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Belle Vernon QB Laux commits to Eastern Michigan

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This past Dec. 10, Braden Laux threw the biggest pass in the history if the Belle Vernon football program when he connected with Quinton Martin on a 16-yard touchdown in the PIAA Class 3A football championship game.

It was the only offensive touchdown in Belle Vernon’s 9-8 win over Neumann-Goretti. Now Laux and Martin have another connection: Both have earned Division I scholarships.

While Martin committed to Penn State in April, Laux committed to Eastern Michigan last weekend.

“It is like a family up there,” said Laux, who has a 3.8 GPA and will major in Business Administration at EMU, which plays in the Mid-American Conference.

“Everybody supports each other, and I know every team does that, but they make you feel at home.”

Laux, who also had scholarship offers from Marshall, Western Kentucky and Maine and had interest from Pitt and West Virginia, said he is relieved that the recruiting process has ended.

“It is more of a mental thing, so you don’t have to keep thinking about it later,” he said. “I can focus on our senior season and don’t have the weight of the world on my shoulders.”

While Laux is BV’s quarterback on offense, he was an all-conference defensive end as well. Laux will play tight end at Eastern Michigan. He weas recruited by Brandon Blaney, the Eagles’ co-offensive run game coordinator and the tight ends coach.

“Coach Blaney has been in constant contact with me since the middle of this past season,” Laux said.

Laux said he will put in extra time this season to be better prepared for his position switch.

“I just have to train for both positions, so I don’t go into college without knowing anything (about playing tight end),” he said. “I will still be doing multiple things, because I throw and run on offense now. I will do multiple things at tight end as well.”

Laux was impressed with how compact Eastern Michigan’s athletic complexes are on the campus.

“All the facilities are on one side,” he said. “Athletics, the weight room, the stadium, they are all on one side. Then there is the village where the athletes stay, and the main campus is right next to that.”

Laux said playing college football was always something he wanted to accomplish.

“It was a goal of mine to play at the next level, but not everyone gets the opportunity,” he said. “Many have the dream, and I started to really think I could at the start of this past season and after getting some recognition.”

Belle Vernon head coach Matt Humbert is thrilled for the 6-4, 215-pound Laux.

“I am excited for him to get this opportunity,” Humbert said. “He is a different animal and Eastern Michigan is getting a steal.

“He is an extremely versatile kid that can play a multitude of positions for them.”

Leopards defensive coordinator Brett Berish agreed.

“He is a gentle giant and a competitor,” Berish said. “He has deceptive power and speed, and he will run you over. He is a great kid off the field, is a good student, has a good family and support system.”

Laux also spoke about his family.

“It is a relief off their shoulders,” Laux said of his parents, Brian and Missy. “With my sister Mia attending Chatham, now they don’t have to stress about me.”

Before Laux moves on to Eastern Michigan, he and his teammates will try for consecutive WPIAL and PIAA championships, but they aren’t looking ahead.

“The offseason is going good,” he said. “We are all preparing for Week 1 against Laurel Highlands, but we will go one game at a time.”

As a quarterback last year, Laux passed for 1,019 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also ran for 501 yards with eight scores.

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