Branch Having Solid Senior Season At Emory & Henry

EMORY, Va. – Kasey Branch is the old man on the Emory & Henry football team.

The former Stuarts Draft Cougars standout, a 2020 high school grad, took a couple of years away from the sport before enrolling at E&H.

“At first, coming out of high school, I wasn’t going to play football in college,” Branch explained. “I went to Blue Ridge and got my associates degree but decided that wasn’t what I wanted to do. I decided to go to Emory & Henry and play football while I was still young. Yeah, I am the old man.”

Branch received some playing time as a freshman, mostly on special teams, and was slated for significant playing time as a sophomore before an injury sidetracked his career.

“My second year I was going to be in the linebacker rotation but in the first game of the season I blew out my knee, tore my ACL and meniscus, and had to have surgery.,” Branch said. 

The injury also affected his junior season. Branch wasn’t cleared to play until almost midway through the 2024 season and saw action in just six games.

Despite not being on the playing field for an extended period, Branch made sure to stay engaged with the program.

“We’re a close-knit team. I’m here to support my brothers and when I was injured, they were there to support me,” Branch said. “I was still very involved with the team. I was at practices and all the linebacker meetings. On gameday, I was in the press box with Coach (Mitchell) Walters. I still felt part of the team.”

The time off the field gave Branch a different perspective on learning the game. “When you’re playing, you tend to be so focused on your job,” he said. “When you’re watching from upstairs you can see how the other 10 guys on defense are doing their jobs. You get a better idea of how the defense works as a unit. I learned a lot.”

A year ago, Emory & Henry posted a stellar 9-2 record but missed out on the postseason. Not getting a taste of playoff football fueled the team during the offseason.

“Absolutely, missing the playoffs was huge motivation during the offseason. You look back and we were one game short, maybe one touchdown short or one defensive stop short of making the playoffs. I think we became even closer as a team. We put the work in. We know we’re a good football team. We just have to prove it to everyone else each week.”

This season, Branch is healthy and determined to make the most of his senior season. He ranks third on the team in tackles with 33 for a defense that is allowing just 15.6 points per game through six games and holding opponents to less than 300 yards total offense per game.

“I’m having a pretty good season,” Branch said. “I’m 1/11th of the defense and my role is to do my job to the best of my ability on every play. That may be making the tackle or taking on a block, whatever it takes. 

The Wasps are 5-1 overall and 4-1 in South Atlantic Conference play. The lone setback was a three-point, 31-28, loss at No. 21 Lenoir-Rhyne. This past week, E&H defeated No. 22 Carson -Newman at home, 19-13.

The Wasps are receiving votes for the Top 25 in the AFCA poll and are ranked No. 24 by in the D2football.com poll. Next on the schedule is a trip to Mars Hill, a team that handed the Wasps one of their two losses a year ago.

“Last year, we got ranked and we went out and lost at Mars Hill,” said Branch. “It’s a similar thing this year. We’re coming off a big win over a ranked team and Mars Hill is next on the schedule. We have to go down there for their homecoming game, and this time get a different result.”

While Branch is enjoying a stellar season campaign on the playing field, he has always managed his business in the classroom. In each of his first three seasons, he has earned the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award while also earning a spot of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

“I’m majoring in physical education, and I want to coach. It’s a way I think I can make the biggest impact on others,” Branch said. 

But first, there is still some business at hand for Branch and his teammates. The long-range goal is making the playoffs, but to get there, the team needs to focus on the now.

“We’re on a mission to go 1-0 each Saturday,” Branch said. “You can’t get caught looking back and you can’t be looking to far forward. We’re focused on going 1-0 at Mars Hill.”