He played hockey in Minnesota. Now he’s The Star’s high school football Player of the Week

Joseph Hernandez
Pembroke Hill high school junior tight end and linebacker Braden James was named The Star’s Player of the Week. (Reaghan Gaffney)

Pembroke Hill high school junior football player Braden James used to be a hockey player.

He played hockey for his high school in Minnesota before he and his family moved to Kansas City before his sophomore year. The experience has come in handy for him, as he plays both sides of the ball on the football field like he would play on offense and defense on the skating rink.

James’ performance against Hogan Prep Academy Saturday earned him the honor of being named The Star’s high school football Player of the Week.

Every week, The Star reaches out to high school football coaches in the Kansas City area for their Player of the Week nominations. The Star collects the nominations for a weekly poll, which is open from Wednesday to midnight Thursday. We received 226 votes from our readers for this week’s poll.

Pembroke Hill head coach Knopik pointed to two plays by James that helped secure Pembroke’s 28-6 victory Saturday over Hogan Prep.

One was a touchdown-saving tackle he made after running 50 yards down the field — similar to a play Chiefs cornerback Bryan Cook made against the New York Jets Sunday. Another was a late touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to seal the game.

James finished with four receptions for 56 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Hogan Prep. While the stats aren’t eye-popping, Knopik said each reception came at pivotal moments when the team needed momentum.

One play that won’t pop up on the stat sheet: James’ 60-yard touchdown catch that was called back due to an offensive penalty. It would’ve been easy for James to get frustrated, but Knopik credited James’ resilience and calm demeanor in not letting it disrupt the team.

“He’s a wonderful young man and representative of our team,” Knopik said.

Pembroke Hill will need his resilience on Friday, as they travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to play the Northeast Oklahoma Association of Homeschools Academy. Pembroke Hill was supposed to play TDW Prep Academy in St. Louis, but it was canceled.

Speaking of James’ resilience, it will be tested this weekend. Knopik said he’s one of several players on the team taking the SAT tomorrow despite the quick turnaround on the road trip to Tulsa.

Other players nominated this week include:

  • Keith Slaughter, Piper: 197 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 56-7 win over Turner

  • Jax Fosnow, Lee’s Summit West: nine tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, sack and interception in 41-28 win over Blue Springs South

  • Travon Pankey, Oak Park: 288 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 43-35 win over Lee’s Summit

  • Cameron Emmons, Kearney: 215 rushing yards and four touchdowns, 56 receiving yards and one touchdown in 42-12 win over Ruskin

  • Dylan Dunn, Blue Valley Southwest: 327 passing yards and six touchdowns in 55-14 win over Blue Valley North

  • Kaleb Scott, Basehor-Linwood: 125 receiving yards and two touchdowns, 5 tackles in 44-14 win over Leavenworth

  • Mike Smith, Grandview: 145 receiving yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in 47-7 win over Excelsior Springs

  • Sam Boetcher, Basehor-Linwood: 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 44-14 win over Leavenworth

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