Bam breaks tackles, blockers and defenses
October, 7, 2010
10/07/10
3:54
PM ET
By Matt Lawyue | ESPNNewYork.com
Brandon Reddish goes by “Bam.”
Why? Nobody knows.
“He already had that nickname before he even came to the school,” Fort Hamilton head coach Danny Perez says about the “Bam” moniker. “I guess it’s always him breaking things and being Bam Bam.”
You know, things such as tackles, blockers and any defensive scheme attempted to slow him down. The truth is, not even Reddish knows where it started.
“I really don’t know,” Reddish ponders. “I think my uncle gave it to me, honestly.”
As blasé as he sounds, it’s a reputation that precedes him throughout New York City.
This is the All-City star’s final stake to a PSAL title, yet with or without a trophy, his legacy is sealed at Fort Hamilton as one of the all-time greats to emerge from The Narrows and 8301 Shore Road.
They used to build mansions along Shore Road, home to rich merchants in suits and celebrities in a quieter, pre-Twitter era. Fort Hamilton High School, snuggled in Bay Ridge along The Narrows, stands on what used to be the Crescent Athletic Club and Boathouse at the turn of the 20th Century. A men’s sanctuary of sorts, housing athletes, sea-faring scurvy, and yes, hosts to summer dances.
Bam Bam would like to be dancing until November to the sounds of defenders lunging for his ankles, as he skips away in his Nikes for the touchdown.
For roster purposes, Reddish is listed as a senior, 5’11 wide receiver, but watching him play you’d be scratching your head. Safety? Punter? Punt-returner? Running back? These positions aren’t new to him, who’s being heavily recruited by a handful of D-I programs. Offers from BCS names like Penn State, Connecticut, Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia, West Virginia and Boston College are on the table. He’ll pick his hat after the season.
His pure athletic ability, blistering speed, soft hands and game-defining prowess are what the BCS craves. They won’t expect Reddish to play any quarterback, but if necessary, the kid has experience taking snaps. When starting quarterback Marvin Centeno injured his knee in preseason, Perez and his staff took their most talented player and put him under center.
“It’s a chance for us to get our best athlete the ball every time and increase the number of touches that he’s going to get” Perez said about the switch. “On the field, he’s a leader. He’s a big play guy that we’re going to lean on to make big plays.”
In the season opener, Reddish attempted just two passes, but rushed for 143-yards on four carries for one touchdown. On the other side of the field, Bam recorded six tackles and one interception. Fort Hamilton pounced Susan Wagner 40-0.
“If I got to play quarterback, I'll play,” Reddish says about the transition to QB. “It’s fun playing quarterback because you get to have the ball in your hand every play."
And so it went in his next two starts at quarterback -- a 34-8 victory over visiting New Dorp and a 42-6 spanking over Franklin D. Roosevelt. In three games under center, Reddish rushed for 271 yards, but more impressively, his team out-rushed their opponents by 846 yards (989 to 143). Teams target Reddish so intently, their blinders leave room for the other Fort Hamilton backs to slip through the seams for impressive yardage.
Centeno returned last Saturday to take over quarterback duties against Dewitt Clinton, and coach Perez’s spread-offense was back in full gear. Centeno threw for one score in the end zone, while Reddish also rushed for a touchdown out of a wildcat formation Fort Hamilton sits tied atop the PSAL at 4-0 with Lincoln and Tottenville.
At the midpoint of the season, Fort Hamilton is a serious contender for the city championship, something that’s eluded Reddish his entire high school career. After going undefeated last season, the Tigers were undone in the PSAL semifinals by Curtis, and the year before, a devastating loss to Port Richmond in the PSAL championship game put a damper on Bam’s breakout sophomore season.
“He had three touchdowns in the city championship, on the spotlight as a young sophomore,” Perez reminisces about the loss to Port Richmond. “He just has to continue that.”
With five games left in the regular season before the playoffs, this is Bam’s last shot to dance until November.
Why? Nobody knows.
“He already had that nickname before he even came to the school,” Fort Hamilton head coach Danny Perez says about the “Bam” moniker. “I guess it’s always him breaking things and being Bam Bam.”
You know, things such as tackles, blockers and any defensive scheme attempted to slow him down. The truth is, not even Reddish knows where it started.
