varsity.roanoke.com

The Roanoke Times | File September

Salem's Kyle Schwizer (6) takes down William Fleming running back LaCalvin Hickman earlier this season.

Kyle Schwizer just can't make the numbers go up.

Try as he might, the Salem senior cannot step on a set of scales and coax the digits past the needle.

Schwizer is stuck at 160 pounds and no amount of calories has been able to add weight to his rangy 6-foot-1 frame.

"I've tried to gain weight," Schwizer said. "I'd drink milk shakes and eat peanut butter sandwiches, but it didn't really work that well. I tried it for a couple weeks."

Nice problem to have, right? Maybe not when you are the starting strong safety for your football team.

"When you're getting blocked by bigger backs than you, it's kind of a big issue," Schwizer said.

But not too big.

Schwizer is no lightweight on the field. He has been Salem's leading tackler for each of the last two seasons despite lining up well away from the ball on many occasions.

"It's very unusual," Salem coach Stephen Magenbauer said. "A lot of times, we're in a one-safety look and he needs to be a safety and not a tackler."

As a junior, Schwizer averaged 10 tackles per game. Heading into Friday night's Region IV Division 4 championship game at Pulaski County, he has 59 solo hits, 40 assists, six tackles for loss, an interception and a team-high six deflections for the 9-2 Spartans.

"He reads extremely quick and he runs great angles," Magenbauer said. "That's led to a lot of tackles. He enjoys the physical part of the game, which is rarer and rarer these days.

"He's just a skinny ol' kid who can play football."

Schwizer honed his instincts watching his two older brothers -- Chris (class of 2001) and Keith (Class of 2003) -- play football for Salem.

"When I was in the fourth and fifth grade, I was the water boy here," he said. "They were my big role models for football. I wanted to grow up to be just like them."

That's why Kyle wears Keith's old jersey No. 6 during football season and Chris' old No. 3 for Salem's lacrosse team.

Chris Schwizer lives in New Jersey, and Keith resides in Baltimore. Older sister Katie -- a former three-sport standout at Salem -- is a senior at James Madison.

Schwizer's parents -- Glenn and Eileen -- moved to Roanoke from Long Island before he was born. Glenn Schwizer repairs musical instruments for a living and once played in a band.

"He used to go on the road a lot," Schwizer said. "He was in kind of like a hippie band, I guess. That's what I call it. They'd dress up and do wedding receptions and anniversaries.

"He met my mom when he was playing a gig at my mom's parents' wedding anniversary. I used to play trombone up until 10th-grade year. Then I gave it up."

Schwizer hopes for a big family reunion on Thanksgiving weekend that would include a Group AA Division 4 semifinal at home. For that to happen, Salem would have to be the first team to defeat Pulaski this year, and the Spartans already are 0-for-1 against the Cougars.

Pulaski's 34-24 win in Dublin two weeks ago came after Salem led 17-7 at halftime.

Schwizer said the losing locker room and the bus ride back to Salem were very quiet.

"I don't remember saying a word to anyone," he said. "We were just like, 'We're going to get this done next time.'"

Pulaski's stadium was packed and loud for the regular-season finale, and that was during pregame warmups. Schwizer is looking forward to the electric atmosphere.

"Their fans are pretty hateful," he said. "Just walking in, you feel the fuel. It fuels your fire. You just want to go out there and tear them up."

Schwizer, who has caught six passes for 110 yards this year, could have an expanded role offensively if the Spartans bring the same game plan to Dublin they used the first time, when quarterback Hunter Sturgill threw 30 passes.

Mostly look for No. 6 on defense, somewhere in the general vicinity of a fallen ball carrier.

"I don't think his size has been an issue," Magenbauer said. "He can go downhill and really make plays. He knows how to snap his hips. He wraps up real well. He's a sure tackler.

"I'm just glad he's on our side of the ball."