HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS

Brown ‘solid’ for Ricebirds

Stuttgart quarterback Dontrell Brown (right) runs through the CAC defense for a first down during the third quarter of Monday night's Kick Off Classic at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Stuttgart quarterback Dontrell Brown (right) runs through the CAC defense for a first down during the third quarter of Monday night's Kick Off Classic at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

— Stuttgart’s starting quarterback, senior Dontrell Brown, is a converted fullback who had previously played offensive guard.

“He kind of joked about that,” Ricebirds Coach Billy Elmore said. “He said, ‘Yeah, I used to be a little fat kid.’ That fat kind of turned into muscle. He’s solid.”

Brown is now one victory away from leading Stuttgart, top-ranked in Class 4A, to its seventh state championship recognized by the Arkansas Activities Association.

Stuttgart (12-1) will meet Ozark (12-2), No. 2 in Class 4A, for the state championship at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Brown, 5-11, 200 pounds, has been the catalyst for Stuttgart’s first appearance in the final in a decade, running for more than 1,000 yards and throwing for more than 1,000 yards.

The throwing part would have once been considered a surprise since Brown played fullback and linebacker as a sophomore, Todd Barnes’ final season as coach.

Enter Elmore, who led Glen Rose to the Class 3A state championship in 2007 and coached Arkadelphia in 2008-2010.

“We got there and Stuttgart was running a little bit different offense,” Elmore said. “They were running more of an option reading offense. The kid that was there, he did a great job for what they needed. But he didn’t fit what we thought we needed at quarterback.”

Elmore said Brown was pegged a potential starter at quarterback following the 2010 season by offensive coordinator Kevin McCarn, who was a record-setting quarterback at Arkansas-Monticello.

Elmore said Brown spent the following spring and summer locked in a battle with Lucas McGhee, who was the returning starter.

The two were still splitting time in fall camp before Brown was named the starter following an August scrimmage, Elmore said.

McGhee played receiver last fall as a senior.

Brown led the Ricebirds to a 9-3 record and a second-round playoff berth last season, rushing for 403 yards and 8 touchdowns and throwing for 528 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Brown’s numbers are more robust this fall.

He has rushed 167 times for a team-high 1,191 yards and 17 touchdowns and completed 88 of 153 passes for 1,519 yards and 16 touchdowns. Brown has only thrown two interceptions.

“He’s big, physical and throws the ball well,” Warren Coach Bo Hembree said. “He makes them go. He’s just an unbelievable player. I think he’s their heart and soul.”

Brown directed Stuttgart to 27-6 victory over Warren in a quarterfinal playoff game, rushing 23 times for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns and completing 7 of 10 passes for 87 yards.

Elmore said Brown can still possess a fullback mentality on designed running plays or scrambles from the Shotgun, but is a complete quarterback because of his ability to throw from I or one-back sets.

“We haven’t played anybody with an arm like his,” Elmore said. “Obviously, he allows us to do some different things. He’s like adding another back into the backfield. But he’s a back that can also throw it down the field and make the plays for you.”

Elmore said Brown is drawing recruiting interest from all the NCAA Division II schools in the state, adding his versatility makes him an intriguing prospect.

“I tell people, ‘You can’t miss with him,’ ” Elmore said. “Take him in, let him see if he can throw it for you. If he can’t play quarterback, I know he can play linebacker for a college or there’s some people even looking at him as a safety.”

Sports, Pages 17 on 12/06/2012

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