When Brayden Thimons played football at Highlands High School, his head coach displayed unparalleled passion and enthusiasm on a daily basis. That coach, Sam Albert, brought Thimons to Kiski Area as a linebackers coach two years ago. Now, Thimons is in charge of the Cavaliers, as he was hired last month as the new head coach of Kiski Area.

“His real push for me was finding my passion, and then pushing it further,” Thimons said of Albert, who stepped away from the Cavaliers after the 2024 season. “Coach Albert, he brings the juice and he’s fiery every single day. The way he approached the game and his enthusiasm towards it is something that always stuck with me.”

Last year, Colyn Haugh returned to Westmoreland County to guide the program, leading the Cavaliers to a WPIAL playoff appearance. However, he left earlier this offseason to pursue an opportunity to coach in the Canadian Football League.

That opened the door for Thimons, who served as the Cavs’ defensive coordinator last campaign.

“I’ve created a relationship with a lot of the guys who are going to be juniors and seniors, being there the last couple years,” he noted.

“As a player, I was always someone who was considered a leader, a person who was “a coach on the field,”’ Thimons added.

While Thimons is quick to credit Albert, whom he still talks to on a regular basis, he noted that Haugh was instrumental in furthering his understanding of football schematics, dating back several years. Haugh served as an assistant coach at Westminster College when Thimons played with the Titans.

Thimons had another strong connection at Kiski Area, as he was recruited by current AD Jake Nulph during Nulph’s time as a college football coach. That relationship also helped sell Thimons that Kiski Area was a place where he could build “a dominant program in Western Pennsylvania.”

“It really comes down to the direction of where the athletic department is going,” Thimons revealed.

A 2017 graduate of the Golden Rams who also thrived on the basketball court, Thimons matriculated to Robert Morris University on the gridiron. He later transferred to Westminster, where he enjoyed great success as a defensive lineman with the Titans.

In the fall, Kiski Area went 4-7, including 3-3 in the Class 5A Big East Conference. In the postseason, the Cavaliers suffered a 28-8 loss to Shaler Area in the opening round.