By John Raffel
Trenton Braman returns for a Central Montcalm team looking to be a major force in the Central State Activities Association’s Gold Division this season.
The 5’9″, 185-pound Green Hornets running back had more than 1,000 yards last season and is looking to increase that number this fall.
“It was probably because of my offensive line,” he said. “My offensive line was very good.”
As a running back, Braman uses his balance to be as effective as possible. “I’m pretty fast and I’m pretty quick,” he said. “I think the best aspect of my game is my vision. I can see a hole most of the time, even if it’s a cutback on the other side. I’m pretty hard to bring down.”
Braman ran for 700 yards as a sophomore and upped that to 1,100 as a junior. “The biggest improvement was my quickness,” he said. “I’ve always been pretty fast. As a sophomore, I was more of a straight-ahead runner. As a junior, I was able to make more people miss and hit the holes quicker.”
This season, Braman has a goal of 2,000 yards. “I would be upset with anything less than 1,500,” he said. “I believe in myself that I can run that. Last year, I had only 140 carries. This year, I’m taking over as the workhorse. Last year, Keagan James had over 200 carries. If I have over 200 carries, I think 1,500 yards is definitely achievable.”
With James’ graduation, Braman is looking to carry more of the load.
Defensively, he’s an outside linebacker who possesses quickness and hustle. Central Montcalm, he said, should be a playoff team. “We have a pretty good offensive unit,” Braman said. “I definitely think we’re a playoff team.”