SHELBY — Brayden DeVito secured his place in Shelby football history in his very first game as a freshman.
His legend has grown exponentially since then.
A junior, DeVito will lead the unbeaten Whippets (12-0) into Friday’s Division IV, Region 14 semifinal against cross-county rival Ontario (11-1) at Arlin Field as arguably the most accomplished signal-caller in program history.
It all started on a steamy mid-August night in 2022 when an unheralded freshman came on in relief of senior starter Landon Kennard in the final game ever played at iconic W.W. Skiles Field. DeVito rushed for 107 yards and threw for 140 yards and a touchdown in Shelby’s 10-7 win over Madison.
“I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a little overwhelming,” DeVito said of stepping into the huddle for the first time. “Before we got into summer practices that year I thought I could help the varsity team, but as the summer went on it didn’t look like I would have a role at all.
“I had a couple of good scrimmages near the end of the preseason. After that, I thought I might be able to help the team out.”
Shelby coach Rob Mahaney already knew DeVito was the future.
“The coaching staff was watching the junior varsity guys play in the second half of a scrimmage against Norwalk and Brayden was making play after play,” Mahaney said. “The coaches got together and agreed this was something we hadn’t seen. We had to figure out how to use this young man to help us.
“We gave him some reps that week in practice and we turned to him that game and he gave us a chance. Shelby fans will always remember the final game at Skiles Field and he came in and gave us what we needed that night.”
Even after leading the Whippets to a victory that night, DeVito wasn’t necessarily welcomed with open arms. Like any freshman inheriting the most important position in team sports, he had to earn the trust and respect of his older teammates.
“Some of the seniors that year would have liked to see their classmate start, so it was definitely hard at first to get them all to buy in,” DeVito said. “I completely understand where they were coming from. Eventually, they came around and had my back.”
Any lingering doubts his teammates had were laid to rest the following week. In his first career start, DeVito completed 19-of-29 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns in a 53-21 win at Lexington.
“He made enough plays for us to beat Madison and then the following week he came out and threw for 400 yards,” Mahaney said. “It didn’t take long for everyone to buy into it.”
DeVito threw for 2,464 yards and 22 touchdowns as a freshman, leading a Shelby team hit hard by graduation to a 5-6 record and a berth in the Region 14 playoffs. The Whippets were dispatched by West Holmes in the opening round of the postseason, but the foundation was laid for what turned out to be a remarkable second year.
As a sophomore, DeVito led the Whippets to a share of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship and another playoff berth. He threw for 3,556 yards and 30 touchdowns as Shelby fell to eventual Division IV state champ Cleveland Glenville in the Region 14 semifinals.
Through 12 games this year, DeVito has thrown for 3,413 yards and 30 touchdowns and rushed for 1,333 yards and 23 TDs. He also has 76 receiving yards and a score, accounting for 4,822 yards of total offense and 54 touchdowns.
What’s more, DeVito passed legendary Shelby quarterback Brennan Armstrong as the program’s career passing yards leader in a Week 6 win at Highland. Armstrong, who led Shelby to its only regional championship and a berth in the state semifinals in 2017, threw for 7,386 yards before starring at the University of Virginia and North Carolina State.
“If someone had told me three years ago that I would break Brennan Armstrong’s records I would have said that’s a stretch,” DeVito said. “I grew up watching Brennan. My friends and I looked at those guys and it didn’t even seem like they were human.”
A three-time All-Ohioan, Armstrong ushered in a renaissance of Shelby quarterback play. He was followed by McGwire Albert and Marshall Shepherd, who was an All-Ohio first-teamer in 2021 and owns Shelby’s single-season passing record of 4,273 yards.
“We’ve had some great quarterbacks here and it’s crazy that Brayden is breaking Brennan’s career passing record as a junior,” Mahaney said. “You’re talking about 130 years of Shelby football and, with the quarterbacks that have come recently, it’s surprising.
“At the same time, knowing Brayden and his work ethic and how much he cares, it’s what you expect.”
Armstrong authored one of the greatest single-game performances in Shelby history when he was a freshman, accounting for 549 yards and nine touchdowns in a jaw-dropping 83-82 overtime loss to Tiffin Columbian in October of 2014. DeVito entered that same rarified air less than a month ago when he accounted for 489 yards and seven TDs in a 50-36 win over Ontario in Week 9.
“We did some things well that night, but there are definitely some things we need to clean up,” DeVito said. “I threw two interceptions and I know I can’t have that happen again.”
It will likely take another super-human effort from DeVito on Friday night. Bodpegn Miller, an Ohio State recruit, will lead the Warriors into the rematch at Arlin Field.
“Shelby and Ontario playing in a regional semifinal game at Arlin Field, it doesn’t get much better than that,” Mahaney said. “It means a lot to the Shelby community and the Ontario community and to Richland County football in general.
“Years from now, people will be able to say they saw arguably two of the greatest football players in Richland County history play against each other. It’s an awesome time for Richland County football.”
While Miller’s legacy is cemented, DeVito’s high school résumé is still a work in progress.
He has thrown for 9,433 yards, which puts him 20th on the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s unofficial career passing list just ahead of Penn State quarterback Drew Allar and 2012 Ohio Mr. Football winner and former first-round NFL draft pick Mitch Trubisky.
He is on pace to become just the fifth Ohio high school quarterback to throw for more than 12,000 yards, joining Kenton brothers Maty (18,932 yards) and Ben (17.364) Mauk, Western Brown’s Drew Novak (14,127) and Triway’s Parker Carmichael (12,005).
“Brayden is a special athlete and a phenomenal passer,” Mahaney said. “I would argue with anybody that he is the most accurate quarterback on the move in the state. The way we ask him to move around and he still is able to put it on people, it’s impressive.”
Perhaps more impressive than his physical abilities is his development as a leader. The 2024 Brayden DeVito is a far cry from the unsure freshman who stepped into the huddle a few short years ago.
“He had to fight to earn respect as a freshman. Then, as a sophomore, he was able to ease into the role on a team with a lot of veteran leadership,” Mahaney said. “This year he had to be the one to rally a group of inexperienced guys around him and he’s done that.
“He’s done a tremendous job of getting everyone working toward the same goal. It’s a credit to him and his work ethic.”