“I really don’t know,” Reddish ponders. “I think my uncle gave it to me, honestly.”
As blasé as he sounds, it’s a reputation that precedes him throughout New York City.
This is the All-City star’s final stake to a PSAL title, yet with or without a trophy, his legacy is sealed at Fort Hamilton as one of the all-time greats to emerge from The Narrows and 8301 Shore Road.
They used to build mansions along Shore Road, home to rich merchants in suits and celebrities in a quieter, pre-Twitter era. Fort Hamilton High School, snuggled in Bay Ridge along The Narrows, stands on what used to be the Crescent Athletic Club and Boathouse at the turn of the 20th Century. A men’s sanctuary of sorts, housing athletes, sea-faring scurvy, and yes, hosts to summer dances.
Bam Bam would like to be dancing until November to the sounds of defenders lunging for his ankles, as he skips away in his Nikes for the touchdown.
For roster purposes, Reddish is listed as a senior, 5’11 wide receiver, but watching him play you’d be scratching your head. Safety? Punter? Punt-returner? Running back? These positions aren’t new to him, who’s being heavily recruited by a handful of D-I programs. Offers from BCS names like Penn State, Connecticut, Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia, West Virginia and Boston College are on the table. He’ll pick his hat after the season.
His pure athletic ability, blistering speed, soft hands and game-defining prowess are what the BCS craves. They won’t expect Reddish to play any quarterback, but if necessary, the kid has experience taking snaps. When starting quarterback Marvin Centeno injured his knee in preseason, Perez and his staff took their most talented player and put him under center.
“It’s a chance for us to get our best athlete the ball every time and increase the number of touches that he’s going to get” Perez said about the switch. “On the field, he’s a leader. He’s a big play guy that we’re going to lean on to make big plays.”
In the season opener, Reddish attempted just two passes, but rushed for 143-yards on four carries for one touchdown. On the other side of the field, Bam recorded six tackles and one interception. Fort Hamilton pounced Susan Wagner 40-0.
“If I got to play quarterback, I'll play,” Reddish says about the transition to QB. “It’s fun playing quarterback because you get to have the ball in your hand every play."
And so it went in his next two starts at quarterback -- a 34-8 victory over visiting New Dorp and a 42-6 spanking over Franklin D. Roosevelt. In three games under center, Reddish rushed for 271 yards, but more impressively, his team out-rushed their opponents by 846 yards (989 to 143). Teams target Reddish so intently, their blinders leave room for the other Fort Hamilton backs to slip through the seams for impressive yardage.
Centeno returned last Saturday to take over quarterback duties against Dewitt Clinton, and coach Perez’s spread-offense was back in full gear. Centeno threw for one score in the end zone, while Reddish also rushed for a touchdown out of a wildcat formation Fort Hamilton sits tied atop the PSAL at 4-0 with Lincoln and Tottenville.
At the midpoint of the season, Fort Hamilton is a serious contender for the city championship, something that’s eluded Reddish his entire high school career. After going undefeated last season, the Tigers were undone in the PSAL semifinals by Curtis, and the year before, a devastating loss to Port Richmond in the PSAL championship game put a damper on Bam’s breakout sophomore season.
“He had three touchdowns in the city championship, on the spotlight as a young sophomore,” Perez reminisces about the loss to Port Richmond. “He just has to continue that.”
With five games left in the regular season before the playoffs, this is Bam’s last shot to dance until November.
BOYS' BASKETBALL RANKINGS
| Rank | School (City, State) | Rec |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oak Hill Academy Mouth of Wilson, VA | 44-0 |
| 2 | Findlay Prep Henderson, NV | 32-1 |
| 3 | St. Anthony Jersey City, NJ | 32-0 |
| 4 | Chester Chester, PA | 32-0 |
| 5 | Marcus Flower Mound, TX | 39-2 |
| See the full boys' basketball rankings » | ||
FOOTBALL RANKINGS
| Rank | School (City, State) | Rec |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don Bosco Ramsey, NJ | 11-0 |
| 2 | Armwood Seffner, FL | 15-0 |
| 3 | Trinity For Boys Louisville, KY | 14-0 |
| 4 | Grayson Loganville, GA | 15-0 |
| 5 | Good Counsel Olney, MD | 13-0 |
| See the full football rankings » | ||
You must be signed in to post a comment