Monroe’s Brayden Graceffa is The Observer’s high school football player of the week
Brayden Graceffa said it’s all about the homework.
“When you do the preparation, it takes most of the worry away,” said Graceffa, quarterback for the Monroe High football team.
Graceffa, a junior, did the homework before the Redhawks’ game Oct. 17 against Anson County, and it ended up with a performance that earned him Charlotte Observer Football Player of the Week honors for last week.
Graceffa completed 10 of 14 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns in Monroe’s 32-20 victory over the Bearcats.
He followed that with a solid performance Friday in a 39-21 victory over Mount Pleasant, and now Monroe (5-3, 4-0 Rocky River 4A/5A) will take a four-game winning streak into its regular-season finale Friday at home against rival Forest Hills.
“That is going to be a huge game,” Graceffa said of the contest against the Yellow Jackets (8-1, 3-1). “It’s a chance to make a statement.”
A tale of two football seasons
It has been a tale of two seasons for Monroe High football.
The defending 2A state champions opened their season with a 35-0 rout of Hoke County. Then gave up consecutive losses against 8A powerhouse West Charlotte, 7A power Weddington, and a Sun Valley team that is 6-3 and highly ranked in 6A.
Graceffa was installed as starting quarterback in Game 5 against Parkwood and has helped guide the Redhawks to a 4-0 record since then.
“The tough teams you face early in the season help make you better as your come to the end of the season,” Graceffa said. “That’s what has happened to us.”
Monroe’s quarterback said it’s a similar story for each game — the work done early in the week pays dividends on game night.
“The key is in the preparation,” he said.
“I study the upcoming team’s defense — their personnel, their tendencies, the way they play,” Graceffa said. “We get our game plan from Coach (Johnny) Sowell, and we work on that. And it all fits together.”
He said he and wide receiver Bryson “Bam” Simpkins prepared special plays for the Anson County game that depended on the type of defense the Bearcats were in. It resulted in a couple of big pass plays over the middle.
“Our receivers are very smart,” he said. “And Coach Sowell gives us the opportunity to adapt plays. When the quarterback and receivers are on the same page, good things can happen.”
Graceffa’s football career started in fifth grade
Graceffa took up football in fifth grade, as a wide receiver and defensive back on a youth team in Fort Mill.
“It just kind of happened,” he said, of his transition to quarterback. “My team needed a quarterback, I always had a strong arm, and I became the quarterback.”
His family moved to Monroe before ninth grade, and Graceffa kept working on his craft. He learned from watching Kaegan Chambers throw for nearly 2,000 yards last season on route to the state title.
“Our goal is to finish the same ast we did last year,” he said. “We don’t have the same team, but we have a lot of talent. It’s actually a young team this year, but it’s a good team.
“For the last four weeks, we’ve had amazing practices,” he said. “If you have good practices, you play well. I’m expecting more of that as we get ready for Forest Hills.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 7:07 AM.
