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YEATESVILLE, N.C. – An athlete at Northside High School has to be careful when he wants to speak with Coach Boyd.
There’s the head football coach, Keith Boyd, who has led the program for over a decade. He also has his three sons who have been helping as part of the coaching staff this season.

There’s Parker Boyd, who helps with the offense and was a star player for the Panthers. He’s in his fifth season, including the COVID-19 seasons. He’s also the baseball coach and this past spring, he and his father led the baseball and softball programs to the Class 1-A state championship series.

Then there’s Carter and Keifer Boyd, the quarterback of the 2021 football team that made it to the Class 1-A state finals before falling to Murphy. They also help on the offensive side of the ball. When not coaching, Keifer is going to East Carolina University to be an accountant and Carter is in nursing in Greenville.

When you include wife and mom Renee, who helps out in many other ways, it’s truly a family affair when it comes to Northside football. They eat, drink and sleep sports and that bond has brought them each closer.

“It has helped us grow because the systems we are running are the same ones they ran as quarterbacks, middle linebackers or wherever they played,” Keith said. “Their knowledge of the game is pretty in-depth. I can turn them loose with the practice plan and they know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s nice to have their knowledge of the game. Being young, they also relate to the players a little better since they are closer to their age.”

Keith was a star athlete in football, basketball and baseball at Bath High School. He became a teacher and coach and continued that athletic success on the sidelines for the Panthers. Each of his sons played a valuable part in Northside’s success – starting first with Parker, who graduated in 2018, then Carter (2020 graduate) and Keifer (2022 graduate).

Now, they take their love for sports onto the field to help the current football team reach success. It’s something each said they thoroughly enjoy, especially with the chance to work together.

“Football season, football was always on TV,” Parker said. “Basketball season, watching college basketball, baseball watching baseball. We all just fell in love with it. … It’s sports 24-7. Most kids grow up watching cartoons. We were watching ‘SportsCenter’.”

“The relationship that I have with my brothers and dad is awesome. I am so blessed to have the family we have,” Carter said. “It is the same thing on and off the field, very fun and always messing with each other. At practice, it is so easy to bounce ideas off each other because we are so close.”

“This has been crazy for me. Even when I was playing, I was getting coached by (Parker),” Keifer said. “I played with Carter, I’ve been coached by Parker almost four years. It’s crazy to me. I can’t even put it into words. It’s cool to see because, of course, to see it all and to know I can help in any way I can.”

What is making this season special so far is they do whatever it takes to help the current team. While Keith and Parker are at the school, Carter and Keifer make the trip from Greenville as often as they can to help. On game day, it’s all business with the goal of helping the team execute, play well and win.

“When (Keith) said he didn’t have any help, he needed some guys, it was no question what I was going to do. I loved it,” Parker said.

“Seeing both sides of a player and coach, I’ve grown up watching (his father) coach my whole life, how much time he puts into it,” Keifer said. “To come back here and help the players now is huge for me and helps me out. It’s cool because the seniors this year were freshmen my senior year. It’s cool to see people grow up, especially the ones I know.”

The work Keith’s sons do go beyond what’s on the field. They’ve even brought dad up to speed with technology and using online and digital instead of burning CDs. It also means running game film for the players to watch, helping with the other chores or just discussing strategy away from the field.

“They loved it enough to where once they finished playing, they wanted to be around the sport,” Keith said. “We are a football family, we love all sports and have played all three (football, basketball and baseball). Football … it’s something a little bit different because you have to wear all the gear, you have to deal with the elements.”

How long the four will continue to work together remains to be seen. Their schedules keep Carter and Keifer busy in addition to the time Parker and Keith put teaching at Northside. Keith still enjoys the game and working with teenagers but has built up enough tenure that he could turn things over to someone else one day. Maybe just not right away.

“I think that KB will do it until he drops,” Carter said. “No one loves it more than him, all the hours he puts in watching film until 2-3 in the morning and watching him still get fired up every day for practice. And in the weight room right after the season ends, getting players excited and ready for next year. It is so fun, and it is pure love for the game.”

For now, they are each enjoying the time together, the bond football and sports has brought them and the hope of another successful season for the Panthers.

“They loved it enough to where once they finished playing, they wanted to be around the sport,” Keith said. “They are getting old enough now and doing more with their lives. I imagine when they all finally say they’ve got what they’ve got, they’ve got their careers, that might be the day I hang it up.”