.”
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NAME GAME: Peavey’s pretty much figured out who’s going to play where, but has a ways to go as far as learning everyone’s real name.
“So many of them go by nicknames,” laughed Peavey.
Among the monickers Peavey called out yesterday were Piano Man, Hercules, Canine and Taco.
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NEW QB: The Hornets are counting heavily on new quarterback Chris Geter, a senior who was a receiver last season.
“Running is what I do best,” said a confident Geter. “But don’t get me wrong. I can throw it too.”
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BOTH WAYS: Hornet mainstay Paul Kluttz is excited that he might play both ways this season at outside linebacker and center.
“I ‘d love that,” said the feisty, 160-pound Kluttz, who looks like he’s been chiseled out of a rock quarry. “I hate to ever come off the field. Especially now. I like our new defense and our new smashmouth offense. They suit our personnel.”
Kluttz’s brother, Jason, was a two-way player on the Hornets’ last winning team in 1995.
Told he’s looking more and more like his big brother, Kluttz responded in typical sibling fashion: “Really. That’s not good at all.”
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PEPTALK: Linebacker Joseph Walker strolled around prior to practice wearing a colorful blue turban with the words “Pep Talk” on it.
“It’s because I’m always getting pep talks from everybody — my mom, my dad, my uncle,” explained Walker. “They make sure I don’t have any setbacks.”
Walker was especially peppy about the Hornets’ spanking new shoulder pads.
“That’s why I love playing linebacker,” said Walker. “Love to hear the sound of those pads when I hit people.”
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ON A ROLL: There was a humorous moment during roll call when Keyes barked out the name “Jay Robinson.”
When there was no immediate response, Keyes said, “Hey, don’t we play them this year?”
Salisbury does indeed. That’s the name of the new school in Cabarrus County.
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NEIGHBORS:Coming from rural S.C., Peavey is a little amazed to be in a county that contains five high schools.
“It’s great,” he said, “to have rivals so close by. In South Carolina, we had to drive two hours to play a rival.”
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MOTTO: Peavey says his team’s philosophy is simply to get a little better every day.
“So far we’ve done that,” he said. “Some of our kids haven’t been on a football field very much, but they’re very coachable.”
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DOG EAT DOG: People are sometimes surprised when coaches who have been on college staffs (like Peavey) return to coaching high school.
Maybe they shouldn’t be.
“The advantage in coaching college is that it’s football only (with no classroom responsibilities),” said Peavey. “But college is cutthroat. Have a bad season and the head coach is fired and all the people on his staff are looking for work.”
As far as money, Peavey says he actually got a pay raise when he went from college to high school.
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TIGHT FIT:Salisbury athletics has a disadvantage when it comes to attracting major-sport coaches because it only has three P.E. positions — one female, two male.
“Some schools have seven P.E. jobs,” commented Salisbury principal Windsor Eagle.
Peavey, Keyes and girls basketball/ soccer coach Jennifer Shoaf fill Salisbury’s P.E. positions.
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GET REAL:Peavey’s a realist and knows it could be a tough ride in the CCC given his inexperienced backfield.
“Still, I don’t want to ever use the word rebuilding,” he said. “It’s not exactly fair to your seniors to say, ‘Okay guys, next year we’re gonna be really good.’ I want this year’s seniors to go out as the class that turned things around here.”
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SPECIALIZING: Peavey says no matter where he’s coached, special teams have decided at least two games a year. That explains why he had his Hornets working on punt coverages on the fourth day of practice.
“It’s a lot more fun to block a punt and win a game than to get one blocked and lose,” said Peavey. “We’re gonna work real hard on special teams.”
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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