Nate Schneider
Sport Scene
A huge key to Ithaca’s success is always having someone who is next in line at quarterback.
Right now the quarterback-in-waiting appears to be freshman Brady Hessbrook, son of Yellowjackets head coach Terry Hessbrook, who is gaining valuable experience on varsity his initial year of high school.
Due to the blowout nature of most of Ithaca’s contests this fall, Hessbrook has seen ample time at quarterback in almost every game.
He’s thrown 15 passes, completing eight of them, and thrown for 185 yards plus two touchdowns. Hessbrook has also rushed for 132 yards and four TDs on 22 carries.
Injuries to members of the secondary have also given the freshman an opportunity to start six games at defensive back, where he has racked up 15 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
“It’s really big because he’s getting those repetitions during key times,” Coach Hessbrook said about his son. “He was thrust into it on varsity because of some injuries we had over the summer which concerned us. So we brought him up and kind of threw him into the wolves. He played a cornerback position he’s never played before and he’s adjusted really well.”
Brady has grown up with the program, serving as a ball boy and being on the sidelines for every state championship since 2010.
Now that he is a freshman and a member of the varsity team, it is almost surreal for his father to see how time has flown by to get to this point.
“When he’s on the field I’d like to think I don’t treat him any differently than anyone else on the field,” Terry said. “I’ve coached him through his youth years as well, so we have a little experience doing this. It’s one of those things where when we’re on the field, I’m coaching. When we step off the field, I’m dad. There’s that fine line and you have to leave some of that stuff at practice or at games.”
While there is no doubt the senior class at Ithaca has been the major driving force behind another undefeated regular season and high hopes in the postseason, the fact that a freshman in Brady Hessbrook can carve a role out at such a young age speaks to his bright future with the Yellowjackets.
“Look at where Joey Bentley went from where he was a freshman to where he is now,” Coach Hessbrook added. “It’s an amazing transformation if they’re willing to put in the time and effort and work that goes into that. The sky is the limit for some of these guys.”