By TODD KRISE

t_krise@ncnewsonline.com

Getting a root canal.

Eating Brussels sprouts.

And taking out the garbage.

What do all these topics have in common?

They are all things New Castle High running back Keith Keene would rather do than conduct a postgame interview.

“He’s not that type of kid,” Red Hurricane coach Frank Bongivengo Jr. said. “He’ll say things on the field. Outside of that, he doesn’t have too much to say.”

If Keene is Dr. Jekyll off the field, he’s definitely Mr. Hyde on it.

The ’Canes’ dual-threat running back tallied 179 total yards and two touchdowns to lead New Castle to a 45-38 win over Greensburg Salem in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs.

The performance earns Keene the distinction of being Lawrence County’s Athlete of the Week, as selected by the New Castle News sports staff.

The award is sponsored by Washington Centre Physical Therapy.

Keene gave the ’Canes the lead for a good with a 40-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 3:28 remaining.

“It was a good game,” he said, “but there were a lot of mistakes. We should’ve put that team away earlier.”

The win gives New Castle another chance to knock off a West Allegheny team that upended the ’Canes by one touchdown in Parkway Conference action Oct. 2.

Keene, who only rushed for 59 yards against the Indians, says he and his teammates have been waiting all season to exact revenge.

“And we’re going to take it,” he said.

The 5-foot-8, 167-pounder is closing out a stellar career at New Castle.

As a sophomore, Keene primarily was a blocker, but managed to notch 308 yards on 40 carries.

Last season as a junior, he broke Greg Solomon’s single-season school rushing record (1,407) with 1,502 yards.

And this year — despite missing a game due to a staph infection in his left leg — Keene has compiled the county’s third-best rushing total with 908 yards.

Keene has 2,718 yards for his career, according to New Castle News statistics, and is 498 yards away from breaking Denny Flora Jr.’s all-time rushing mark of 3,216 yards set in 1994.

“It’s just been great,” Keene said. “I love it here. I’ve got a lot of good friends on the team. I just love it.”

Added Bongivengo, “He’s had a great career. If you take a look at the number of carries he has in comparison to the guys that are ahead of him, there’s a pretty big, wide margin between them and him. What he’s been able to do with a lot less carries has been pretty impressive.”

Keene’s versatility is another reason why he’s separated himself from the pack.

“He’s one of the only kids especially this last couple years that have been able to not only run the ball for us but catch the ball, too,” Bongivengo said. “Over the last couple years, he’s been one of the best backs in the Parkway Conference.”

Still, one thing remains on Keene’s check list: a WPIAL title.

“I want to win a championship,” he said. “We always make it to the playoffs and come up short. We got to go all the way this year.”

*****

KEITH KEENE FILE

POSITION: Running back/defensive back

TEAM: New Castle

GRADE: Senior

PARENTS: Otis and Jacqueline Keene

KNOWN FOR: Accumulating 179 total yards and two touchdowns in a WPIAL Class AAA first-round playoff win over Greensburg Salem.

FAVORITE PRO PLAYER AND WHY: Brett Favre. “Because he was on the Green Bay Packers. He’s a great quarterback.”

FAVORITE PRO TEAM: Green Bay Packers. “When I was in the third grade, the first team I ever played for was the West Side Packers.”

FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: University of Pittsburgh. “I watch them a lot.”