Feb. 16—The weight of Braxton Etheridge’s achievement dawned on him in an exhilarating moment.
There are often moments that become indelibly etched in a high school athlete’s memory, marking milestones that transcend the confines of the playing field. For the Claremore senior quarterback, that defining moment came in the form of a phone call from Zebras football coach Jarrett Hurt, who shared news that would elevate his football journey to new heights.
The thrill of the call was more than just the delivery of information; it was a culmination of aspirations that had been nurtured through dedication and hard work.
“Coach Hurt actually gave me a call, and he was like, ‘What are you doing the last week of July?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know? What?,’ and he said, ‘You made All-State.’ I was kind of freaking out a little bit, to be honest,” Etheridge said.
The realization that he had earned a spot among the state’s football elite flooded him with a rush of emotions — a mixture of pride, excitement and the satisfaction of accomplishing a significant goal. After all, elite athletic prowess runs in the family.
Etheridge’s father, Brendon Etheridge, was an All-State golfer at Sequoyah in 2000. At that time, his grandfather, Ron Etheridge, was the Sequoyah Public Schools superintendent and was inducted into Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001.
The familial connection to athletic achievement added an extra layer of significance.
“After I got the call from Coach Hurt, I was like, ‘Dad, I made All-State,'” Braxton Etheridge said. “He was very happy, and he was also saying congratulations. He was happy as a father but also just as a person in general, too. There’s two sides to it.”
The achievement was as much of a validation of Braxton Etheridge’s dedication to the sport as it was a confirmation of his statistical and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/football-claremore-quarterback-etheridge-collects-044600003.html
Author : Claremore Daily Progress, Okla.
Publish date : 2024-02-17 04:46:00
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