Peet earns co-Defensive Player of the Year title
Nov. 23—When you combine physical abilities and the passion for studying and understanding the game, you have the recipe for a great football player.
The Geneva Eagles have just that in their sophomore inside linebacker Bryce Peet, who has been named the Ashtabula County Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
"It's pretty awesome," Peet said. "There's a lot of talented players in the county and to be crowned one of the top, it's pretty nice."
Peet is just a sophomore, but his understanding of the game of football has helped him to play more like a seasoned veteran.
While a lot of kids his age enjoy playing the game or if nothing else crashing on the couch to watch it on a Sunday afternoon, Peet cannot simply watch it, he has to study it.
One particular player he enjoys is Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray.
"He just flies around like a madman," Peet explained. "He reads his keys really well and he comes downhill quickly. Those are the kind of things I look for when I watch a game."
His observation of the NFL pales in comparison to the film study and preparation he puts in for Geneva's Friday night opponents.
"I take a lot of pride in football, it's one of my main hobbies," he said. "I really like to study it and I pay a lot of attention to the schemes. When film comes out, our coach does a really good job of breaking down the other teams. So, you have to be a student of the game and the game will come a lot easier to you."
Peet said the team typically looks at film on Mondays as they start preparing for Friday night. But, that does not stop him from investing his own time to study.
"You have to make sure that you're watching film daily," he said. "Then putting it into practice throughout the week. I enjoy it, and when you enjoy something, it's not really work."
Armed with an understanding of his opponents schemes and tendencies, Peet led the Eagles defense with 101 total combined tackles including five quarterback sacks.
"Bryce has been our leading tackler the last two years," Coach Don Shymskie said. "He has a high football IQ and he backs that with strength, power and speed."
The football IQ comes from the time he embraces watching film or even games on tv. As for the other part, like others on the Geneva football program, Peet is a disciple of the offseason conditioning program and dedication to the weight room.
"The weight room is like my own space," he said. "It's where I don't have to worry about anything, just work on what I need to work on and look forward to what's to come."
What's to come for the Eagles is two more years of a player who has not only been the team's leading tackler as an underclassman, but also rushed for over 1,000 yards this season and scored 12 touchdowns.
Carrying the ball may get more glamor, but for Peet, defense is where it is.
"On defense you can hit as hard as you like," he explained. "You have to be able to read and react, there's a little more structure, but there's a lot that goes into each play."
Next year, the Eagles will experience an exodus of senior leadership. But Peet says he is more than ready to share his passion for what it takes to be successful with a new class of players.
"I've learned a lot about leadership from the upperclassmen the past two years and look forward to passing it on," he said. " We're gonna have a lot of young guys getting a lot more minutes. We need those guys to put in the time in the weight room and just soak up everything like a sponge. Take in everything they can then plug and play where all those seniors were and we'll just carry on."
