Floods cherishing their one season starting together for Clever’s stout defense
Published 4:00 am Tuesday, October 13, 2026
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During the summer prior to the start of the school year at Clever, Brayden and Brenton Floods’ neighbors probably had a good idea when the Jays’ football practices were about to begin.
Likewise, they also surely know when it’s a Jays game night.
“Every practice and every game, we get fired up. We’re riding in the car yelling, ‘Yeah, football baby!’” Brenton said, recalling the all-in enthusiasm for the pigskin he and his older brother share.
The Floods’ fervor for football is at an all-time high this season. It doesn’t get much better than this, with Brayden being a senior and Brenton a sophomore and both starting on the Jays’ highly-touted defense.
This is their one and only season starting alongside each other and they’re making the most of it, savoring every second.
“It’s a blessing to be out here with my brother and ball with him,” Brayden said. “This is something not a lot of people get to experience.”
“It means the world to me. I’m embracing it,” Brenton said.
Brenton felt the sense of urgency to earn a starting job this season, after not seeing regular playing time a year ago as a freshman.
“He took a big step in the weight room and committed to football and improved a lot,” Brayden said. “I’m glad he wanted it. He definitely deserves it.”
Brenton, a linebacker, has burst upon the scene in a big way, recording a team-high 59 tackles, with 3.5 TFLs. He was in on 16 tackles against both Stockton and Buffalo.
“He flies around,” Brayden said. “I look to my left and he’s making a tackle and I look to my right and he’s making a tackle. He’s everywhere.”
Brayden, a defensive end coming off a Mid-Lakes First-Team junior year that saw him notch 20 TFLs, has 51 tackles, including 30 solo stops, nine TFLs and four quarterback sack. He tops Clever in the latter three categories.
With the Floods doing their part, the Jays (6-1 overall and 4-1 in the Mid-Lakes Conference) are fresh from back-to-back shutouts and allowing an average of only 11.9 points a game.
The Floods aren’t shy about pushing one another, with friendly competition between them fueling their fire. They wouldn’t want it any other way.
“Sometimes it gets a little unfriendly,” Brenton said. “I do have more tackles than him, but he has more solos. We chirp back and forth like brothers do. It’s awesome.”
