Timpview quarterback Trevor Brown (No.12) eludes a Mountain Crest defender during the fourth quarter in the Utah State 4A football semifinals at University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. Timpview won, 38-21,advancing to the state championship game. PATRICK SMITH/Daily Herald
Timpview quarterback Trevor Brown didn't start last year as a junior. He wasn't even the team's full-time starter when the season started, so how is it that he now has scholarship offers from Utah State and Southern Utah and more offers could be coming from schools like Utah, BYU, Kansas and LSU?
Sounds like someone's stock is rising. Brown has played his way to the next level by helping Timpview to the state 4A title game on Friday at 11 a.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium against Springville.
The fact that Brown has caught the attention of college coaches is an indication of just how good he's been since he took over as starting quarterback in the team's third game of the season. He has rushed for 764 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and scored 16 touchdowns. He's thrown for 2,038 yards and 20 touchdowns.
"He's just freaking fast. He runs a 4.6 40, and he's got good vision," said Timpview coach Louis Wong. "The thing that impressed me the most? His calm demeanor. I've never seen him get rattled, when he gets blitzed or tackled. I've never seen him get after or be negative to any of our players. He's grown a lot in a year. He's our quiet leader."
For those who don't know Brown, you are not alone. Brown had been in line to be the starting quarterback for East High School, but when his father took a job with a company in Springville, the family moved to Utah County and that meant changing high schools.
"I was actually really excited about it. I heard about Timpview and all they're about, their winning tradition and they have the best coaches in the state in my opinion and I'm pretty sure anyone else will tell you that. I was excited to come here and get an opportunity to compete," Brown said. "My brother (Braden Brown) plays for BYU. He's a redshirt freshman, a tight end, but he started right tackle against New Mexico. We wanted to be in the same neighborhood as BYU and Timpview seemed like our best option."
Brown transferred to Timpview in the middle of his sophomore year and spent last season as a junior serving as the backup quarterback to Timpview starter Casey Rumsey. But just because he had the backup job last year did not guarantee him the starting spot this season. Timpview also had another quality senior quarterback in Jeremiah Burr and the team also had junior Christian Covey, all who were vying for the starting spot.
Offensive coordinator Chad Van Orden had hoped that Brown and Burr would separate themselves in the summer. It didn't happen, so the season started with Brown and Burr platooning. When Brown wasn't playing quarterback, he moved to defensive end while Burr took the snaps under center.
"When you are the quarterback, you have to be calm, you've got to keep everyone else calm and lead by example and kind of be the field general," Brown said. "At defensive end, you've got to be one of those guys who is willing to sacrifice body on every play, so it was kind of interesting to go from crazy state of mind to a calm, relaxed state and to let everyone know that you're there to help them win."
It took Timpview time for the players to adjust to their roles. The T'Birds split their first two games of the season and when it came to the third game of the season against Alta, Van Orden decided to move Burr to running back and give Brown the start to see how he would do against one of the state's toughest defenses.
"The Alta game was a make-or-break game for him because he and Burr were almost dead even. Coach V (Van Orden) asked me to give Trevor time and that if he didn't perform very well we'd go with Covey," Wong said. "He went 17-of-21 and showed his toughness in running ball. Alta threw a lot of things at him. After that game, I was sold on Trevor."
Since the Alta game, Timpview has gone on to win eight straight games and the offense has been so explosive that its lowest output during the winning streak has been 35 points.
Now as Timpview prepares for a four-peat, Springville football coach Scott Mitchell says the top priority is stopping Brown.
"The key to their team is their quarterback and being able to contain him. You see guys miss tackles. We need to swarm-tackle him and we need to get pressure on him," Mitchell said. "We have to be disciplined. We have to wrap up and tackle and it has to be more than one guy. If we're going to have any chance, we have to contain him."
What makes Brown such a difficult matchup is his size and speed. At 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, he is the perfect frame for a quarterback, but he also has a toughness of a defensive end and the speed of a defensive back.
Brown's overall makeup is what has many college coaches interested in him, but the question is where to play him. Is he a defensive end, a tight end, a quarterback?
Brown said Utah State wants him at tight end, defensive end or linebacker. LSU, who Brown says has offered him a preferred walk-on spot, has him pegged at wide receiver, tight end or defensive end.
"I've been talking to Utah and BYU. Utah has told me tight end, but I think they're starting to warm up to me to the possibilities of being a quarterback. BYU has said the same thing, tight end or defensive end, but I think they're warming up to me as a quarterback as well," Brown said. "They're looking at me as a class of 2013 recruit. What they'd have me do if I wanted to play quarterback would be to go there grayshirt a year, then go on a mission and then come back and be there in 2013."
Wherever Brown plays, he will likely be effective. He is a good enough athlete to make an impact at any position.
"If it comes to the point where I need to switch positions, they'll know I'm an athlete. It's not like I'm just a one-sided athlete," Brown said. "It's not like I can just play quarterback. I'm confident in my abilities. I'm pretty sure I can play any position on the field."
For Timpview, it's worked out to play Brown at quarterback.
"He has 4.6, 40 speed, and that's legit," Van Orden said. "He's probably the fastest guy on our team. Covey is quicker, but if you lined them up in a race, Trevor would probably win."
When it comes to the playoffs, one thing Van Orden likes is to have his quarterback run more often. In the semifinals, Van Orden made Mountain Crest try to stop Brown. The Mustangs failed.
"Against Mountain Crest, we used our running back as a lead blocker for Trevor and let him run," Van Orden said. "They had a hard time stopping him."
Brown rushed for 201 yards, but he didn't come out the game unscathed. Brown sat out of practice on Tuesday with a sore shoulder, but said he will be ready to play on Friday.
"Nothing's going to stop me from playing in this game," he said. "You'd have to brake both of my legs and tie me down, I think my adrenaline will be enough."
If Brown can turn in anything close to that performance as an encore, Timpview could be celebrating a fourth straight state title and preparing the motto for next year -- one for the thumb.
Posted in Football on Thursday, November 19, 2009 12:00 am Updated: 4:49 pm. | Tags:
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