Ithaca’s Hessbrook is D7-8 Player of the Year
Ithaca’s Brady Hessbrook earns Division 7-8 ‘Player of the Year’ honors
ITHACA » Injury is going to occur.
Be it physical or be it mental or be it both.
What matters is how one reacts to injury to overcome it.
During his four-year run at Ithaca High School senior quarterback Brady Hessbrook has endured more than his share of injury, yet it’s never stopped him from continually striving to overcome and improve.
If anything, injury has forced Hessbrook to dig that much deeper and work that much harder.
As a sophomore the 6-foot-1 and 185-pounder signal caller tore the ACL in his left knee in week five of the regular season and as a result missed the final five weeks of the 2018 campaign after having season-ending surgery.
After a grueling six-month rehab Hessbrook was ready for the 2019 season and he tore it up through the first five weeks, leading Ithaca to a perfect 5-0 record. However, once again, the injury bug bit Hessbrook in week five as after diving for an interception on defense he suffered a Grade 3 separation to his throwing shoulder. Despite the injury Hessbrook toughed out the remainder of the season, albeit with limited range and limited use of his ever-valuable right arm. The Jackets finished the campaign 8-2
Heading into the fall of 2020 Hessbrook was once again 100% and ready to lead a talented Ithaca team into the season, yet because of the COVID-19 pandemic the Wayne State recruit had to wait because the seasonstart was pushed back by the MHSAA.
Since the season started in mid- September though Hessbrook has been nothing short of phenomenal, so much so that he has earned Division 7-8 ‘Player of the Year’ honors by a voting panel of AP sports writers, effectively captaining the 2020 AP Division 7-8 All-state team. As it stands Ithaca (9- 0) is ranked No. 1 in Division 7 heading into its regional home showdown versus Cass City (9-0) and a healthy Hessbrook has played a pivotal role in all of it.
For the season he’s completed 102-of-150 passes for 1,667 yards and 27 passing touchdowns. He’s been intercepted three times. He’s also rushed for 363 yards and eight rushing TDS. The fouryear starter has led the Jackets to four conference titles and an overall record of 36-5.
Joining Hessbrook on the Division 7-8 All-state first team is Schoolcraft senior quarterback. Alex Thole while JohannesburgLewiston senior Sheldon Huff; Sand Creek senior Will Alexander; Madison Heights Bishop Foley sophomore Jackson Zeiter; Breckenridge senior Cam Valliere and Monroe St. Mary’s Catholic sophomore Cole Jondro comprise the stable of first-team running backs.
On the outside at wide out Grass Lake senior Josh Sherwood; Homer senior Damaso Lebron; Madison Heights Bishop Foley sophomore Adam Kidder; Royal Oak Shrine senior
Alex Armenio and Ithaca senior Zach Poff all earned first-team honors.
Up front New Lothrop senior Cam Orr; Traverse City St. Francis senior Casey Donahue; Delton Kellogg senior Cole Pape; West Iron County senior Nathan Lundin; Ottawa-lake Whiteford junior Noah Bauman; Johannesburg-lewiston senior Tommy Runyan; Saginaw Nouvel senior Darron Chinery and Detroit Loyola senior Derrick Harmon all earned first-team honors at lineman.
Defensively, Charlevoix senior Luke Snyder earned first-team honors at linebacker as did Breckenridge senior Garrett Fitzgerald; Petersburg-summerfield senior Ethan Eyler and Addison junior Nicholas Trumble. At defensive back Hemlock senior Dylan LaGrow; Lawton senior Connor Devries; Reading senior Dilon Denison and New Lothrop senior Will Muron all earned firstteam accolades.
Detroit Central senior Jus’tyz Tuggle was named first-team specialist while Auburn Hills Oakland Christian senior kicker Connor Butcher and Dansville senior punter Carson Voss also earned first-team honors.
Coach of the Year honors went to Cass City’s Scott Cuthrell.