Daily Independent (Ashland, KY)

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August 3, 2012

Breaking in Braden

Son of AD, nephew of coach, freshman set to take reins as West Carter quarterback

RAY SCHAEFER For The Independent

OLIVE HILL — If you listened to West Carter's Braden Brown without seeing him, you might think he's a junior or senior.

He's not — the 5-foot-9, 140-pound freshman is the Comets' quarterback this year, and he doesn't sound intimidated. Braden, 15, is the son of West athletic director Brian Brown and the nephew of head coach Kevin Brown.

“I figure, if I'm out there competing against kids that are 18 and stuff, I'm out there, too,” Braden said.

Though he wasn't allowed to participate in spring football because he was an eighth-grader, Uncle Kevin said Braden became the clear choice over the summer — with no nepotism involved.

“He's such a smart football kid,” Kevin Brown said. “He just does such a tremendous job running our offense. When we do throw the ball, he makes good decisions.

“And I know it's early in the year, and he's going to go through growing pains; everybody has to do that.”

Being related to coaches, you'd figure Braden grew up around football, and he did. He's watched the 2000 movie “Remember the Titans” countless times, and he thinks he's like Sheryl Yoast, the grade-school girl (played by Hayden Panettiere) who could talk I-formations and two-deep zone defenses with the grown-ups.

“I loved watching college and NFL games,” Braden said. “I just like football pretty well, and I like watching it. I like watching the best people.”

Braden's favorite team as a Kindergartner? The Cincinnati Bengals, despite the 2-14 record in 2002.

“I didn't know any better,” Braden said. “They were pretty close; we (were) always watching them.”

Another of Braden's early — and one of the most painful — memories was as a 5-year-old.

“I remember getting beat by Powell County,” he said. “... I just knew it was really bad because we were kind of good and stuff.”

Braden began his football career in second grade — he was a quarterback for all but one season, when he was a running back.

“Nobody else could play (quarterback), so I kind of had to step in,” he said. “I was a lot faster than anybody else.”

Braden follows 2011 graduate Harrison Bond and 2012 alumnus Caleb Whitt. He said his personality resembles the more taciturn Bond because he was more reserved.

“I thought Harrison always made good decisions,” Braden said. “(Whitt) made it seem a lot more (fun) than anybody else made it.”

When Braden has to carry the ball in West's three-back offense, he wants to run one place.

“I like to take it outside as much as possible,” he said. “I only weigh about (145) pounds.”

Though West made the Class 3A playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, the Comets struggled to a 3-8 record. Like anybody else Braden Brown wants a winning record, but he wouldn't complain about 5-5.

“I just want to improve from last year,” he said.

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