Pratham Valluri is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover St. Mary's High School for AZpreps365.com

St. Mary’s running back Branson Brown has played a huge role in its gradual record improvement over the past year.

As the Knights went from 3-7 to 5-5, the sophomore Brown led them on 144 carries, 654 rushing yards, 787 all-purpose yards, and tied senior RB Josiah Atkinson on seven touchdowns. 

Brown was brought up due to injuries on the varsity roster and only had 16 carries, but he has thrived in a larger role this season. He’s been even more efficient with his opportunities, averaging 4.5 yards per carry compared to just 3.3 in his limited experience in 2023. 

“The biggest thing is just him taking on that workload, and not skipping a beat,” St. Mary's RBs coach Raymond Pacheco said. “He's been able to just hit the ground running. There hasn't been any type of hesitation whether it's him not knowing because of his inexperience just him getting in the books (because) he's been able to soak up a lot of the material.”

Despite participating in a backfield with three senior RBs, the Knights have primarily run their offense through Brown throughout the season. 

While game script does play a part in Brown’s opportunities, his ability to shoulder that burden has been a huge boost for St. Mary’s. He’s one of the most elusive players on the roster but also puts his shoulder down when running between the tackles. 

“We're always going to try to take what the defense gives us. If we're in a position where our inside runs are going well, then Branson is gonna get the ball more,” head coach Jose Lucero said. “So it really just kind of depends on how the game goes. But right now, Branson’s carrying the load for us.” 

Challenges for Brown don’t just stem on the football field either. Brown was originally a multi-sport also played basketball in middle school but opted to just focus on football.

“Honestly, it was hard balancing both," Brown said. "So I feel like it takes a lot off my shoulders just doing football."

It’s not just Brown’s physical ability on the field that makes him a key part of this team either. His level of maturity is uncommon for someone so young - he’s a willing learner who always listens to his more experienced teammates.

Brown’s eagerness to improve during practices and in the film room has been the attribute that Lucero is “most proud of.”

“We have some established leaders in the team. He's not prideful and he's willing to listen and learn from some of the older guys,” Lucero said. “Even though he knows he's one of our primary ball carriers, he does it with great humility.”

Brown isn’t just a quick learner but fast to implement them as well. For example, when St. Mary’s changed their offense mid-season from heavily running read options to running triple options, Brown wasn’t fazed at all. 

Despite primarily being in shotgun during the early part of the year, Brown shifted to being a threat in the triple option when the Knights ran their veer. 

“It's a little bit (of a) different running scheme. It's a lot more power,” Pacheco said. “So him being able to take that on right away … speaks measures to the coaching staff, our head coach, and then also to the players, to be able to soak that in and get it going and up and running within a week.” 

Brown closed out this season with 24 carries for 86 yards and a TD in a 27-10 loss to Thunderbird.

If this season is any indication, Brown will have a top role next season for the Knights.