Trib HSSN football player of the week for Oct. 13, 2024

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, October 13, 2024 | 8:36 PM

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Trib HSSN football player of the week – Kymon’e Brown

School – Jeannette

Class – Junior

Height/weight – 6-foot, 145 pounds

Position – Quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back

What coach says – “The toughness and ability to distribute the football by Kymon’e really stood out,” Jeannette coach Tom Paulone said. “Every decision he made with the ball seemed like the correct one based on his performance and tape. He makes plays with his feet and has a knack for space. He’s a gamer and great young man.”

(On the decision to move Brown from wide receiver to quarterback earlier this season)

“Very difficult. In fact, he started at wide receiver this season against Mt. Pleasant. We have a belief in Markus McGowan, our sophomore QB and Kymon’e is a great wide receiver who had 10 TDs last season. Kymon’e added an element at quarterback that we could not dismiss, and we made the decision to have him at QB for the balance of the season.

“Kymon’e is hitting his stride in the passing game and this was proven with Friday night’s performance. We ran a lot of playbook within terms of our air game and his reads were spot on. We cannot dismiss the fact the line protected him well. Anytime a quarterback goes 21 for 31, that speaks to the protection up front and the decision making from the QB. This is something we work on weekly.

“His emerging leadership is profound and continues to grow. Being a quarterback, it is not just on Friday nights; it is every day and every way. He’s a leader in the classroom with his 4.0 GPA and off the field with a kind heart and care for others. His character showed with his ‘don’t blink’ mentality when we were down two scores late. I looked into his eyes when I asked if he wanted to go win the game with going for two and I saw something I have not seen in a young QB before. It was a confidence and refusal-to-lose-type energy that was well beyond his years.”

#Earned – In one of the most impressive performances in the district this season, Kymon’e Brown was a one-man wrecking crew in a dramatic come-from-behind victory for Jeannette at Brentwood, keeping the Jayhawks alive for a postseason berth. Brown connected on 21 of 32 passes for 343 yards and four touchdown tosses — three to junior wide receiver Noah Sunder of 43, 44 and 14 yards, plus a 47-yard connection to junior Nick Mendoza. Brown also rushed for 162 yards. With the Jayhawks trailing 41-27 in the fourth quarter, he scored on two short runs, including a touchdown with only 8 seconds remaining. The cherry on top of the delicious desert of a night for Brown came when he ran in for the two-point conversion as visiting Jeannette knocked off Brentwood, 42-41, in a Class A Eastern Conference classic.

Background – Coming into the season, Brown was expected to be the Jayhawks’ wide receiver. However, with the desire to get the ball more in the playmaker’s hands, the coaches made the switch and moved Brown to quarterback. He has completed 56 of 103 passes for 894 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also leads the Jayhawks in rushing with 885 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year he was the team’s leading receiver with 29 catches for 477 yards and eight touchdowns. Brown is a four-star athlete at Jeannette, playing wide receiver, defensive back and now quarterback for the football team in the fall, he’s a guard for the basketball team in the winter and plays center field for the baseball team and competes in the 100 meters, 200 meters and triple jump in track and field in the spring.

WPIAL Week 7 honorable mention

Nico Mauro, Trinity

In a key Class 4A Big Six Conference clash between teams even at 1-1, Trinity and Chartiers Valley looked for a spark, and Nico Mauro delivered a bonfire performance. The Hillers’ senior running back carried the ball 28 times for 353 yards and scored five of his team’s seven touchdowns on gallops of 51, 33, 3, 37 and 58 yards in a 49-21 road victory over the Colts, moving Trinity into a second-place tie with Belle Vernon.

Codi Mullen, Knoch

Three weeks ago, Knoch was 1-3 and struggling with little momentum heading into 4A Greater Allegheny Conference play. Things look a lot brighter now for the Knights thanks in part to the dual-threat explosiveness of senior quarterback Codi Mullen. Mullen hit on 11 of 18 passes for 249 yards and three touchdown tosses to sophomore Ethan Rouleau of 46 yards, junior Vincent DeFelice of 66 yards and senior Keaton Oprosky of 37 yards, plus he rushed for 246 yards on 23 carries as Knoch rolled past Hampton, 38-14.

Anthony Smith, Southmoreland

Three teams entered Week 7 tied for first place in the 3A Interstate Conference, but only two remain deadlocked after Southmoreland won on the road at Mt. Pleasant. Freshman quarterback Anthony Smith connected on 15 of 27 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, hitting junior Makel Darnell, freshman Jackson Mickens and senior Elliot Premus for scores as the Scotties remain tied for first in the conference with Elizabeth Forward after defeating the Vikings, 28-7.

2024 HSSN Players of the Week

Week 6 – Tasso Whipple, Penn-Trafford

Week 5 – Julian Dahlem, Upper St. