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Sunday, August 25, 2024 | 3:57 p.m.
Bill Beckner Jr. | TribLive
Brothers Brody Chismar (left) and Peyton Chismar will both play quarterback at Greensburg Salem this season.
Sometimes the Chismar brothers’ car rides home from practice are lively and loud. Other times the ride back to the paddock after practice is quiet.
It all depends on the mood.
“If we’re having a good day, we talk about it,” said second-grader Brody Chismar. “If one of us is having a bad day, we might not talk as much or at all.”
Senior Peyton Chismar said the criticism is just part of the unique dynamic at Greensburg Salem, where two brothers could share quarterback duties this season.
“We talk about what we’ve done,” Peyton said. “We talk about what we did well and what we can improve. We help each other. At the end of the day, it’s just tough love.”
The Golden Lions let Peyton lead off with a home run in their season opener against Albert Gallatin on Friday night, but Brody was just a sideline away. The duo shared snaps as the Golden Lions won 28-6, pulling away with a strong second half.
Peyton completed 5 of 13 passes for 52 yards and Brody ran for 32 yards and a touchdown on six carries. The brothers led the offense as Greensburg Salem totaled 208 yards.
Brady Smith scored on a blocked punt and a kick return.
“We’re going to need them both as the season goes on,” Golden Lions coach Ty George said. “It could be week to week. It could be game to game. It depends on the situation, how we play and who’s on the winning streak.”
The decision to use both depends on what each can do. So a quarterback competition has become a quarterback combination. There is no QB1 per se. It’s more like two QB.5s.
“I think it’s going to be very difficult to stop this,” Peyton said. “The defense has to prepare better because we have different skills.”
Peyton is more of a drop-back pocket passer and Brody tends to use his legs to gain yardage.
“He’s faster than me, but I have the arm,” Peyton said. “He’s more outgoing. I keep a low profile. I just let him eat.”
Brody said, “I can go ahead and throw on the run. He’s in the pocket. I understand he’s older, so I take his advice.”
Peyton (6’2″, 165 lbs) was supposed to be the starter last season, but had to sit out the first two games due to suspension and then missed some time due to injury.
He played only four games as quarterback and completed 23 of 57 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown.
Brody (6-0, 165) saw more action, playing in seven games and completing 61 of 108 for 643 yards and five scores.
Adam Dipasquale, who graduated, also played quarterback and attempted as many passes as Peyton.
“They’re both good enough to play for us,” George said. “We have confidence in both guys. Yes, Peyton can throw, but Brody can, too. And Brody can run, but Peyton can, too. A lot of what we do will depend on the situation.”
Brody, who ran for 111 yards and a touchdown, also caught a pass, but not from his brother.
“I threw it, it tipped over and I caught it,” he said.
Both Chismars used to wrestle, but their sporting preferences limited them to football and baseball. They have wrestled in many areas, though, so they have to manage to take turns.
Pick the game – baseball, cornhole, spikeball, kickball – and they’ve probably scratched each other’s eyes out while trying to beat the other at it.
“It’s always a competition at family events,” Peyton said.
Her brother Caleb also played football for the Golden Lions. The 2021 graduate was a lineman.
“When he gets mad at one of us,” Brody said, “he points at me or Peyton and says, ‘He’s the better quarterback, you know.'”
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. Reach him at [email protected].
Tags: Greensburg Salem
