Class of 2008
John Keller
John Keller graduated from Hyndman High School in 1954. Five years later, he was back as a math teacher and head basketball coach. The first year was one of his most satisfying. His post man was 5-11, the others "real small." The team went to the state playoffs. "We played man for man due to our lack of size. And we didn't use any subs unless someone fouled out."
That was symbolic of Hyndman basketball, and Keller's phenomenal success with limited resources at a small independent school. Keller's teams won 373 games. They won seven Bedford County championships, five of them in one incredible run. They won nine district championships and twice finished in the top four in the state.
Keller proved that you can go home again and do great things. In the 1961-62 season, he started three sophomores and two others, non-Lettermen-and went to the regional playoff game. Later he admitted he had expected to win five games. At halftime of the first regional game, down ten points, he told his boys, "Let s go down trying." They came out in the second half with a pressure defense against a Gallitzin team which had two 6-4 boys in the middle. Hyndman won by two points. That season began a run of five Bedford County championship seasons.
When the team bus left for a playoff game in those years, the team could look back and see a long string of cars following. "It has been great to have the fans behind us all the way," Keller said in 1974.
As a home town boy, John knew everyone, and everyone knew him. He felt his teams had given him their best because of the good relationship he had with each of them. Coach Royce Waltman, one of Keller's early players, agreed: "He has a real deep concern for each kid." Keller said boys had brought him problems unrelated to basketball. "It's a good feeling to know they trust and confide in me."
One of his proudest moments was a loss, a 69-67 loss to Allegheny, a larger Cumberland school with a 6-7 center, in the 1967-68 season. It was a tremendous team effort, Keller said. "It was like losing to the Celtics by two."
Waltman said of his first mentor, "He is a gracious winner and loser. And he is a competitive winner and loser."
Keller coached basketball from 1959 to 1979, retired, then returned from 1982 to 1993. His teams won county championships in 1985 and 1986, and a final district championship in 1985. It's been fun, the best part of my life," he said on retiring. The down part was "no more spending time with the guys."
Keller coached the Bedford County Teener baseball all-star team to the state tournament twice. He was head of the Bedford Area School District learn-to-swim program for 22 years.
As a student at Hyndman, Keller was a four-year letterman in basketball and won three letters in basketball. He graduated from Penn State in 1958 and taught for a year at Bedford. He played for the Hyndman Vets baseball team for four years, and coached little league baseball.
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John Keller graduated from Hyndman High School in 1954. Five years later, he was back as a math teacher and head basketball coach. The first year was one of his most satisfying. His post man was 5-11, the others "real small." The team went to the state playoffs. "We played man for man due to our lack of size. And we didn't use any subs unless someone fouled out."
That was symbolic of Hyndman basketball, and Keller's phenomenal success with limited resources at a small independent school. Keller's teams won 373 games. They won seven Bedford County championships, five of them in one incredible run. They won nine district championships and twice finished in the top four in the state.
Keller proved that you can go home again and do great things. In the 1961-62 season, he started three sophomores and two others, non-Lettermen-and went to the regional playoff game. Later he admitted he had expected to win five games. At halftime of the first regional game, down ten points, he told his boys, "Let s go down trying." They came out in the second half with a pressure defense against a Gallitzin team which had two 6-4 boys in the middle. Hyndman won by two points. That season began a run of five Bedford County championship seasons.
When the team bus left for a playoff game in those years, the team could look back and see a long string of cars following. "It has been great to have the fans behind us all the way," Keller said in 1974.
As a home town boy, John knew everyone, and everyone knew him. He felt his teams had given him their best because of the good relationship he had with each of them. Coach Royce Waltman, one of Keller's early players, agreed: "He has a real deep concern for each kid." Keller said boys had brought him problems unrelated to basketball. "It's a good feeling to know they trust and confide in me."
One of his proudest moments was a loss, a 69-67 loss to Allegheny, a larger Cumberland school with a 6-7 center, in the 1967-68 season. It was a tremendous team effort, Keller said. "It was like losing to the Celtics by two."
Waltman said of his first mentor, "He is a gracious winner and loser. And he is a competitive winner and loser."
Keller coached basketball from 1959 to 1979, retired, then returned from 1982 to 1993. His teams won county championships in 1985 and 1986, and a final district championship in 1985. It's been fun, the best part of my life," he said on retiring. The down part was "no more spending time with the guys."
Keller coached the Bedford County Teener baseball all-star team to the state tournament twice. He was head of the Bedford Area School District learn-to-swim program for 22 years.
As a student at Hyndman, Keller was a four-year letterman in basketball and won three letters in basketball. He graduated from Penn State in 1958 and taught for a year at Bedford. He played for the Hyndman Vets baseball team for four years, and coached little league baseball.
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Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania