His full name is Braden Kye Hildreth.

When they were kids, Hildreth's brother Jason could not pronounce his first name, so the middle name stuck.

Now Kye Hildreth is on the verge of making a name for himself as quarterback of the Navasota Rattlers. It's an enviable position to play in the Rattlers' multifaceted offense, but it's a hard job to win.

Hildreth mounted a challenge to veteran quarterback Jacolby Stokes last season, but Stokes returned to play quarterback for a third straight year, leading Navasota to its school-record second straight quarterfinal appearance.

"I played quarterback in the seventh and eighth grade and my freshman year, but my sophomore and junior years, I was a backup," said Hildreth. "I got maybe four or five snaps a year. With Jacolby in there, I have been watching for two years."

That was watching while the offense played, but he's been busy at safety on the Rattlers' defense, where he was a first-team all-district selection.

"Kye has been starting defensively, so he knows the speed of the game," said Navasota coach Lee Fedora. "You've got to get used to Friday night speed."

Hildreth brings plenty of mobility to the quarterback spot. He ran his last 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds.

"Jacolby was more of a dropback passer, but Kye is a guy who can get on the edge," Fedora said.

No matter how much defensive time he sees, Hildreth is convinced that the experienced Rattlers' defense will set up what happens.

"Defense will be a big part of our success this year," said Hildreth, who was District 24-3A's baseball MVP last season after hitting .442 while playing center field for the Rattlers. "We'll try to make something happen on offense."

Hildreth may still see time on defense, but his most important role now is at quarterback. Despite a strong returning cast on the offensive line, most of the skill position players are untested at the varsity level.

Having a guy like Hildreth, who keeps a cool demeanor under pressure, makes the transition easier.

"I know if I mess up, it's going to cost us, so I'm really focusing on what's going on," Hildreth said. "Other players will look at me to make sure it's OK."

Navasota will work with first-year starters at receiver this year. Brandal Jackson and Gaston Lamascus are both at Texas A&M. While the receivers and backs will be new faces to many, they are not new to Hildreth.

"We've played Little Dribblers and Little League baseball," said Hildreth. "I've been with them our whole lives. We've played together with the scout team and have gotten a lot of work."

And the guy named quarterback is ready to run the show.

"He's very intelligent and very dedicated, not an 'I' guy," said Fedora. "You hate losing a quarterback who was a three-year starter, but Kye is a good guy who is ready."