Published: October 14, 2009 12:03 am      

COMMENTARY: Lions QB Bronson hitting full stride

LOCKPORT — I wish I could say I’ve known Norm Palmer longer, but it was only through my work at the paper and Norm’s extraordinary rise as a local sports broadcaster have we become acquainted later in life.

Highly intelligent, a polished professional and possessing a gift for gab that carries him through games even without the aid of a color commentator or spotter, Norm’s become a local institution when it comes to high school sports.

And there isn’t a single person whose opinion that I respect any more.

With that being said, I wasn’t sure how far I should go out on a limb while discussing our beloved Lockport football Lions with Norm on Lockport’s WLVL Radio last week.

It was halftime of the Wilson/Royalton-Hartland game at Bruno Pacini Field in Middleport and Norm was handling the radio broadcast solo.

Obviously, we touched on the play of Lockport’s two dominant players, senior co-captains David Fluellen and Luke Rankie.

Flu is arguably greatest running back in school history, possessing moves, quickness, speed and most importantly, durability, that could land him many significant postseason honors, including the prestigious Connolly Cup.

Rankie is one of the greatest all-around football players that ever donned a blue and gold uniform. An all-star linebacker and ferocious hitter, Rankie has emerged this year into one of the best tight ends in the region as well.

Rankie’s offensive prowess in 2009 brought Norm and I to the subject of Lions junior quarterback Kevin Bronson, a somewhat forgotten figure in the offense while Fluellen was busy making history, breaking the school’s all-time rushing record.

I told Norm what many people believe, that Bronson has quietly evolved into one of the best high school quarterbacks in the area. It’s been a gradual, but consistent climb from the first game to the last. He looks more confident running the offense, more efficient running plays, more comfortable in the pocket and every pass seems to be harder and more accurate than the last.

“That’s a bit of a stretch. I should learn to speak with my brain, instead of my heart,” I thought to myself (I’ve watched Kevin grow up right before my eyes while covering Lions football games over the past decade. And as the son of an LHS coach I admire a great deal, I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve been rooting for him to succeed from the start).

Norm’s eyes widened and I wasn’t sure what he was going to say next, but I thought I may have gone too far.

“That’s interesting that you say that because I just said the same thing last week,” Palmer said, then went on to echo all of my sentiments and more about the tall, wiry Lockport QB, whose father, Greg Bronson, is the head coach.

Norm and I couldn’t quite pin point how far Kevin’s come this year because he’s never really played poorly in his first year as a starter, but his improvement is as important as it is dramatic, because it’s taken Lockport out of the one-dimensional offensive philosophy it had been known for.

To shut down Lockport’s offense, it was said, simply shut down Fluellen. Easier said than done, obviously, but that was it in a nutshell.

Today, that’s the furthest thing from reality since Fox News.

If you want to stop the Lions’ “O” today, it’s a much more complicated process. Your best bet is containing them and good luck. Fluellen is always a threat, but Bronson has proven himself to be an effective passer, Luke Rankie, Jake Chenez and Deshaan Vincent are all viable receiving weapons and James Renford is no slouch at fullback, dishing out blocks that can be heard as well as seen.

Primarily a passer, Bronson throws a beautiful long ball, but can also throw a quick out from the pocket or while rolling to his right or left. And when he’s pressured, it isn’t uncommon for him to tuck the ball in and head upfield.

The numbers speak for themselves. Bronson tossed his fourth touchdown pass of the season in Saturday’s 41-14 win at Will North and just his first interception. Overall this year, he’s 27 of 53 passing for 391 yards.

While Fluellen and Rankie continue to deservedly garner most of the attention for the Lions’ 3-1 division start and 4-2 mark overall, Bronson has proven himself more than capable of running Lockport’s high-octane offense and spreading the ball around enough to keep opposing defenses guessing.

LHS offensive coordinator Joe Scapelliti has been calling some great games as of late, but Bronson’s been executing those plays to near perfection.

A win over visiting Niagara Falls at 2 p.m. Saturday (Max D. Lederer Field) and the Lions will clinch a home game in the AA playoffs, where the sky’s the limit.

It might be a great opportunity for local fans to see for themselves the many players (and coaches) who have helped make Lockport one of the best teams in AA this season.

Was it a stretch heaping such praise on the junior QB whose father is the head coach? Not when Norm Palmer is saying the exact same thing.