Tyler of all trades
KARNS CITY – Tyler Kepple's answer for the question he is most frequently asked is seasonal.
Mostly, he aims to please. The Karns City senior doesn't really have an answer to the question.
“I don't have a favorite sport,” Kepple said. “A lot of people ask me that question. I usually say whatever sport I'm playing at the time.”
Kepple, who is a guard for the Gremlins boys basketball team, is a four-sport standout at Karns City. During the fall, he was the starting quarterback on the football team. In the spring, he will run sprints and long jump for the track team, as well as pitch and play shortstop for the baseball team.
Currently, he's focused on being a dead-eye shooting guard for the Gremlins. Kepple made six 3-pointers and scored 25 points in Karn City's 66-65 season-opening loss to St. Joseph Wednesday night.
He has now made what is believed to be a school-record 166 treys during his career.
Due to the length of the football season, Kepple and his football teammates had five practices to get ready.
“A lot of those five practices was conditioning to get our basketball legs,” Kepple said. “I thought we were pretty ready. We seemed ready to go.”
Being a threat on the perimeter began when Kepple started shooting 3-pointers in the seventh grade. With practice, the long-range shots started to come naturally to him.
“He's really good at managing his time,” Gremlins boys basketball coach Chris Bellis said. “That's what he emphasizes more than anything.
He's a four-sport athletes and not only competes, but he commits to that. He takes everything seriously.”Balancing a full schedule isn't anything new in the Kepple household. Kepple's older sister, Allyson, was also a four-sport athlete at Karns City. She played soccer, basketball, softball and track. Zach, his older brother, an offensive lineman at Grove City College, also played four sports during his senior season.Karns City football coach Ed Conto believes that trickled down to Tyler.“It starts with his parents and the way he was brought up,” Conto said. “His sister played sports and his mother and father were both sports-oriented. It's a tight family and they obviously love their kids and go to all the events. Sports is part of what they do.”Part of what Tyler Kepple is used to is running. Not only for conditioning, but between activities, especially in the spring.“The school does a good job of working out baseball games and track meets so they aren't on the same day,” he said. “Coaches are forgiving about us splitting the (practice) time.”All of the running between activities didn't have an impact on his production. Kepple was 7-1 with a 2.30 ERA as a pitcher and qualified for the Class AA state meet as a member of Karn City's 4x100 relay team.Gremlins baseball coach Randy Collins encourages his kids to do both sports.“Tyler wants to do both sports and I try to keep them for as much (practice) time as I can, but I try to entice them to keep coming back,” Collins said. “Every year I give out awards for each class and I gave Tyler a leadership award for what he puts in on and off the field. He's a natural leader who other kids wants to follow.”
After being limited by a shoulder injury during his junior season, Kepple blossomed as a passer this season. He threw for 1,830 yards and 22 touchdowns. Next year, Kepple, who wants to be an electrical engineer, would like to continue his football career by joining his brother on the GCC football team.“He brought good leadership, always a calming influence,” Conto said. “Throwing a ball away when there is nothing there instead of making a bad play. Understanding how to run a two-minute offense. When things are going crazy around you, he was able to keep his head.”Kepple has also considered going to Penn State University Behrend and trying to play baseball.But for right now, neither would be his favorite sport.They aren't in season. Right now, it's basketball.“I guess you could say that,” Kepple said, laughing.
