Braden Behringer will never put up the gaudy passing stats of a quarterback running a different offense, but do not be fooled.

He can sling it.

“Our offense gets a bad rap for not throwing the ball,” Sandwich coach Jason VanPelt said. “He can throw the ball. We definitely want him to do that.”

Behringer, though, does so much more as Sandwich quarterback in the wing-T offense that will not show up on his personal stat line.

VanPelt, Sandwich’s first-year head coach and previously offensive coordinator, knows that well. He was once Sandwich’s quarterback in a similar run-first system.

VanPelt recognizes a well-run wing-T when he sees it, and how a quarterback like the third-year starter Behringer makes it hum.

“It goes unseen how good his footwork is, how well he hides the ball and deceives the defense with his fakes and knowing what everyone is supposed to do,” VanPelt said. “If a guy has a question, he knows what they need to do. He’s kind of like having a coach on the field.”

Good to have that kind of leadership on the field this season for a Sandwich team with just eight seniors. VanPelt is counting on third-year starters like Behringer, Nick Michalek and Jeffrey Ashley.

Those three have been part of Sandwich’s revitalization the last two years, including back-to-back playoff berths and a quarterfinal appearance in 2023.

Add a strong junior class and growth at the lower levels, and it’s easy to see why the vibes are good around the Indians’ program.

“It’s going well,” Behringer said. “Those young guys, they’re working their butts off, even in the weight room. Got a lot stronger, did the speed program over the summer and a lot of them lost a half a second on their time. Everybody is getting better.”

Behringer was perhaps born to be the man to run Sandwich’s wing-T offense.

His dad, Dusty, has coached at the high school for over 20 years, and was head coach for three straight playoff appearances in 2011-2013.

Behringer, always a quarterback, first took up football in sixth grade. He stepped away during the COVID-19 pandemic the next two years, but returned to football as a freshman.

As a junior, Behringer completed 24 of 46 passes for 405 yards and two TDs. He was also the maestro of a Sandwich wing-T that amassed 2,600 yards rushing over 10 games.

He gets what it takes to be a successful quarterback in this system.

“Footwork is probably the most important thing,” Behringer said. “It sets the timing up for everyone. And then fakes is the other one. It keeps the defense off balance. The other thing is my accuracy down the field. That helps, I guess.”

Sandwich does have a passing segment in practice, although much of the work is repping all of those precise running plays.

“After we do our warmup drills we do footwork like in a play strip that shows where our blockers are. We rep through those, every single play we have,” Behringer said. “And then the running backs come in and we do our plays. We constantly work on it.”

Sandwich has a two-time 1,000-yard rusher in Michalek, a bruiser at fullback in Ashley and more speed coming in the junior class.

But it all starts with the man under center.

“He has to run the offense and it starts with his footwork and getting the ball where it needs to go, and when we throw we expect him to hit those guys and they’re usually open,” VanPelt said. “It’s a good weapon to have a guy like Braden that can stretch the defense out and keep defenses honest. And he can run with the ball. He is a great athlete. It gives us a fourth threat.”

A fourth threat who has already played 22 varsity games, four of them in the playoffs.

“That experience helps a lot,” Behringer said. “I know, playing in big games, I don’t get too caught up in it.”

VanPelt said he started to notice that experience during baseball season, when Behringer was the conference Player of the Year.

“He’d come over to me between innings in baseball; he will do the same thing in football if he sees things,” VanPelt said. “Sophomore quarterback, playing for a quarterfinal team, he was out there doing exactly what he was supposed to do and told what to do whereas now he can come over, see things that defenses are doing at the line of scrimmage and can tell us things to do that more inexperienced kids can’t necessarily do.”

That talent and game experience with Behringer, Michalek and Ashley will guide Sandwich, which opens its season Aug. 29 against Manteno.

“Those are three three-year starters that we will have out there, and that is invaluable,” VanPelt said. “They played like seniors last year as juniors. Those three, it’s like having fifth-year seniors out there. Those three guys are leading the way and our younger guys are following.”