A teammate's death gives special meaning to Indian's season

by Jake Hallman, Special to the Pottstown Mercury

Posted on August 31, 2007

RED HILL - Keith Learner is quick to point out that his 2007 football team features the most talented group of student athletes he's had in his four years guiding Upper Perkiomen's program.

Learner is also quick to point out that talent isn't the only factor that determines success in the Pioneer Athletic Conference and beyond.

"We've had some great student athletes in the years I've been here, but I've never had as many at one time," Learner said. "We talked in a player-parent meeting before the season that the key is we need to get the right people on the train and in the right seat, that's our job, figuring out where our kids fit in best. Everyone in our program has a role, and we have to get the kids to believe in the role they're in."

Learner said his team's athleticism is a product of an aggressive offseason. Besides the usual weight training, his team also underwent speed camp for the second straight year from May to August. Learner said the program has paid dividends, as the Indians' overall team speed has improved tremendously.

Besides turning the team's athletic ability into wins, Learner's other main challenge this year will be helping his team heal from tragedy. Two weeks ago, senior running back/defensive back Keith Klepac was killed in a car accident while driving to pick up a friend on Route 100 in Hereford Township.

Klepac's death sent shockwaves throughout Upper Perk's team, as well as the area high school football community. In each of Upper Perk's two scrimmages, both squads met in a circle at midfield to have a moment of silence for Klepac.

"Hatboro-Horsham's head coach said we might be combatants, but we're brothers in football before and after the game, and we need to reach out in a moment of crisis," Learner said. "It's our job not to just make these kids better football players, but better people. We have to learn to handle it, we have to respect how people approach tragedy. We just need to be there and pray for these guys to be able to get through something like this."

Klepac will be remembered by the Indians with a memorial decal on their helmets, "K-PAC, 32," the senior's nickname and jersey number. His death, Learner said, has also found a way to unite the team as well as motivate the upperclassmen.

"You hate for any tragedy to occur, but with Keith's passing, it has brought everyone closer to everyone," Learner said. "It's still fresh, but as a team we're starting to be able to breathe."

If losing one of his players wasn't enough, Learner has also had to deal with a host of preseason injuries to key players. For starters, the Indians lost starting sophomore running back Shawn Wenhold to an MCL tear. Upper Perk also had to contend with the early loss of senior lineman/linebacker Tommy Artim, as well as senior Dane Kress (TE/DE), who is mending a broken foot.

At quarterback, the Indians will use the tandem of senior Justin Kresge and sophomore Tommy Paul. Learner said he's comfortable with either player starting and is quick to point out there's no controversy.

In fact, Learner said depth at quarterback is needed, which became evident last season against Perkiomen Valley when senior starter Sean Nevin left the game, and the Indians were forced to use a back-up with limited varsity experience.

Whoever is throwing the ball is expected to find senior wide receiver Justin Horning, who has proved early on that he's going to be the go-to receiver. Chase Fleming will help hold down the tailback spot with junior Ryan Connor until the return of Wenhold, who led Upper Perk with 351 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 2006. Meanwhile, Cody Fleming and Mike Keller will open the holes up at fullback.

On defense, the Indians will lean on Cody Fleming at linebacker, who led the team with 112 tackles last year, Kress (44 tackles), defensive lineman Nick Hale, lineman Geoff Alderfer, sophomore Tyler Frank, and senior John Artim.

As a team, the Indians will look to get over that proverbial hump that is the PAC-10 championship. The team has come its closest to winning the league under Learner last year when the team started out 7-0 only to lose to Perkiomen Valley before falling to Boyertown in the Thanksgiving Day title game.

The final two losses of the year left the squad with a 7-2 record in the league, good enough for second, and 8-4 overall, including a District 1, AAA loss to Garnet Valley in the opening round. Upper Perk will open the season tomorrow night at William Allen before hosting Downingtown West Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. The league portion of the schedule kicks off with a home Sept. 14 game against Owen J. Roberts.

"We have to finish - finish every rep in practice, every rep at speed camp, and it's that same thing in the game," Leamer said. "Last season, we unfortunately lost the championship, and we have to find the way to get on a championship level. People are writing us off, and that's OK, it seems like they're picking Lansdale Catholic, Pottsgrove, and Owen J. Roberts, and that's OK. We'll approach it one game at a time and approach it each week."

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