Former Triton High School football coach Pete Goetz just saw Brian Keller on Monday, when his former player stopped by to chat and the conversation went on for an hour.
Dan Bekier hung out with his friend and former Triton teammate the same day.
They both are cherishing those final moments Thursday after Keller – who was heading into his senior year at Lafayette, where he was a rising senior tight end on the football team – passed away from injuries he suffered in a single-car crash early Tuesday morning.
"Brian came back to school and saw me and Domenic Tomeo, the new football coach, and we had an hour-long talk about life, his goals," recalled Goetz. "He was so focused and so happy and so pumped up for next season. He talked about how he missed Father's Day for something at school, and he was happy to come home and get sandwiches and enjoy time with his dad.
"Then to get the call Tuesday morning. ... It's just like 'Holy cow. Why, why?' I cherish that last hour. It's very hard to come to terms with."
Goetz went through a similar heartbreak over a decade ago when a former player, Nick Parisi, died in a rock-climbing accident. He admitted the last few days have been extremely difficult.
"It's beyond tough," said Goetz. "My heart breaks for Brian's family. They're great people, his mom and dad, two sisters and brother. Brian was a great person.
"He's one of those kids that it really hurts you that his life got cut short. You felt like he got it. He got life. He got the way the world worked. He achieved the things he did because he worked his butt off. Nick and Brian were two kids who were as good as it gets."
A tight end at Lafayette, Keller was a quarterback and defensive end at Triton. Goetz recalled him being stubborn, but in a positive way.
"He was a hard-headed kid, I'd argue with him all the time," said Goetz with a laugh. "But he was amazing on a football field, on a basketball court. When he got on the field, he wanted it. I missed him the last three years. I missed the way he used to irritate me.
"There was one game, we were down 21-0 to Woodrow Wilson. He had a dislocated shoulder and was wearing a harness and was going to take it off. The trainer wouldn't let him, and he argued with her. She made him put it back on, but he went out there and led us back to win in overtime. The plays he made were unbelievable."
Goetz said Southern coach Chuck Donahue asked about Keller recently, recalling how disruptive he and fellow defensive end Isaiah Baylor were in the Mustangs' huge playoff upset over the Rams a few years ago.
Bekier was one of Keller's close friends and a fellow captain on the Triton football team. He said his teammates trusted Keller in any situation and loved to be around him off the field.
"He'd take the bull by the horns, he's the guy you wanted to give the ball to," said Bekier. "He led us on a couple game-winning drives.
"He was a genuinely good guy who cared about people. He always did the right thing. He was a good friend and always left you with a good impression."
When told Goetz's description of him, Bekier said stubborn was a perfect way to describe Keller. Both Goetz and Bekier said that stubbornness was on display in his final hours.
"He was stubborn in a great way," said Bekier. "I didn't find out about the accident until Tuesday night. I was at the hospital 36 hours after the accident. They said the doctors had given him six hours to live.
"He was a fighter. He was fighting his whole life. He was in great shape, and he battled it out to the end."
Goetz said Triton will find a way to remember one of its most unforgettable players. No one has worn Parisi's 57 since he passed away and the family has continued to support the school and program, and Goetz said the Mustangs will figure out the best way to honor Keller.
"The whole Triton community is in mourning, just in shock," said Gotez. "We're going to do everything we can help out the family.
"His memory will definitely live on."
Bill Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @BEvansSports.
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