Article published Dec 25, 2005
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Brantley IV adds his tale to family legacy
BYRON SAUCER STAR-BANNER
OCALA - Oh, the stories John Brantley has endured.
When you're the son of a state champion and the nephew of a two-time state champ, the stories are plentiful.
He's grown up hearing them morph into fish tales, legend and selective memory combining to create a crisp visual in the mind of the narrator. Meanwhile, he's held his tongue, allowing his elders to have the floor. Waiting until he had something to add.
Now, at the tender age of 16, John Brantley IV has his own tale to tell. He can put his 2005 Class 2B state championship up against his father's 1974 feat at Forest High. As for Uncle Scott's back-to-back jobs in '74 and '75, well, he'll be gunning for that two-time title next season as a senior at Trinity Catholic.
"He was always rubbing it in my face," the younger Brantley said of his father's achievement. "Now he can't say a word."
Not only did the young quarterback level the playing field at home, he also grabbed Star-Banner Offensive Player of the Year honors with a season that produced tremendous numbers - 2,835 yards, 41 TDs, 5 INTs on 63 percent passing - and caught the attention of nearly every Division I college in the country.
The junior routinely receives 10-to-15 recruiting letters - a day. And his dad saves every one.
"I just want to see what the postage is on the recruiting process," he said.
His short list of college suitors includes Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, South Florida and Oklahoma. Miami, Alabama and Tennessee are also in the mix, but the younger Brantley lets his father sort most of it out for the time being.[/FONT][FONT=verdana, Arial, Helvetica]
"The biggest thing is Johnny's just gonna get in the weight room," his father said of their offseason plans. "We'll get ready for the big Nike Camp (EA Sports Elite 11) which'll be in May.
"And then we're gonna go visit a couple places . . . and if he feels comfortable with his choice, he'll probably go into his senior year already committed. Focus in on repeating as state champions and have all that (recruiting) other stuff behind you."
It's already been a wild ride for Brantley. The willowy 6-foot-3 gunslinger hit the ground running as a part-time starter during his sophomore campaign, splitting time with senior Seth Varnadore. He didn't miss a beat when the full-time slot opened up this season, stepping into the leadership role of Kerwin Bell's intricate Multiple offense.
The perfect 14-0 season that culminated with Marion County's first state title in 26 years followed, and could very well be a sign of things to come in 2006.
With a host of talented juniors lining the Celtics roster, their quarterback understands the ingredients are there for a repeat performance. He also realizes the potential pitfalls.
"We'll have no problem with leadership," he said. "But it's harder to repeat . . . so we're gonna have to step it up. Everyone's expecting it, and you're No. 1 now, so everyone's just gonna come out and try to beat y'all."
Brantley remains remarkably unaffected by all the accolades. When asked what his greatest strength is as a quarterback, there is no machismo, no flexing of the biceps or feats of strength. Instead, it's the usual shrug and humble reply.
"Probably knowledge of the game," he said. "I got a little bit of speed, but not the greatest. Knowledge, making the reads - that's pretty much all you need."
With a busy offseason ahead of them and big decisions to make off the football field, the elder Brantley is trying to bask in the moment for awhile.
"There's not too many people that's had a father-son state championship combination, so that's real neat," he said. "We're very fortunate, and to have done it in the same town I grew up in - it's been a lotta fun."
His son agrees.
"It's a season everyone wants to have," Brantley IV said. "I just had so much fun this past year."
But his dad knows that he'll need to be a little longer in the tooth and fuller through the midsection to really appreciate the story-telling potential of engineering a state championship run.
"They don't appreciate it now," the former Forest High quarterback said. "There's no way they can appreciate a state championship until they get older. They'll talk about this team and this bunch for a long time."
His son may understand that better than he thinks.
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[FONT=verdana, Arial, Helvetica]
Brantley IV adds his tale to family legacy
BYRON SAUCER STAR-BANNER
OCALA - Oh, the stories John Brantley has endured.
When you're the son of a state champion and the nephew of a two-time state champ, the stories are plentiful.
He's grown up hearing them morph into fish tales, legend and selective memory combining to create a crisp visual in the mind of the narrator. Meanwhile, he's held his tongue, allowing his elders to have the floor. Waiting until he had something to add.
Now, at the tender age of 16, John Brantley IV has his own tale to tell. He can put his 2005 Class 2B state championship up against his father's 1974 feat at Forest High. As for Uncle Scott's back-to-back jobs in '74 and '75, well, he'll be gunning for that two-time title next season as a senior at Trinity Catholic.
"He was always rubbing it in my face," the younger Brantley said of his father's achievement. "Now he can't say a word."
Not only did the young quarterback level the playing field at home, he also grabbed Star-Banner Offensive Player of the Year honors with a season that produced tremendous numbers - 2,835 yards, 41 TDs, 5 INTs on 63 percent passing - and caught the attention of nearly every Division I college in the country.
The junior routinely receives 10-to-15 recruiting letters - a day. And his dad saves every one.
"I just want to see what the postage is on the recruiting process," he said.
His short list of college suitors includes Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, South Florida and Oklahoma. Miami, Alabama and Tennessee are also in the mix, but the younger Brantley lets his father sort most of it out for the time being.[/FONT][FONT=verdana, Arial, Helvetica]
"The biggest thing is Johnny's just gonna get in the weight room," his father said of their offseason plans. "We'll get ready for the big Nike Camp (EA Sports Elite 11) which'll be in May.
"And then we're gonna go visit a couple places . . . and if he feels comfortable with his choice, he'll probably go into his senior year already committed. Focus in on repeating as state champions and have all that (recruiting) other stuff behind you."
It's already been a wild ride for Brantley. The willowy 6-foot-3 gunslinger hit the ground running as a part-time starter during his sophomore campaign, splitting time with senior Seth Varnadore. He didn't miss a beat when the full-time slot opened up this season, stepping into the leadership role of Kerwin Bell's intricate Multiple offense.
The perfect 14-0 season that culminated with Marion County's first state title in 26 years followed, and could very well be a sign of things to come in 2006.
With a host of talented juniors lining the Celtics roster, their quarterback understands the ingredients are there for a repeat performance. He also realizes the potential pitfalls.
"We'll have no problem with leadership," he said. "But it's harder to repeat . . . so we're gonna have to step it up. Everyone's expecting it, and you're No. 1 now, so everyone's just gonna come out and try to beat y'all."
Brantley remains remarkably unaffected by all the accolades. When asked what his greatest strength is as a quarterback, there is no machismo, no flexing of the biceps or feats of strength. Instead, it's the usual shrug and humble reply.
"Probably knowledge of the game," he said. "I got a little bit of speed, but not the greatest. Knowledge, making the reads - that's pretty much all you need."
With a busy offseason ahead of them and big decisions to make off the football field, the elder Brantley is trying to bask in the moment for awhile.
"There's not too many people that's had a father-son state championship combination, so that's real neat," he said. "We're very fortunate, and to have done it in the same town I grew up in - it's been a lotta fun."
His son agrees.
"It's a season everyone wants to have," Brantley IV said. "I just had so much fun this past year."
But his dad knows that he'll need to be a little longer in the tooth and fuller through the midsection to really appreciate the story-telling potential of engineering a state championship run.
"They don't appreciate it now," the former Forest High quarterback said. "There's no way they can appreciate a state championship until they get older. They'll talk about this team and this bunch for a long time."
His son may understand that better than he thinks.
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