By Brad Crowe
One of the most brilliant performances of the week two slate was delivered by a young man who is unknown to most who follow MHSAA football. However, if he continues to dominate opposing defenses as he has through his first couple starts, his name will soon spread like wildfire. Sports601 would like to honor Taylorsville’s Ty Keyes as our “Sports601 Smith County Player of the Week.”
“What’s wild is that he’s just 14-years old,” said Coach Robertson when asked about his young quarterback’s performance in their win over the Raleigh Lions. “You bring in a kid not knowing what they’re prepared for. We try to run the ball and play good defense to help take the pressure off of him, but he holds his own. He’s a great kid, he works very hard, and I’m very proud of him.”
“Holds his own” may have been a gross understatement. The ninth grade signal caller completed 16 of 26 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns. He also got the job done with his legs, carrying the ball three times for 86 yards and two more touchdowns — one coming on a 40-yard scramble late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach and seal a victory for the Tartars.
Through two weeks of his high school football career, Keyes has completed 65% of his passes for 273 yards per game, is averaging whopping 21.4 yards per carry, and accounted for seven Taylorsville touchdowns.
The potential for Keyes is limitless, as he continues to develop and obtain experience. Coaches throughout Class 2A will be losing sleep when they see him perform and realize they will have to deal with him for the next four seasons.
