MORGANTOWN — The craziest part about the game Brody Kehler had against Musselman on Friday night, in which he scored five touchdowns (four rushing, one 65-yard interception), is that it may not even be the best performance we see from the UHS tailback this season.
The Hawks opened the 2025 season with a decisive 40-21 victory on the road against Musselman in Week 1, sealed by Kehler’s pick-six late in the contest.
That was his fifth time finding the endzone after he rushed for four touchdowns on 16 carries, tallying 101 yards in the process. He’s already three touchdowns away from his total of seven a season ago.
“What I thought was working well was our play calling, and being able to maintain momentum through first contact,” Kehler said Saturday. “The pick felt nice. It was fourth and long, so I dropped back to play the sticks. I watched the quarterback’s shoulders and tracked the ball to my hands.”
Brody then went 65 yards untouched to the endzone to ice the game for the Hawks.
“When I caught the ball, my momentum was already going forward,” he said. “I just used my speed and beat everyone to the outside.”
A true speed-back, Kehler is able to use his vision along with his quickness to get upfield quickly. During one of his touchdown runs against Musselman, he planted his foot in the turf on a dime and exploded through the hole in the line.
“I think the weight room is what paid off the most for me in the offseason,” he said. “Being able to play bigger, faster, and be more explosive helps me so much. Those were some of the weaker aspects of my game I wanted to focus on.”
Kehler certainly showed that he is a player to watch on both sides of the ball, not only in Class AAAA but also throughout the entire state, with his Week 1 performance. But with so much football ahead of him in his high school career, this is only the start of what could be a special career.
He will look to continue his upward trajectory this week, as the Hawks look to avenge their opening loss of 2024 to Parkersburg South. UHS fell 49-20 last season in Wood County, but will welcome the Patriots to Baker’s Ridge with a sour taste in their mouths from a hearty defeat last year. Kehler scored his first-career touchdown on an 86-yard kickoff return in that game, but was held to 30 yards on the ground.
“As a team, we talk about consistency every day and how important it is,” Kehler said. “We need to focus on the next game and not get lost in what happened the week before. Take each week just as seriously as the last and stay focused on the task at hand.”
