This summer, PSR is highlighting some of the area’s top returning quarterbacks at several schools across the city. We’ll take a look at four signal-callers poised for big seasons in 2021 after starting for their squads in 2020.
No other area returning quarterback has the resume of Country Day’s rising senior gunslinger Barry Kleinpeter. Kleinpeter has thrived behind-center at SCDS despite the fact that Country Day head coaches have not been as consistent as he. John Moring was hired out of south Florida (Bishop Verot HS) last month after Country Day and soon-to-be first-year head coach Tyler Ward parted ways in late April 2021.
Including Ward (although he never coached a game as the head coach on Stillwood Avenue) the Hornets have hired four football coaches to run its program in the last four years.
But Kleinpeter has the numbers to warrant big expectations for both he and his Hornets (3-6 in 2020) entering the 2021 season.
In his career (31 games; 20-11 record), Kleinpeter has 75 total touchdowns — 62 passing and 13 rushing. He has thrown for 5,366 yards and rushed for 870 more. In 2019, he led the Hornets to a Region 3-A Private championship, the program’s first region title since 1980. He has engineered seven fourth-quarter comebacks already, causing some to affectionately dub the ‘19 squad “the cardiac Hornets.”
Kleinpeter has thrown touchdown passes to 10 different Hornets in three seasons. Last year, he led Country Day on a furious comeback at previously unbeaten Tattnall Square. The Hornets scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to erase a 21-0 deficit and win 28-24 in dramatic last-second fashion.
Kleinpeter caught up with the Prep Sports Report in a June phone call while traveling to visit North Dakota State University, one of several schools recruiting him.
“Obviously, this isn’t the first time I’ve had a new head coach (at SCDS),” Kleinpeter said to PSR. “I’ve had to learn, really, I’ve had to learn four different playbooks since I’ve been here, but this (transition) hasn’t been too difficult.”
Country Day, which has traditionally relied on quick, shotgun-based passing attacks, figures to be more running-oriented this year, often times with Kleinpeter under-center rather than in the shotgun.
“I’ll be running the ball a little more this year,” he said.
Also featured in the 2021 Hornet running game should be sophomore Keith James and senior transfer KeJuan Gibson-Allen. Barry’s brother, Brooks, will be in the huddle with his brother for the first time this season as a freshman tight end. Alex Wynn is a senior receiver returning as a prime redzone target and Kenny Odom is one of the top returning receivers in all of Class A Private. Every one of Odom’s 22 career touchdowns have been thrown by Kleinpeter.
For Kleinpeter -- who has scholarship offers from Akron and Reinhardt and is being recruited by several other schools, including NDSU -- none of the changes around him will impact his ultimate goals.
“We want to execute (the offense) at a high level no matter what. That’s the standard,” Kleinpeter said when asked about 2021 season goals. “For me personally, I need to be a leader and be the guy that people can look up to at all levels (in the SCDS football program) and in the school community.”
You can follow Barry on Twitter @KleinpeterBarry.
Follow Travis on Twitter & Instagram @JaudonSports. Contact him at travisLjaudon@gmail.com.
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