Featured Senior Athlete: Keifer Wilson, Greencastle

Friday, May 13, 2022
Keifer Wilson
Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

Keifer is a senior at Greencastle and participates in three sports, football, basketball and baseball.

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Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them?

Keifer Wilson: “Sports is a major part of my life. I’ve been around sports all my life. My mom and dad played softball through COA and they just kept me around the sports realm. We’ve always been traveling across the country and the state for tournaments and everything throughout. I started tournaments in 10u and we’ve been everywhere. Sports taught me to not take things for granted. Know what you want and achieve that goal.”

BG: Talk about your sports.

KW: “Football taught me how to be in a team and to rely on everyone. Basketball is a sport that I love to play but was never really great at. I was athletic and really enjoyed it; I stuck with basketball because I knew the guys really well, it was fun, they were nice to me and I really loved it. Baseball has been my everything since I was able to swing a bat. Growing up, it’s been awesome to have the opportunity to play.”

BG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in sports?

KW: “Last year, I played in the Junior Rising Star Game, a two game series. We took batting practice before and the coach was throwing in front of us. I whiffed on the first throws and the first one I hit went straight up. I knew it was going to be a day and it was a long day that day.”

BG: What does your game day routine look like?

KW: “I always bring in my hat the night before so when I wake up, I wet my hair and put my hat on for 20 minutes to get my hair to lay down as I have bed hair. I go to school, and either go home, if I have time, and grab a sandwich or, if it’s a road game, I don’t really eat anything, maybe a granola bar. When I get dressed, I have to put everything on in order: my sliding shorts, my undershirt, my jersey and then my pants.”

BG: Do you have any favorite college/pro sports teams or athletes you follow?

KW: “For college football and basketball, it’s Purdue, hands down. In baseball, I like seeing Tennessee. They had a player throw 105 mph, which is insane. I love turning the game on and watching him. My favorite professional player is Buster Posey. He’s a hell of a catcher and I look up to him.”

BG: What else do you do at school besides things involving sports?

KW: “I do 4-H, horse and pony, at the fairgrounds.“

BG: What do you like to do outside of school and sports?

KW: “Depending on the night, me and the guys go out to eat and just have a good time. We always hang out. If we have nothing to do and we know a friend of ours is playing, we’ll got out and watch. Last Saturday, we watched Lathen Worman play golf.”

BG: What are your favorites in movies, TV and music?

KW: “TV-wise, I love watching ‘The Simpsons.’ It’s funny and nothing is ever the same. Music-wise, it depends on my mood but country is my top choice. There are so many movies to choose from but ‘Forrest Gump’ is always a good one to turn on and as for comedies, ‘Step Brothers’ is a good one.”

BG: If you’re home for the night and can’t go anywhere, are you a person that wants to watch TV shows and movies with Hulu and Netflix or stream something from YouTube, Twitch, TikTok etc.?

KW: “I’d hop on TikTok but normally I’d hop on the PS4 and see what the guys are doing and play some 2K with them.”

BG: What is something you have never done before that you would like to do someday?

KW: “Either skydiving or bungee jumping. It’s the thrill of being weightless for however long the jump lasts.”

BG: What is your biggest fear?

KW: “Probably snakes. I’m not a big fan. If I can see it, it’s not bad, but if I don’t see it and walk up next to it, I’ll be scared.”

BG: You’ve been placed in charge of making dinner. What’s on the menu?

KW: “Just spaghetti. It’s probably the one thing I can make by myself. It’s just so simple.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

KW: “I have two dogs. One is named Memphis and one is named Gibbs.”

BG: If your house were on fire, all living things were already out and you have your keys, cell phone, wallet/purse etc., what is one thing you would go back and get?

KW: “”Probably my PS4. I love playing on that thing. There’s so much stuff on that thing that it’s one of those things you just have to go back and grab.”

BG: If you were to describe your personality in one word, what would that word be and why?

KW: “Worker. No matter what’s happening, everyone has to work for something. You are always striving for your next goal and I love doing that, always trying to achieve more than I should.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

KW: “Orlando. We went three years as a family and it was so much fun. We spent two days there and we were all burnt sun red but it was so much fun.”

BG: What was your favorite school field trip?

KW: “It was actually this year. I went to Turkey Run with the seventh graders and coach Wells as a TA. It was a really fun trip. The only bad part was there were so many gnats out. Me and Wells had such a great time hanging out.”

BG: How important is support from your family and classmates to your success?

KW: “It’s everything. Knowing that no matter if I fail, my parents will be there is important. The guys, especially on the baseball team….we were at Brown County this week and I wasn’t having a good night. I rolled over on a ball and hit it right to third. Everyone knew it as soon as I hit it but the third baseman missed it and everyone in the dugout was yelling about it. They push me to get better.”

BG: Describe your overall school experience both academically and athletically

KW: “School-wise, through Area 30, they allowed me to explore the auto technology side of schooling. I love working on cars but I also figured I should try something different this year and went into their teaching program. Playing four years of sports here and having the guys around me has been an experience. Each year, you get a different experience because you have incoming freshmen and departing seniors every year.”

BG: If your school was to offer a class it currently doesn’t, what would you want to see taught?

KW: “Probably psychology. For me to get a teacher’s education degree, I have to take psychology. I would have liked it be available at the high school level so I would already have it done.

BG: What are your plans for after high school, and what career are you headed toward?

KW: “I will be attending Olney Central College for two years, playing baseball, and where I see myself in 20 years is being a coach at either a varsity or college level. I don’t know whether I want to go into coaching in football or baseball because I learned so much from coach Rob Gibson and from coach Ben Wells, both who have taught me a lot.”

BG: Is it difficult to keep up with your school work being an athlete?

KW: “No. It’s really simple. It’s harder to fail a class than it is to pass a class. As long as you give some effort and turn in all your assignments, it’s almost impossible to fail.”

BG: Which particular classes and teachers have helped you the most in high school?

KW: “My algebra 2 class last year with Mr. Hankee. He helped me understand math. I was good at math before his class but now I feel really good about it. Mr. Wheeler in English. He’s taken regular English and put it into lifetime skills. He’s teaching lessons through regular English.”

BG: In the future, if you had your choice, would you want to live in the mountains, on the beach or in the neighborhood?

KW: “Definitely down by the beach. I love being on the water.”

BG: Do you think high school has gone fast, and are you going to miss it?

KW: “It’s gone really fast, yes. Am I going to miss it? I’m going to miss the people involved in it, not necessarily the schooling part of it or having the schedule. Being able to see everyone the whole day and have fun in a regular class, that’s what I’m going to miss the most.”