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Southwestern Football Team Members Are Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Male Athletes Of Month

Dan Brannan, Content Director

Jun 28, 2021 12:57 PM Jun 28, 2021 1:04 PM

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PIASA - Anyone who knows Southwestern head football coach, Pat Keith, knows he is a winner. Pat normally has his team positioned for playoffs each year on the gridiron, but he also is one of the best at getting the most out of his players and also preparing them to be a success in life after his program.

Keith is a Marquette Catholic grad and played for Coach John Waters during his Explorers' days. Keith said Coach Waters, Dan Bowman, and Charlie Raich, others he assisted out of college, had a huge impact on him.

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Keith's Piasa Birds football team posted a 5-1 mark this past spring and were one of the top teams in the entire region.

The Piasa Birds football squad under coach Keith are the Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Male Athletes of the Month for Southwestern High School.

Seniors this spring included Ashtin Sorgea, Sam Wolff, Colten and Colin Campbell, Joe Reno, Will Yurick, Chris Reynolds, Clayton Peterbaugh, Tristan Loveless, Paul Garrett, Bryce Anderson, and Noah Garner.

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Several others played key roles, including David Watkins, a tackle and defensive end, Gavin Day, a slotback, linebacker, Blake Funk a running back, Aaron Frost, a linebacker, and many others, who return for the fall 2021 season.

Keith played football at Millikin University for two years as a tight end, then returned home to attend Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. He said he loved Marquette and played three sports. He said Coach DeCourcey, the Explorers’ previous baseball coach, also inspired him.

“I was blessed to be around a lot of good football coaches and also coached by a great one,” Keith said.
Keith has lived in Brighton for almost 20 years, and he said it is his home. Pat’s son, Logan, is a rising player on the team, is a varsity kicker, and also had junior varsity time at quarterback and linebacker as a freshman.

Pat stresses the kids he coached at Roxana, and now at Southwestern, are “great kids.”

“The kids have worked hard and bought in to have a successful program,” he said. “Football has been great for the kids. It is definitely gratifying to see them have a lot of success in a great community to be an educator and coach.”

Keith said he hopes to continue to build on such a strong spring outcome and keep improving and make the playoffs this fall with the COVID-19 pandemic lifting.

"I am very proud of the kids and coaching staff for the success this past spring, and we hope to just keep improving and compete every Friday night in the fall," Keith said.

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