The Road Not Taken with Jaxon Brenchley
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both…”
-Robert Frost
In sports we like to imagine what athletes would be like if they played another sport, although 6’5 Combo Guard and University of Utah signee Jaxon Brenchley plays tennis, could you imagine him on the football field as a QB or a WR? Jaxon’s favorite basketball player is Lebron James because of his growth, tenacity and ability to close out games. We can probably all agree it would be fun to see Lebron play Tight End, Linebacker or Defensive End in the NFL. Jaxon once considered playing football but he could not travel both roads. We can probably all agree that Jaxon would excel at football just as much as he excels in basketball, who’s to say he wouldn’t be lining up for the Utah Utes on the football field.
Jaxon’s road towards a Mr. Basketball candidate is more diverged than people might think. He didn’t start playing basketball till he was 10 years old. His family was living in Shanghai, China for about 5 years because of his dad’s job and when they moved back to Utah he started playing in rec leagues. His dad started to coach had a few of his friends join a team and he started to fall in love with the sport. While playing in a rec league Coach Kendall Youngblood took notice and asked Jaxon if he wanted to play for his team (Utah Prospects/Exum Elite). Jaxon has played with the same core group of guys since 7th grade. Players like 6’4 F Stockton Shorts, 6’0 PG Dayson Youngblood, 6’5 G Trevin Knell and 6’1 G Marcus Draney. Exum Elite/Utah Prospects has produced some of the top players in Utah in the past few years and the Class of 2017 is no different.
Exum Elite Coach Kendell Youngblood had this to say about Jaxon, “The most competative kid I have ever coached. He wants to win and will do whatever his team needs him to do to win.” While playing in the Adidas Circuit Jaxon was able to hold his own and never became rattled. His improvement over the years is impressive. “The most impressive thing is that he has improved his game every year, from his shooting, handles and defense. One of the most complete players to come out of Utah.”
While writing this article I watched Jaxon’s Junior Year Highlight Film a few times and I can see what the University of Utah fell in love with. His ability to defend and play the passing lanes and finish at the rim, his stop and pop ability, his creativity and vision is just flat out impressive. Jaxon has turned his average shooting and finishing ability into a really impressive all around game. Although his roots are at Mountain Crest High School where his father and uncle played basketball, Jaxon is ready to start a new tradition and place his own roots at Ridgeline High School a new high school that divided the boundries of his previous school Mountain Crest. Jaxon is also excited to suit up and play his final year of high school basketball with his brother Landon Brenchley and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win.
Jaxon is also willing to do whatever it takes in the classroom as he holds a 4.0 cumulative GPA and after he returns from an LDS Mission he plans on studying either business or enter the medical field. Till then Utah Ute fans will have to wait till 2019 to see him suit up, and we will never know what kind of football player Jaxon could have been.