Prep football Player of the Week: Monroe QB is first repeat winner

Brayden Graceffa keeps doing the homework, and the Monroe Redhawks keep winning.

Graceffa’s passing led Monroe to a 49-14 rout of West Rowan last week in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.

He completed 16 of 19 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns, and it was enough to get him elected by fans as The Charlotte Observer’s Football Player of the Week.

Graceffa, a junior who took over as the Redhawks’ quarterback in midseason, is the first player to win the Player of the Week award twice this season.

Graceffa told The Observer earlier this season that doing a little homework pays off on game nights.

“When you do the preparation, it takes most of the worry away,” he said.

He apparently prepared properly for West Rowan, as his passing helped Monroe build a big early lead and coast into Friday’s third-round game at top-seeded South Point.

Coach Johnny Sowell installed Graceffa as starting quarterback in early October, when Monroe was 1-3, with losses to two of North Carolina’s best teams — 8A West Charlotte and 7A Weddington — and to a Sun Valley team that was still in the playoffs Friday night.

Since becoming starter, Monroe has gone 6-0.

During that run, Graceffa has completed 50 of 77 passes for 1,041 yards.

If you convert those numbers to a 10-game schedule, Graceffa could have thrown for more than 1,700 yards.

Graceffa credits the coaching staff and his receivers.

“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 was a wide receiver and defensive back in middle school, then moved to quarterback when he arrived at Monroe High in ninth grade.

He learned from watching Kaegan Chambers throw for nearly 2,000 yards last season en route to the state title.

“Our goal is to finish the same as 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.”