Caldwell County’s Tripp Branch made it official on Friday. He’s headed to the historic football program at Centre College in Danville.
Branch signed in front of family, friends and students in the Fine Arts Theatre at CCHS.
Branch chose Centre over 16 or 17 other football offers. Most of those were strong academic institutions at the NCAA Div. III level, but the list also included an offer from NAIA Lindsey Wilson College, where former Tiger Jaylen Boyd is a standout running back.
Centre is a Div. III school. The Colonels compete in the Southern Athletic Association.
Branch, a wide receiver who also saw action at strong safety this past season for Caldwell, had 20 receptions for 334 yards and four touchdowns. The Tigers went 3-4 in a COVID-shortened season, bowing at Murray in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs.
As a junior, Branch led the Tigers in receiving yardage, catching 29 passes for 423 yards and five scores as Caldwell went 8-3.
On the basketball court, Branch scored 411 points this season for the Tigers, for 18.7 points a game.
Starting the year 43rd on the Tigers’ all-time scoring list, Branch rose to 18th all-time with 1,073 career points.
Meanwhile, Centre College football dates back to 1880 and is one of the winningest program’s at the Div. III level.
In 1921 Centre pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college football history, defeating Harvard 6-0. Colonels fans are still familiar with the C6H0 “formula” that is remembered around campus to this day.
