New Pirates quarterback makes his move

Usually March is a dead period for high school football news, with players focusing on individual position camps or playing different sports entirely.

It's not been the case for Braden River High. The Pirates’ all-state defensive back Tyrone Collins tore his ACL a few weeks ago, putting his senior season at risk. It was a big blow to a defense that was losing stalwart defensive lineman Deqwunn McCobb and linebacker Noah Arce to graduation.

There is now more news for Pirates fans, but this time it is something they will be happy to hear.

Former Sarasota High quarterback Bryan Gagg will join the Pirates after moving to the Braden River school zone. The 6-foot-3 Gagg, who already has enrolled at Braden River, will be a junior when the Pirates start their season in the fall. He started for Sarasota’s varsity team as a freshman, and grew into a potent passer during his sophomore campaign despite a Sailors roster that was young and did not possess enough talent to win consistently.

Gagg will not have that problem at Braden River, where he will hand off and throw to Deshaun Fenwick, who holds scholarship offers from the universities of Georgia, Mississippi and Missouri, among other top-division NCAA schools. The Pirates also return receiver Knowledge McDaniel and tight end Travis Tobey, who was extremely effective in his freshman season.

I spoke with Gagg on March 19 as the quarterback was returning from a Rivals 3 Stripe camp in Orlando. Those camps are invite only, and give top college recruits a chance to show off their skills. Gagg told me that he had lots of friends who attended Braden River before the move, so the transition has been smooth.

“Everyone has treated me like I’ve been here for years,” Gagg said. “The team chemistry is very strong and I have been able to fit right in.”

Gagg said he will miss his friends and coaches at Sarasota High, but seemed to realize that in strictly football terms, this is a much better situation for him. He pointed out that the Pirates are returning a veteran offensive line led by center/guard Brendan Bengtsson, who earned a spot on FloridaHSFootball.com’s Class 7A All-State first team. At Sarasota, Gagg was forced to run a lot, sometimes by design, sometimes to save himself. At Braden River, he can focus on coming into his own in the pocket.

For Pirates fans wondering what kind of quarterback they are getting, Gagg had an answer.

“They will be getting a player who wants to win at any cost,” Gagg said. “I will do whatever is necessary to help the team win.”

After back-to-back seasons of four and five wins, respectively, that perspective is easy to understand, especially for a player of Gagg’s caliber.

It’s important to note that the starting gig will not be handed to Gagg. He will have to earn it on the field. That process starts during spring practice, which begins April 24. Gagg said he is confident in his abilities to win the job. As someone who had the opportunity to watch Gagg play last season, I am, too. 

Whoever ends up as the Pirates' starter will be the third quarterback for Braden River in three years. Last year’s starter, Louis Colosimo, was a transfer from IMG Academy, and went on to have a successful season, throwing for 21 touchdowns and just a single interception. Colosimo is now signed to play college ball at Bryant University. The year before, it was Jacob Huesman leading the offense. Huesman led the team to a perfect regular season before falling to St. Thomas Aquinas in the state semifinal game. Huesman is now a quarterback at Appalachian State University.

Only time will tell if Gagg can follow in their footsteps.

“I just think this is going to be a great year,” Gagg said. “I think I fit in perfect. We all want to win. I can't wait to see it all out together out on the field. It's going to be a lot of fun.”