Athlete of the Week: Lake Worth football's Vaughn Braynen teams up with twin for Trojans
Lake Worth football player Vaughn Braynen earned a nomination as The Palm Beach Post's Athlete of the Week for his stellar performance in the Trojans' Week 4 victory over Olympic Heights.
The senior running back played a key role in getting Lake Worth into the win column after tough losses in the first two games of the season. Braynen rushed for 108 yards with two touchdowns on 12 carries to lead the Trojans last Friday night.
“We knew what we wanted to do going into it. We wanted to score early," Braynen said. "I scored on the first play of the game and it set the tone ... [The offensive line] did a great job blocking for me. That is the reason we won that game.”
Braynen topped last week's Athlete of the Week poll voting, which is sponsored by Gambale Insurance Group.
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Braynen, who was born in the Bahamas, says his childhood has played a big role in shaping him into the student-athlete he is today.
“A lot of discipline. My mom and dad were tough on us so we could be good kids, respectful kids. But it was fun.”
A twin, Braynen said he loves the opportunity to share the game he loves with his brother, Nashaughn, who also plays football at Lake Worth.
“It’s pretty cool. A lot of people mistake us for each other on the field. But it's fun. We grew up together and we get to play together.”
In just the first three weeks, Vaughn Braynen has already more than doubled his total rushing yards from his junior season.
The 5-foot-7, 190-pound senior has rushed for a total of 285 yards on 42 total carries, averaging 6.8 yards per carry with three touchdowns in the first three games. Nashaughn has the second-most touchdowns for the Trojans with two rushing scores.
As for his future, Vaughn has his sights set on playing at the next level.
“I definitely want to play in college. I really like Warner [University] up in Orlando, and Keiser is pretty good, too.”
Braynen said he has the dream of playing in the NFL, but if it doesn’t pan out, his goal is to become a physical therapist and help other athletes.
For now, Braynen said he's setting out to do his job each week to lead the Lake Worth football team. What's his mental preparation? Braynen chalked it up to one word:
“Score.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lake Worth football's Vaughn Braynen rushing ahead with Trojans
