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Senior working again main the Eagles’ playoff push in first season as crew’s major ball service
EAGLE POINT — David Brown is just not one to do an entire lot of speaking on the Eagle Level sideline.
He describes himself as a quiet type of man, preferring to let his play do most of his speaking as he tries to guide by instance greater than anything.
“I’d say off the sphere I’m fairly quiet,” mentioned Brown. “On the sphere I’m type of related, however I simply love enjoying soccer.”
The identical quiet 17-year-old isn’t so discreet when he steps on the sphere. Not with the way in which the Eagle Level senior runs the ball.
For a lot of the 2022 season, Brown has certainly had his play communicate for itself, with the 6-foot-1, 170-pound working again having a season that only a few at his place within the state can presume to match.
“It’s been a blast, it’s been enjoyable,” mentioned Brown of his remaining run with the Eagles. “I’ve just about waited my entire life for this and it’s lastly right here. My working type is reflective of how a lot I need it and the way a lot I wish to win and simply get stuff completed. I wish to make sure that all the trouble I put in, all of it pays off.”
It’s a quiet confidence that Brown exudes, and it’s one which has helped him get to the place he’s at present.
Brown has gotten the chance to be the ninth-ranked Eagles’ featured again and fairly actually has run away with it.
With Brown main the cost, Eagle Level has matched its win whole from final season (4) with three weeks remaining whereas sitting second within the Midwestern League at 3-1 coming into Friday night time’s rivalry sport towards Crater at Dutch Meyer Discipline in Central Level.
With a purpose of constructing off an excellent 2021 marketing campaign for EP, Brown wasted little time getting issues going.
He rushed for 272 yards throughout his junior season as extra of a complementary again to senior Isaiah Hill however eclipsed that quantity within the season opener, going off for 300 yards and 7 touchdowns in Eagle Level’s 54-33 win over Ashland at La Pine Excessive College.
“It was type of anticipated going into that sport,” mentioned Brown of the outing. “One among my coaches that week of the sport mentioned he was anticipating eight touchdowns out of me as a result of our working again final yr, Isaiah, he acquired seven. I ended up with seven, although.”
Think about his head coach as somebody who wasn’t shocked, both.
“Any time you may have a sport like that to start out off the season, you’re like, ‘Wow,’” mentioned Eagle Level coach Erik Johnson. “It positively wasn’t surprising by all means, as a result of he’s at all times had that potential. Now that the offensive line is clicking, it makes it a little bit bit simpler for him.”
Brown hasn’t let up since that eye-popping 2022 debut.
In a three-week span towards Churchill, North Eugene and Willamette, Brown rushed for over 200 yards in every sport, eclipsing 1,000 yards for the season in Eagle Level’s Sept. 30 win over the Wolverines.
On the season, Brown has 1,062 yards speeding on 136 carries, scoring 17 speeding touchdowns behind a mean of seven.8 yards per carry. He additionally has 5 landing receptions this season.
Coming into final week’s motion, Brown was the fourth within the state in speeding yards, no matter classification, and the main rusher in Class 5A.
“Some guys when it comes their senior yr, they simply flip that change they usually simply have it,” mentioned Johnson. “He’s positively a type of that has flipped that change and has that sense of urgency that it’s his senior yr.”
“Not each crew has any individual like him yearly. He’s fairly particular that means,” continued the coach. “There’s at all times these guys who stand out, and it’s often a senior in some unspecified time in the future, however he’s simply been persistently delivering. He’s a man that you need to get the ball in his palms.”
Brown knew this expanded position was within the playing cards and spent the summer time months making an attempt to make sure that he would have the ability to deal with the load of extra carries coming his means.
Brown, who wrestled on the 152-pound weight class ultimately yr’s 5A state championships, mentioned he placed on between 10 and 15 kilos of muscle over the summer time.
“I used to be a little bit slimmer and skinnier,” mentioned Brown, who was listed at 160 kilos final season. “I believe (placing on extra muscle) actually helped me out. I’ve simply been working, too, and even in the course of the season I’ve been doing additional stuff. I attempt to take it simple a number of days earlier than the sport to get some restoration in, however that’s been working nicely for me.”
Final Thursday’s 24-14 loss to the MWL’s lone unbeaten, Thurston, was solely the second time this season that Brown has been held beneath 100 yards speeding. Within the loss to the Colts, Brown carried the ball simply 10 instances for a season-low 26 yards.
The final time he was held beneath 100 yards, in Eagle Level’s Week 2 loss to Mazama, he responded with a 240-yard night time within the Eagles’ MWL-opening win over Churchill.
You assume he desires to repeat himself towards the Eagles’ greatest rival?
“That’s the hope, that’s the hope,” Brown mentioned with amusing. “It’s going to be a little bit additional motivation.”
Attempt to join all of the dots you need, but it surely’s fairly simple to see simply how vital Brown has develop into to Eagle Level’s offense and general success.
He’s additionally develop into the focus of defensive sport plans relating to making an attempt to cease the Eagles’ offense — one thing that Thurston executed fairly nicely final week.
“It was an excellent sport and Thurston’s a well-coached crew and we’ve got to be taught from that,” mentioned Johnson. “I assumed we competed and all we are able to do is have alternatives to win, and I actually thought that we did. They’re upset (with the loss to Thurston), however I believe they’re going to deal with it simply advantageous and be able to go towards Crater.”
Johnson mentioned he’s anticipating Crater (2-4, 1-3) — which is coming off a tricky MWL lack of its personal towards Willamette — to do quite a lot of the identical issues that Thurston did defensively to try to sluggish Brown down.
“Oh yeah, no query about it,” mentioned the coach. “(Crater head coach Berk Brown) will throw out all types of stuff at us they usually’ll be able to go. Will probably be bodily and the entire above. They’ll do the identical in making an attempt to close down David, and they need to.”
However a very powerful factor for Brown proper now’s to translate his speeding yards and touchdowns into extra wins for an Eagle Level crew making an attempt to make the playoffs for the primary time since 2016.
“That might imply every part,” mentioned Brown. “That might be cool, and I’m simply making an attempt to get the additional soccer video games and go from there. Simply get to the playoffs and see how far we are able to make it.”
“Going into this yr that was the primary factor — simply make it to the playoffs and go from there,” he continued. “To date, it’s trying fairly good. Me and the remainder of our seniors, we haven’t been to the playoffs or something like that but. We’re making an attempt to make it a primary and produce that custom to Eagle Level.”
Having grown up going to Eagle Level video games, Brown actually understands what it will imply to get the Eagles again into the playoffs.
And that’s confirmed to be one thing that he carries with him each time he has the ball in his palms.
“It’s fairly loopy simply pondering that after I was 10 or 12 years previous I used to be up within the stands watching and now I’m down on the identical subject enjoying,” mentioned Brown. “I’m on the market having this nice of a season and all these little youngsters are watching me and coming as much as me after video games … it feels good.”
Attain reporter Danny Penza at 541-776-4469 or dpenza@rosebudmedia.com. Comply with him on Twitter @penzatopaper.
Eagle Level’s David Brown at Eagle Stadium throughout follow Tuesday. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]
Eagle Level’s David Brown runs for a primary down towards Thurston at Eagle Stadium. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]
Eagle Level’s David Brown on the sidelines towards Thurston at Eagle Stadium. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]
Eagle Level’s David Brown scores towards Thurston at Eagle Stadium. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]
Eagle Level’s David Brown scores towards Thurston at Eagle Stadium. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]