James Brao Plays Three Ways For Hamilton-Wenham

Hamilton-Wenham senior co-captain James Brao found out late Tuesday night he was named the Cape Ann League small lineman of the year.

Brao is happy with the honor, but would have really liked to have been getting ready for another football game. Cardinal Spellman ended the Generals season, in a first round playoff game earlier that night in Reading.

"It's tough, we fought back, but we just had too big of a hole," Brao said.

Hamilton-Wenham played much better in the second half than in the first half, he said.

"We needed a couple of stops on defense and we didn't get them,"he said. "Football is my favorite thing about high school and it's hard to think that now it's all over."

The six foot, two inch, 200-pound lineman anchored both the offensive and the defensive lines for the Generals, lining up at defensive tackle and defensive end, and playing tackle when Hamilton-Wenham had the ball. Brao also plays tenor sax for the Hamilton-Wenham band when he's not on the football field.

"I've been playing since the third grade, the first year the school offers instruction," Brao said. "I picked up the alto sax first and started on the tenor sax in seventh grade; We put on concerts in the winter and the spring, and I'm also a member of the Jazz Band."

Brao's teammates Jimmy Love, Nick Vogus, Jake Prince and Dylan Keith were all named to the CAL Small All-League team, and his coach, Andrew Morency was named CAL Small coach of the year.

"I wouldn't have it any other way than having Coach Morency as my coach; He's a great football guy, I respect him, he's really a great coach," Brao said. "The coaching staff has a lot of chemistry with themselves and the players; They are all football guys, Coach Morency is very knowledgeable and makes sure our team is prepared for every game."

Brao kicked two field goals this season, one in the , another to clinch a playoff spot - the first ever for Hamilton-Wenham - .

"I was really too exhausted to be nervous, in the Lynnfield game," Brao said of his last minute kick that won the game. "We worked on kicks all the time in practice, so I knew I could hit it."

Brao captained the 2010 team (8-3) with seniors Dylan Keith and Jimmy Love, and his winning field goal was not his favorite moment of the regular season.

"The most exciting play of the year was Jimmy Love's defensive stop to save a touchdown ," Brao said. "I knew we had a good team this year , it was important for the returning guys to too, and we did."

Brao will play in the band over the winter and get ready for lacrosse next spring. The Hamilton resident has applied to Tufts and hopes to play football in college.

"I'm going to miss playing football for Hamilton-Wenham, my best friends all play football, it's a big part of my life," Brao said. "It was awesome to be part of this team, it's special to be part of the first Hamilton-Wenham team that made the playoffs."