ARMAGH, Pa. – United Junior/Senior High School senior Braxton Jelley originally began playing football because his peers did.
Little did he know a handful of years later that it would open up an opportunity to attend college and continue playing football. Jelley’s confidence and skill set grew as he logged more reps on the gridiron.
One of three offensive line recruits, Jelley officially signed to play football at PennWest Clarion Friday morning.
“I was first only playing because of friends, but as I played more games, I just loved the feeling and really wanted to continue it at the next level,” Jelley said.
Clarion, which added 37 players this signing period, is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference at the NCAA Division II level.
The Golden Eagles went 3-8 overall and 1-5 in the PSAC West during the 2024 season. Coach Raymond Monica enters his fourth season in 2025.
“Clarion really stood out to me because of its environment,” Jelley said. “I always felt comfortable on campus and it really drove that home feeling.”
Jelley, at 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, will major in computer science. He also considered Geneva, Muhlenberg, St. Vincent and Westminster.
He was United Valley’s Southern Alleghenies Football Coaches Association offensive most valuable player and was a second-team selection as a defensive lineman on the 2024 The Tribune-Democrat All-Area squad. His prowess on the defensive side garnered interest after he totaled 58 tackles and 71/2 sacks in 2024, but he will go in as an offensive lineman this fall.
“I was originally going in with the sight of being a defensive lineman, but one thing lead to another and I felt much more passionate about the offensive side of the ball,” Jelley said.
Jelley will join a Clarion program that is hungry for more success in the future. Richland graduate Evan McCracken signed to join the team as a running back. McCracken completed his basic training and attended the United States Military Academy Preparatory School this past fall semester.
“Their program has a great training ethic, as well as always striving for more as well,” Jelley said.
Bishop McCort graduate Brock Beppler and Richland product Griffin LaRue are on Clarion’s roster. The Golden Eagles also added McCort-Carroll defensive lineman Eli Zasadni.
United Valley won the 2023 Heritage Conference football title in just its second season as a co-op with Blacklick Valley. Jelley was a member of the 2022-23 United boys basketball team that earned Heritage and District 6 Class 2A crowns. He helped the track and field team win two straight Heritage crowns in 2023 and 2024.
Jelley is the son of William Jones and Lindsay Jelley, of Armagh.
