Unheralded Felter does Avonworth’s dirty work
Before he was shoving aside opposing linemen, Kevin Felter was pushing around a wheelbarrow.
The Avonworth two-way lineman is a humble kid, only a sophomore, who takes a team-first mentality with him wherever he goes. Whether he is working a summer landscaping job in the blistering heat, or helping the Antelopes to a WPIAL championship in chilly, rainy weather, he’s all about pitching in however he is needed.
“I’m usually the dude that keeps pushing wheelbarrows full of mulch all day,” Felter said of his summer gig. “I kind of transferred that mindset over to football. I’m not into the glory and all that.”
Avonworth (14-0) faces District 10 champion Wilmington at 6 p.m. Friday at Slippery Rock High School in a PIAA Class 2A semifinal.
Felter, who stands 6-feet-3 and weighs in at 305 pounds, starts on both the offensive and defensive lines as a right tackle and nose guard, respectively.
“He’s silently been a battler in the trenches,” said Avonworth coach Duke Johncour. “All of our linemen have, but Kevin in the middle of the line [as nose guard] is constantly getting double-teamed.”
Taking on multiple opposing linemen is part of Felter’s job. He even prefers it that way. Ask him what it’s like to get a tackle for himself, and he kind of shrugs it off.
“Eh, it’s alright,” he said. But giving the linebackers a clear shot at a ball carrier?
“That’s kind of the role I’ve taken on,” he said. “It’s worked out pretty well. Most of our linebackers are over 100 tackles or closing in on 100 tackles. I’m happy with my job.
“It’s a team. It’s not a single person. There’s 11 dudes on the field and you just gotta do your job. I don’t find anything wrong with that. That’s my job and I do the best that I can.”
Avonworth running back Jax Miller has been a workhorse all season, including an epic performance in the WPIAL championship win over Washington last week when he ran for 291 yards and four touchdowns. Miller carried the ball 43 times, which kept the linemen happy.
“We hate it when we go like eight pass plays in a row,” Felter said. “But when we just run it down people’s throats, like 10 run plays in a row, we love it.”
Miller topped the 2,000-yard mark during the WPIAL championship, the first for
Avonworth in 60 years. He is a rare talent and the blocking in front of him has opened up those running lanes.
“Jax just has good vision and good patience,” said Johncour. “He’ll find the holes and that’s part of being a good player and a good running back.”
Like the Antelopes, Wilmington (12-0) is a team with a strong running game. The Greyhounds run a Wing-T led by Darren Miller, who has paced the squad with 1,215 yards and 12 touchdowns. Quarterback Caelan Bender has made the most of his passing attempts and thrown for 1,221 yards and 19 scores.
Johncour is quite familiar with Wilmington. He previously coached at Grove City, also a District 10 school, and has seen the Greyhounds before.
“They’re always tough,” said Johncour. “They’re a well-coached football team.”
One of Avonworth’s top playmakers this season, Kyros Thorpe, has been unable to play during the playoffs. Thorpe led the team in receptions (23) and receiving yards (506) while scoring 12 touchdowns. But, he was denied WPIAL and PIAA postseason eligibility after transferring from Central Catholic prior to this season.
That has not kept Thorpe from making an impact. In recent weeks he has practiced daily as a member of the scout team, giving his teammates a look at the speed and athleticism of a superior talent as they prepare for the next game. Much like Felter and many other players on the Avonworth roster, Thorpe is doing whatever it takes for the Antelopes to get better.
“He has handled this situation way beyond the level of what a high school kid can typically handle,” said Johncour. “His attitude and mentality is an example. He was not a distraction at all. He was beneficial. His work the last four weeks was outstanding. A lot of kids would have been angry or pouted.”