Apparently, Judah Keller has always been a game changer. Once upon a time, Keller gave unsuspecting youngsters a new version of a walk in the park. Keller's mother would take the now Margaretta senior out to play, and Keller would tackle random children. "Sweetheart, you have to ask their permission," Keller was told. He learned to wait for football games, where everyone knows the rules. There, he surpassed 363 tackles in four varsity seasons to establish a career program record. He reached the milestone in Week 10 early in a 9-6 victory over visiting Gibsonburg to take the Sandusky Bay Conference River Division crown outright. He took a pass to the 3-yard line on fourth-and-9 from the 20 to set up a touchdown run from Jake Bouy with 39.8 seconds left to play. "My mom would tell me, 'You can't tackle people unless they tell me I can,'" Keller said. "Yeah, I don't know. My dad didn't even play football. When I was a kid, I loved tackling." Some players avoid contact whenever possible. Keller is still sometimes consumed by the thought of delivering a hit, chasing the ball or tripping up an opponent from his safety post. "I get myself ready (starting) every Monday," he said. "I see film and get my mind right. I envision getting in the hole and smoking them over and over; that's all I think about. (Assistant Lucas) Poggiali says burst creates contact. "The feeling from a big hit is like no other. It's a different state of mind. I'm a different Judah Keller on the field." Keller told Poggiali last year that he had the tackle record on his radar. "It means the world," he said. "It means everything. Coach asked me my goals. One came true; I still have to make the other." He wants to be first-team all-state on defense as well. He leads the team, with 100 tackles and four interceptions, including one pick-6 through nine games. He also leads with 976 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing on 101 tries. In addition to making plays on both sides of the ball, Keller is an emotional beacon for the team and responsible for communication. Polar Bears coach Gary Quisno said Keller "is as physical a player as I've ever had the pleasure of coaching." No stranger to the state tournament at the helm for Oak Harbor, that's saying something. "It's always 100%," Quisno said. "He's the leader on the team, espcially with his physicality. That's his style. He started since he was a freshman. He's a downhill player who loves physicality and loves to throw his body around." Keller ran over, and through, defenders on his key reception against Gibsonburg. He clearly has the same mentality with the ball in his own hands as he does on defense. The special mention all-state point guard is extremely gritty on the court, but basketball is different of course. "If I play basketball (rather than football) in college, it will eat at me I can't hit," he said. The other kids know they're playing with Keller now. He tackles them anyway. mhorn@gannett.com