Jeannette’s Kymon’e Brown selected as 2024 TribLive Westmoreland football player of the year

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, December 14, 2024 | 10:26 PM

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Player of the year

Kymon’e Brown

Jeannette, QB/DB, jr.

Jeannette junior Kymon’e Brown did not begin the season as the team’s starting quarterback.

But it did not take him long to transition from wide receiver to signal caller, taking over in Week 1 against Apollo-Ridge.

It also did not take him long to find success.

“There was a transition when he came over to quarterback,” Jeannette coach Tommy Paulone Jr. said.

“He evolved into the quarterback that he is. At any level there is a transition. With his skill set, he proved to be special.”

Even though the Jayhawks struggled during a three-week stretch in the middle of the season, Brown continued to fight and finished strong.

He played his best during a game at Brentwood when Jeannette rallied from a 14-point deficit for a 42-41 victory.

Brown scored two late touchdowns, adding the winning 2-point conversion with 7.7 seconds left, rushed for 157 yards and completed 21 of 31 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns.

That win propelled the Jayhawks to a run in the WPIAL playoffs that included wins against Neshannock and rival Greensburg Central Catholic.

Brown’s seasonlong performance helped him earn TribLive Westmoreland Player of the Year honors.

He edged a strong group of candidates, including Franklin Regional senior running back Kyle Dupill, Greensburg Central Catholic junior quarterback Samir Crosby, Monessen junior running back TyVaughn Kershaw and Penn-Trafford senior running back Tasso Whipple.

Brown completed 95 of 184 passes for 1,844 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for 1,257 yards and 15 scores on 159 carries. He also returned a punt for a score.

On defense, he recorded 40 tackles, 32 solo, with two interceptions and six passes defensed.

“Kymon’e had a big season as a wide receiver as a sophomore,” Paulone said. “The plan was to pair him up with Jayce (Powell) at wide receiver, but Kymon’e showed he was a good quarterback during the second half of the season-opener against Mt. Pleasant. So we made the move.”

Brown had 30 catches for 477 yards and 11 scores during his sophomore season. He caught four passes for 46 yards in the opener before they made the switch.

“It was a great season,” Brown said. “We made it further than people expected. I had trust in my teammates, and we stuck to the game plan. We got better as the season went on.

“We were banged up during that losing streak, but we knew the Brentwood game would decide the entire season, and we gave it our all.”

Brown said the playoff wins against Neshannock and Greensburg Central Catholic were great moments.

“We were doubted all season,” Brown said. “We played hard, and we had something to prove. We knew what we had to do, and we were dialed in on defense.

“Everyone came together and got things done.”

His main target during the season was his cousin, Powell, who had 57 catches for 1,035 yards.

“He’s family; we work out every day,” Brown said. “Everyone double teams him, so he and I work on things at home to get him open.”

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Jeannette