It's not déjà vu exactly, but Brian Staley's name is in the newspaper quite often these days. Fans at Midland Valley's L.L. Willis Stadium also hear it a lot during games on Friday nights.
"It's fun. At the game the other night when they said Brian Staley I looked up like it was me," Brian Staley said.
After all, it was his name that was also in the newspaper in the late 1990s and in 2000. But Staley is just the Midland Valley cornerbacks coach now. The Brian Staley listed in the area's receiving leaders and interception leaders is referring to Staley's son, who shares his name.
Staley Jr. is one of the playmakers on the Midland Valley football, and it turns out Staley passed down some his football skills to him.
Much like his dad Staley Jr., a current junior receiver and defensive back, can make plays all over the field on either side of the ball. He played at defensive back as a sophomore, partially because of his father's exploits on the defensive side during his playing days. It quickly became evident that he'd be talented elsewhere.
Staley Jr. said it's more than the physical attributes that he got from his father that he applies on the field. There's a mental preparation aspect involved as well when it comes to what Staley passed down.
"[The biggest thing] is knowing the game and being prepared for what my opponent is going to do," Staley Jr. said.
Staley Jr. has 22 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns, which has him among the top five receivers statistically in the area. He also has an interception.
"We committed to him this summer to play on offense a little more," Midland Valley head coach Andrew Jenkins said. "Then we were thinking he had to be more of an offensive player and sometimes a defensive player just because how special he is with the ball in his hands."
The success Staley Jr. has had might not be a surprise to anyone around Aiken County, thanks to his legacy his father left as a player at Aiken High School.
"I kind of knew it, and not to brag, but I was kind of thinking he is my seed, so he better be good," Staley joked.
Staley could do a little bit of everything as well. He was a North-South defensive back selection in his senior season, but he also provided a lot of offensive output for the Hornets that year. Staley caught an 85-yard touchdown pass in the 2000 Class AAAA state championship game against Greenwood — a story the younger Staley knows pretty well.
"It's always good seeing your kids doing the same thing you've done before," Staley said. "It's been fun just to be able to coach him and see him grow."
