‘A good switch’ – Kistler embracing new role as Panther head football coach

Posted 8/20/20

A series of stepping stones defines Chase Kistler’s journey at Powell High School.

He arrived in 2009, serving as an assistant coach for boys’ basketball and football. Then, in 2013, …

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‘A good switch’ – Kistler embracing new role as Panther head football coach

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A series of stepping stones defines Chase Kistler’s journey at Powell High School.

He arrived in 2009, serving as an assistant coach for boys’ basketball and football. Then, in 2013, he was promoted to head coach of the varsity basketball team.

And recently, Kistler made another jump: being promoted to head varsity football coach.

For the 38-year-old coach, football has always been his main love. Kistler grew up competing in the sport throughout his youth and later played for three years at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.

“So far, I think it’s been a good switch,” Kistler said. “I was never given that opportunity to be the head coach until now, so when it came open, I had to make the choice; I decided to switch.”

Between Kistler’s experience playing and coaching on the gridiron, he was the clear choice for the job.

“As both a collegiate athlete and an assistant for some great former head coaches, Chase understands what Powell football is all about,” said Scott McKenzie, PHS activities director. “We are confident he and the staff will hit the ground at full speed this season.”

Kistler is replacing Aaron Papich, who took a job in Casper. With Kistler taking over the head football duties, he relinquished his former title of head basketball coach. That wasn’t easy for him.

“In all honesty, I didn’t want to switch; I would’ve loved to be able to do both,” Kistler said. “But that’s part of our policy.”

Though he’ll no longer coach on the hardwood, Kistler is excited for the new position under the lights. For the first time of his career, Kistler gets to be the head man in the sport he grew up on.

Under his leadership, he hopes to provide an opportunity to enjoy football while also taking it seriously.

“You want to keep things fun but also have discipline,” Kistler said. “Kids like discipline, sometimes they might argue it. But kids also like to have a good time — keep it light.

“Putting them in pressure situations, you don’t get that in life-scenario things; you get it on the football field,” he said.

Practice is now in full swing and the season is just around the corner. The Panthers kick off the 2020 campaign with a “Zero Week” home game against Riverton on Friday, Aug. 28. It appears as if the football season will begin without any serious road blocks in the way of the Panthers’ on-field competition.

The months leading up to it, however, were anything but conventional.

“Everything was weird,” Kistler said. “It was hard to plan anything. It’s hard to set anything in stone because you have a plan set and it changes automatically.”

Across the nation, high school football is defined by pageantry and tradition. But according to Kistler, much of that could go by the wayside this year, due to the pandemic.

“A lot of the antics that go along with football, the tailgating, the dinners, those are kind of pushed to the side,” Kistler said. “It’s more about just playing football games this year.”

For any coach, winning is the goal, and that’s no different for Kistler. But there are other things he wants to achieve in his first year leading the varsity squad.

“I would say the biggest goal is I want the Panther pride to be there,” Kistler said. “I want us to play with pride and play like every play could be the last one; it could be with the coronavirus.”

And while the coach is at the forefront of the program, he wants the focus to be entirely on his student-athletes.

“My other goal is to just be consistent with the kids,” Kistler said. “Make sure it is about the kids. It’s not about the parents or anything, it’s about the kids playing. Keep the game about that.”

Powell High School, Panther Football

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