@isaiahkeys58 from @gomccracken is the @1776Bank Revolutionary Player of the Week. @minguabeefjerky @PrepSpin @KyHighFootball @McCrackenHFC

There is no better time than the present to anoint another Independence Bank Player of the Week. Independence Bank is proud to sponsor a weekly article highlighting players in the areas where Independence Bank flourishes who embody the same type of revolutionary service to their respective football teams which has made Independence Bank unique and special in the banking industry.

Independence Bank has a goal of achieving everyday excellence, and this week we are focusing on a player whose performance exceeded expectations in 2020 and who will be vitally important to the Mustangs’ success in 2021. Today, we are focusing on Class of 2022, linebacker, Isaiah Keys from McCracken County High School. 

Image from Hudl, Highlights

Keys’ Mustangs are located right down the road from three (3) Independence Bank branches. These locations are on 2711 New Holt Road (West Park Branch), 3312 Lone Oak Road (Lone Oak Branch), and 211 U.S. Highway, 41-A (Highway 41-A Branch). Go and visit the most rapidly growing bank in the commonwealth of Kentucky, with 20 locations, Kentucky-wide, Independence Bank. Independence Bank has started a revolution in the banking industry.

Isaiah Keys is a guy some recruiting experts are going to attempt to pigeon-hole. They will claim he fails to hit their measurables to play linebacker for their program.

Now there will be several colleges who will recognize his extraordinary ability and look past his measurables. Those colleges willing to roll the dice will be thrilled with the outcome.

It’s really no gamble at all. He will be the same type star at the next level he is right now playing 6A, 1st-District football.

There is a reason there are so many examples of “busts” on college rosters at all levels of play. It takes more to be a college football player than to just look like one.

Players have to be willing to make sacrifices, diligently apply themselves on and off the field, and have tremendous self-discipline. Players just like Isaiah Keys go on to thrive in college football. So will he.

Keys is a guy we would take at linebacker any day of the week and twice on Sundays. He is listed at 5-9 and 220-pounds. We don’t want to talk about those numbers.

Why? Because it would be impossible for us to care any less.

We would prefer to talk about his 70-tackles last season in only 8-games of run to lead his defense. We would like to talk about his 15-TFLs to also lead the unit. We would like to talk about his 2 QB-sacks, also among the unit’s leaders (DL, LeAndre Bolen, ’22, had 6).

We would like to discuss his 340-pound bench press, or his power clean of 305, or his squat of 530. We would direct your attention to the total of those three lifts equaling 1,175-pounds, and how incredible such a total really is for a high-school football player.

You see, all of his numbers we want to discuss have one common denominator. They were earned and say something positive about his work-ethic, ability to play football (production), and his commitment.

We pick our players based on measurables the player controls, not the ones he doesn’t. That’s why we don’t have busts where colleges often do. Our system is better than theirs.

We’re playing to win. Other recruiting sites, and many college recruiters, are playing not to lose. Anyone who has ever competed knows the difference between those two concepts.

At KPGFootball, and at Independence Bank, excelling and thriving at the areas of the game over which the player has a measure of control are the measurables which mean anything to us. We care about production, work ethic, and effort over passing anyone’s eye-test.

Like Independence Bank, this cat gets it done. This guy doesn’t make excuses; he makes outstanding football plays, at any height, at any length. In fact, he’s as good as any linebacker among the ’22s on the western-end of Kentucky.

Yessir, in case you couldn’t tell, we love us some Isaiah Keys. There are lots of reasons you should too.

Congratulations to Isaiah Keys, both for his Revolutionary Play in 2020 and that which is to come in 2021. His outstanding play, both in the past and that which is sure to come, has earned him this week’s recognition from the fastest growing bank in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, your friends at Independence Bank.

This is Coach HB Lyon, reporting for Kentucky Prep Gridiron and reminding you that WE’RE JUST CALLING IT LIKE WE SEE IT!

About Henry Lyon 1210 Articles
Have coached at the high school and middle school level. Have worked in athletic administration. Conceal my identity to enable my candor on articles published by this magazine. Only members of the editorial board are aware of my true identity.

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