Trib HSSN football player of the week – Kemon Spell
School: McKeesport
Class: Sophomore
Height/Weight: 5-foot-9, 185 pounds
Position: Running back, cornerback
#Earned: When Mars and McKeesport met in Week 7 for first place in the Class 4A Great Allegheny Conference last month, the Tigers defeated the Fightin’ Planets, 28-7. So with Mars brewing up a dish of revenge and jumping out to an early lead, McKeesport turned to witchcraft and cast a fatal Spell on the Planets. After falling behind, the Tigers scored 35 unanswered points with most of the damage done by sophomore running back Kemon Spell, who carried the ball 15 times for 281 yards and scored three long touchdowns on runs of 55, 36 and 56 yards. In two playoffs wins over Belle Vernon and Mars, Spell has carried the ball 41 times for 558 yards and five TDs.
What coach says: “He has been great all year, but (on Friday), he was able to run through tackles and then make the long run from there,” McKeesport coach Matt Miller said. “I thought he also played an outstanding game at cornerback.”
“He has definitely gotten better each and every week. He had a small injury that kept him out of camp, and it seemed to slow him down early in the year, but as of late, he has been amazing.”
“He has embraced the role as a major contributor to our offense this season and has become more vocal and a leader by his hard work.”
“His youth is so exciting for me, because he is only going to get better over the next couple of years. He has great vision, power and breakaway speed. He is also humble and a true team player, and he will be a great example for younger players coming up through our program.”
Background: McKeesport has a long list of successful running backs over the decades that have enjoyed great scholastic careers running out of the old George Smith flex-bone offense. As a freshman last fall, Kemon Spell finished third on the team in rushing behind Anthony Boyd and Keith Spell with 517 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has moved into the top 10 in rushing in the WPIAL this season with 1,617 yards and in scoring with 24 touchdowns. Even though he’s only a sophomore, Spell has already committed to Penn State. He said he had always wanted to play there, and when they offered earlier this season, he jumped at it. Spell played baseball and basketball through middle school but does plan of joining the McKeesport track team for the first time this spring. As a lifetime McKeesport resident, Spell grew up emulating former Tigers running back and safety Khaleke Hudson, who played his college ball at Michigan and in the pros with Washington and now Cleveland.
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