With Keller under center – and set to rush the passer on the other side of the football – Triton is poised for a strong season in the WJFL Royal Division.
The Mustangs return 10 starters on defense and nine starters on offense, many of whom have been in the lineup for three seasons.
That group of three-year starters includes Keller, who passed for 784 yards and 12 touchdowns and ran for 610 yards and six touchdowns last season. On defense, Keller registered 53 tackles with eight sacks.
"He's such a smart player," Goetz said. "He just has a presence about him. He can run and throw, and he's a team leader."
Triton hopes to challenge Delsea and Timber Creek in the Royal Division and possibly qualify for the South Jersey Group 4 tournament. The Mustangs have made the postseason just three times in the history of the program.
"I think the sky is the limit for us," Keller said. "People are always sleeping on Triton. They say, 'Oh, you go to Triton, you can't be that good.' But we feel like we're going to prove a lot of people wrong.
"I want to lead this team to the playoffs. Once we get there, maybe we can make it deep."
Keller said he never played quarterback before his freshman year at Triton. He was a fullback and linebacker as a youth player with the Gloucester Township Stallions and figured to play the same positions in high school.
"When I got here, the coaches asked if anybody could throw the ball and I said, 'I can a little bit,' " Keller said. "So they made me the JV quarterback. I already was playing defensive end and I was like, 'Don't take me out of defensive end.' "
Keller brings a defensive mentality to quarterback. Although he's an intelligent player with a good touch on his passes, he's best known for his rugged running style.
He's not the kind of quarterback who tries to avoid tacklers. He tries to punish them.
"I believe in the Tim Tebow style of tough quarterback," Keller said. "I'm not into the stereotype of the quarterback who gets hit and lays on the field like a soccer player taking a dive. Dropping my shoulder, that's my calling card.
"I like to drop the boom."
Keller, a top student, has drawn recruiting interest from college programs such as Colgate, Fordham, Lehigh, Lafayette, Bucknell, and Old Dominion. He's not sure of his position in college football, and whether he'll focus strictly on quarterback or defensive end or move to linebacker or some other spot.
"I would just want to get on the field," Keller said. "I just want to play in college. I'll move to guard if I have to."
Contact staff writer Phil Anastasia at 856-779-3223, panastasia@phillynews.com, or @PhilAnastasia on Twitter.
