Hempfield senior quarterback takes on leadership role

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 | 6:54 PM

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If there is one player that Hempfield first-year football coach Nick Keefer is relying on this season, it’s senior quarterback/safety Keiran Lippmann.

And the 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete said he’s excited to be the leader as Hempfield tries to build on last year’s 6-4 season.

Lippmann started the first five games of the 2022 season at safety. But in the sixth game of the season, his duties changed.

Hempfield was riding high after a 5-0 start and a victory against returning PIAA and WPIAL Class 5A champion Penn-Trafford.

During the first quarter of the Gateway game, starting quarterback Jake Phillips sustained a season-ending shoulder injury and Lippmann became the starting quarterback.

“We suffered an emotional letdown and the team lost confidence after that,” said Keefer, who was an assistant coach. “Keiran was put in a tough situation.”

Hempfield lost the next four games before ending the season with a win against Norwin.

The Spartans changed their offense, and Lippmann wasn’t asked to do the things Phillips was capable of.

Lippmann completed 16 of 27 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 10 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Keefer said he expects more from him this season on both sides of the ball.

“I think first and foremost, I’m looking for leadership,” Keefer said. “Last year, he was a leader on the defense early in the season by coming downhill and making tackles and playing over the top as a safety. During the second half of the season, he got experience as a quarterback.

“I’m excited about the young kids, but you can’t replace experience. We’re going to look at him to do a lot of reads on offense and be the quarterback on both sides of the ball. He’s been ready for this for a long time.”

Lippmann will be a three-year starter on defense. He started in the secondary as a sophomore, and he’s also played wide receiver. Sophomore Dominic Detruf is pushing Lippmann for playing time at quarterback.

“It was very valuable for me just getting time and getting the tone of a varsity speed and varsity level,” Lippmann said about starting at quarterback. “I definitely plan on excelling this year and taking huge strides from where I was from last year.

“I’ve put a lot of work in during the offseason to get to that point. So I’m looking show it out this year.”

Lippmann said he wants to be that leader on both sides of the ball.

“Coming into the season, I’m just looking to improve on both sides of the ball and definitely lead my teammates,” he said. “We’re a younger team this year, and I need to be a role model for the younger players and show them what we want the standard to be moving forward.”

Keefer said Lippmann is a leader by example. He said Lippmann never missed a summer workout, is first on and last off the field and in the springtime, even though he played baseball, he always attended the 6 a.m. lifts on Thursdays.

“He’s been on the sidelines since third grade as a ball boy,” Keefer said. “He’s been with this program for so long and he really loves Hempfield football and is excited to be a leader.

“We’re trying to get him to do everything the right way and being a true Spartan — don’t just talk about the part, but act the part. He’s helping younger players out if he needs to. He’s excited and makes sure our tempo is correct at practice and making sure players are enthusiastic. I couldn’t ask him to do anything else.”

Lippmann said he did a lot this summer to improve his play by doing quarterback workouts, playing 7-on-7 with a travel team and attending a lot of college prospect camps.

He added that the camps have made him a better player and person.

“I’m carrying myself differently, and I’m picking myself up after every rep whether it was a win or a loss,” Lippmann said. “I come back and have that win-the-next-rep mindset.

“I need to process the game a little better as a quarterback, and safety-wise, I need to play full speed 100 percent of the time and not worrying about a bad drive on offense and playing with a clear mind and playing well on both sides of the ball.”

Lippmann said he’s excited about the season. He feels the offensive line will be strong behind left guard Joel Dolinski and left tackle Ralph Batista.

“He’s an athlete,” Keefer concluded. “College coaches have inquired about him as a safety. They like his length.

“He’s has to be able to run the ball and throw it. He has to be a true point guard and has to run the show. He’s ready to for that.”

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Hempfield