<H1 id=articleTitle =articleTitle>Sam Brown delivers: Coronado High School running back led T-Birds to district title</H1>
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By Aaron Bracamontes / El Paso Times
<DIV id=articleDate =articleDate>Posted:12/26/2009 11:48:07 PM MST
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EL PASO -- Entering his junior year, Coronado High School running back Sam Brown set pretty high goals for himself. The biggest of them all was to gain 1,000 yards rushing for the season.
It took him seven games to mark that task off his to-do list, and unfortunately for the Thunderbirds' opponents, it took him just five more to double it.
Brown finished the season with 2,014 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground, helping the city's No. 1-ranked football team go 10-0 during the regular season and earn votes in the state's Class 5A top 10 poll.
"It was a dream season, to go undefeated and go win a game in the playoffs before losing to the team that won state," Brown said. "But it just surpasses anything I had hoped for."
The All-City Offensive Most Valuable Player award may not have been on the agenda, but, then again, Brown proved he doesn't mind overachieving.
"I thought at the beginning of the season they were going to rotate between me and Armando (Duran)," Brown said. "But after the first game against Canutillo (105 yards and two touchdowns), I think I established myself as the main back."
Brown then broke out with a 291-yard, four-touchdown performance against Hanks in Week 5.
"The holes just looked bigger that night. My offensive line did a good job. They always do," he said. "Their mentality is they want to protect me. They want to block for their friend."
That set off a three-game span in which Brown totaled 697 yards and seven touchdowns. From there, many of Coronado's biggest games ended with Brown cranking out first down after first down as time expired.
"It was big, especially against El Dorado, where we were having trouble moving the ball," T-Birds coach Don Brooks said. "He'd get 2 or 3 yards with the help of his line, and then 2 or 3 more by himself."
Brown's greatest performance may have been in the first round of the playoffs against Midland Lee. He gained 211 yards on 28 carries and scored five touchdowns en route to a 49-27 victory.
"You never get tired of scoring touchdowns and playing football," Brown said. "You want to go on and on and keep scoring."
And he is not done yet. Brown will get a chance to defend his District 1-5A MVP crown when he returns for his senior year.
"Generally, you don't get one with that many yards returning," Brooks said. "Hopefully he gets better and will grow more as a player."
While another 2,000-yard season could be on the horizon, Brown's goals are geared more toward another district title and a longer playoff run.
"Last offseason, I worked hard with my goals in mind," Brown said. "I'm going to have to work that much harder for next season, because I want it to be just as good, if not better."
Aaron Bracamontes may be reached at
abracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6381.
Brown file
<LI>Name: Sam Brown.
<LI>School: Coronado.
<LI>Position: Running back.
<LI>Height, weight: 5-8, 175.
<LI>Class: Junior.
<LI>Notes: Was the unanimous District 1-5A MVP; named to the APSE Class 5A All-State second team; had 265 rushing attempts for 2,014 yards and 24 touchdowns; ran for 211 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-27 bi-district playoff round victory over Midland Lee.
I like the Hollywood Undead song for the highlight video.