Branson Belcher: BB gun ready for .22

Junior Branson Belcher

The quarterback position is up for grabs and now we will talk to Junior Branson Belcher who will be battling the position out with Brandon Berger.

If you haven’t already noticed the quarterback job can only have players with the letter ‘B’ as their initials.

On the serious side, Belcher was the player who orchestrated the Junior Varsity last season. There are some decent stats for this young man that will give you an idea of what might be in store for the offense this year.

The ReSporter only witnessed seven of the ten games last year so the stats are not complete, but the seven games can give you a good sampling of what to expect.

The Hawks had one major short coming from the Quarterback position the last three years on the Varsity. Interceptions.

Belcher last season had three interceptions and to take that stat further, they were all in the same game.

The game was the opener and the good news was a win for the Hawks. Belcher did not throw another INT for the rest of the season. Pretty impressive.

In the seven games the Hawks had 16 touchdown passes, or more than two a game. The stats for the receivers were just as impressive, as Belcher had seven of the receivers with two or more catches for TD’s.

Six receivers accumulated over 100 yards in the air. The stats would only be embellished when you add the other three games to these numbers.

The one stat we know from last season was the number of interceptions that were thrown by Branson. With a little averaging, you would find that Belcher threw one interception for every 54 passing plays.

“I will try every time to get a first down,” Belcher said confidently. “I plan to open the field and run if I have too.”

When talking about the offense, Belcher admonished, “The backfield is like a bonus and makes my job easier. Zach (Henshaw) is the best player and he makes the game easier.”

The Hawks might have a young man that can utilize both phases of the offense and get the balance word the coaches would like to accomplish each game.

Canyon Lake will be faster this season, but according to Belcher there might be another ingredient that is needed, “Speed is not everything….it is precision.”

“If everyone is doing their job and doing it right, then we can have a successful season,” Belcher said. “I keep telling myself, I’ve got to do it.”

How will Belcher react if he makes a mistake in a game? “I will stay calm and go to the sideline and have a mental talk.”

When asked how he will handle strife on the sidelines, “Just get the plays right and if they are having problems then I will tell them to take it out on the other team.”

The quarterback is the person that will be looked up to with each ‘passing’ game. The good news for Belcher is that he is 6’3” and as far as passing goes, he seldom throws an interception.

The BB gun was fun for JV, but now the .22 would be the next stage for Varsity. Let’s hope his aim is good.

The Hawks are blessed with two players that will be fighting it out for the quarterback position. One thing you can count on will be the depth issue, both players will be able to move the team.

This will be a fun part of the game to pay attention too during the scrimmages. The ReSporter can hardly wait. T-2 days and counting.