No. 18: Brothers team up

Josh Ranc transfers to Rocky River for senior year, plays under Sean in offense

The Morning Journal is preparing for the start of high school football by ranking the 20 best stories from the area to come out of the 2016 season.

WHAT HAPPENED » After starting at quarterback for Lutheran West in 2015, Josh Ranc transferred to Rocky River for his final year of high school football. The transfer just so happened to put him under the tutelage of his older brother, Sean, who is the Pirates’ offensive coordinator.

WHY IT MATTERS » In a day and age where family commitments are increasingly being put to the wayside due to overextending schedules, it was a breath of fresh air to see brothers working together for a successful season. By Sean’s own admission, he had not been able to watch Josh play very often. He had one of the best seats in the house to watch his brother excel in his senior year — while also having a chance to help Josh transition from a quarterback into a slot receiver.

THEY SAID IT » “It’s great to see him enjoy his senior year and it’s very special just being able to coach him and kind of enjoy it with him. It’s been a very rewarding season so far. Coaching

is always rewarding, but to be able to coach your little brother, it’s been a great pleasure and honor.” — Sean Ranc

“It was kind of funny actually. When I first knew I was transferring (Sean) was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be your football coach.’

Right away he said, ‘I like to yell a lot.’ I was like, ‘That’s totally fine. I can handle it.’” — Josh Ranc

“I think we’re doing a really good job of balancing it between brother-coach relationship and also coachplayer. When I practice, he’s not Sean, he’s Coach Ranc. He yells at me just like he would any other player; he congratulates me just like he would any player. I’m not his brother on the field — I’m his starting slot receiver. Our relationship is a good one there.” — Josh Ranc

“We have a great relationship off the field. I was in fifth grade when he was born, but we’ve always had a real close relationship. I might get on him kind of

hard in a practice or something, but when I come over for family dinner every Sunday that has never gotten in the way of our personal relationship outside of football.” — Sean Ranc

Under the watchful eye of Sean, Josh made a successful transition from quarterback to slot receiver — although all-around athlete might be a better description. Playing in six games, Josh hauled in nine passes for 82 yards, rushed for 23 yards on two carries and churned out a combined 79 yards on kick and punt returns for a season total of 184 yards. The Ranc brothers were an important part of an offense that averaged 31.5 points per game.

Staff Writer Marissa McNees contributed to this article.

MORNING JOURNAL FILE Rocky River assistant coach Sean Ranc, right, gives his brother Josh a hug prior to a game.