Brandon Reddish, Fort Hamilton
Before first-year coach Danny Perez’s first regular-season game, he was already facing a quandary at quarterback, the most important position on the field. Starter Marvin Centeno would be out at least a few weeks due to injury and the backup moved to Georgia right before training camp.
Brandon Reddish, Fort Hamilton’s do-it-all wide receiver/free safety, asked for an opportunity.
“We were thinking let’s put our best athlete at quarterback,” Perez recalled.
The gifted, 5-foot-11 Reddish handled the change like everything else he does on the gridiron – by excelling. Fort Hamilton went undefeated with him under center mostly running the wildcat, and never lost, even after Centeno returned.
That was just one way in which the dynamic senior led Fort Hamilton to its third PSAL city championship in six years. He also did it as a home run hitter at wide receiver and game-changing ball-hawking safety.
“There’s nothing on the football field he can’t do,” senior lineman Kevon Foster said of Reddish, an uncommitted prospect with scholarship offers from West Virginia, Syracuse, Connecticut, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland and Virginia.
“He makes things happen when there’s nothing there,” Perez said.
The three-year starter, who finished his career with an absurdly successful 36-2 record and 18 touchdowns in 11 postseason contests, completed his senior year with 18 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 593 yards rushing and 323 yards receiving. He had a 93-yard interception to pay dirt and 53-yard touchdown run in a semifinal win over previously undefeated Tottenville and caught a 26-yard touchdown pass and ran for three integral first downs late in the Tigers’ 8-6 win over Lincoln in the title game.
“To be the best,” he said, “you have to beat the best.”