BY SHERI TRUSTY

LAKESIDE-MARBLEHEAD – When retired Danbury and Oak Harbor football coach and Port Clinton High School Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, Gary Quisno, was in his 20s and serving his first head coach position at Danbury High School, he had a mentor who helped shape him into a great coach. Now, Quisno is mentoring Danbury’s new head football coach, 26-year-old Brayden Martin. Brayden spent years mentoring his younger brother, Braxden Martin, and now Braxden is standing beside Brayden as one of his assistant coaches.

This football season, Quisno, Brayden, and Braxden are tying decades of athletic excellence together and bringing that strong connection into the future of Danbury sports. Brayden is ready to lead the team because, besides being a successful athlete, he also has a strong desire to impact the lives of young men.

Brayden is a 2019 Sandusky High School graduate who excelled as the school’s quarterback and then moved to Los Angeles and played football for El Camino College. He founded Elite Performance Training & Rehabilitation, and he formerly coached football at Perkins Middle School, when Braxden was on the team.

Brayden continued to mentor his brother and other local athletes through their college years, helping Braxden reach state level success in multiple sports. Braxton was the State Runner-up in football his junior year, the State Champion in baseball his senior year, and the State Runner-up in baseball his junior year.

Brayden had found his calling leading young men, and now, Braxden is standing beside him as one of Danbury’s assistant coaches, along with Assistant Coach Kendrick Scott.

Brayden took a two-year break from coaching before joining Danbury’s coaching staff last year.

“I always loved football. God has a way of bringing you back to what you’re supposed to do,” he said. “I was always meant to mentor young men.”

When the head football coach position opened this school year, many people encouraged Brayden to apply.

“I sat on it and prayed on it. I didn’t want to overcommit and underserve,” he said.

Brayden accepted the job and is serving his first season as Danbury’s head football coach. The three-man coaching staff of Martin, Martin, and Scott is young, but they bring an energy that isn’t normally seen on the field.

“We’ll bring new eyes to the game of football and the experience of never playing a losing season,” Brayden said. “And we bring energy like no other coaching staff. The players see that and feed off that energy.”

Quisno has already recognized the impact of that energy.

“They have good energy and good rapport with the athletes,” he said.

Quisno started his coaching career at Danbury with the help of mentor Jeff Warnicke.

“He was my experienced voice. I’m hoping I can be that voice to Brayden,” Quisno said.

Brayden is grateful for Quisno’s mentorship.

“He gives me advice when I need it. He’s been in this sport a long time, and he’s giving back his wisdom and knowledge,” Brayden said.

At the same time, Brayden is sharing life knowledge with the athletes on his team. For him, coaching isn’t just about teaching skills and running drills; it’s about mentoring young men.

“We’ve all had coaches that beat us down. I’m hard on them, but in a corrective way,” Brayden said. “I tell them I believe in their athletic potential, and I believe in them as young men. If players can be themselves, they’ll play well.”

Brayden is encouraging their competitive drive in the hopes it will help his athletes succeed long after they are done playing football.

“You compete your whole life. You compete to have the best job, to be the best husband, to be the best father,” Brayden said. “I want to instill that in them and help them become good young men.”

Danbury will play its first game on Saturday, Aug. 22 at St. Mary Central Catholic.