Senior linebacker making name for himself at Kiski Area

By: Michael Love
Friday, August 20, 2021 | 6:25 PM

Anyone who plays football at Kiski Area is bound to receive a nickname from head coach Sam Albert and his coaching staff.

For Brayden Dunmire, his ability to deliver the goods early in his varsity career earned him the moniker “Stick.”

“When he was a freshman, I put him in at outside linebacker, and he really hit this kid,” Albert said. “And one of the coaches said, ‘Wow, did he stick him!’ So we started calling him that.”

“Stick” stuck, and it’s been with Dunmire ever since.

“It’s a pretty cool thing about this team,” said Dunmire, who eventually earned a starting role in his first varsity season.

“Most of the guys have them, and they have special meaning behind them. Brandon (Lawhorne-Moore) is Beef; Brock (Wilkins) is Manster, half man, half monster; and DeShaun McBryde is Wolverine. (Matt) Hilty, he is Silk because he is smooth and people slip off of him when they try to tackle him. There are a lot of good ones. It’s good team bonding because everyone calls you by your nickname.”

Stick, along with Beef, Manster, Wolverine, Silk and the others on a veteran Cavaliers team with nine returning starters on offensive and defense, hope to make things happen in the Northeast Conference, earn a return berth to the WPIAL playoffs and pick up the program’s first playoff victory since 1991.

Dunmire found himself around the ball a lot last year, and he fronted the defense with 40 tackles.

Offensively, he was a force from the tight end position and because of injuries, he also found himself at both H-back and running back. For his offensive efforts, he earned all-conference recognition.

At 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, Dunmire forms a formidable veteran 1-2 punch at inside linebacker with Wilkins, who also checks in at 6-1, 235 and is in his fourth year as a starter.

“Brayden, and also Brock Wilkins, have so much experience. They know the defense inside and out,” linebackers coach Jim Collins said.

“They are like having coaches on the field. Brayden and Brock have grown so much together in that defense. We are able to expand on some things we’ve done in the past, so that will make us a better defense.”

Dunmire said a key for the Cavaliers defense is versatility among its members, and he could see time this year in different sets as a stand-up defensive end and also at outside linebacker.

“I like what the coaches have for me and each of us because it can create headaches for other teams scouting us,” Dunmire said. “A lot of times, you don’t know where we are coming from. That’s an advantage for us.”

Dunmire, who will be a dual threat at running back and H-back on offense, feels that versatility will be to his advantage when it comes time to make his mark at the next level.

While he doesn’t expect to be at tight end this season, he knows that experience and success there could pay off down the road.

“I talked to some coaches and went to a couple of camps (Slippery Rock, Notre Dame (Ohio) and Duquesne) over the summer,” Dunmire said. “I really learned a lot of good things from techniques of tackling to more specific things for the linebacker spot.”

Kiski Area, which experienced a slow start to last season because of covid delays and restrictions, finished 2-4 overall and 1-4 in conference play.

“Last year, we got cut short a lot on everything,” Dunmire said. “And now, all of the seniors are ready to win and go out on a high note. We just want to do what we know we are capable of doing.”

After adjusting to his secondary offensive positions last year, Dunmire, with an offseason of growth under his belt, again is ready to do his part at H-back and running back with a hand in both the run and pass games.

“I really used last year as motivation for myself to build a lot more muscle in the weight room,” said Dunmire, who went from between 215 and 220 to now near 235.

“Everyone was accountable to each other for the work we did. I think this summer was our best yet with the weight room, and we really benefited from a full summer of workouts, unlike last year. We started with the weight room in January and were able to keep it rolling.”

Dunmire is excited to see what the offense can become.

“I think this offense can be really good with the weapons we have at running back and our receivers, and our line is really strong,” he said.

“We just have to be consistent and put it all together.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Kiski Area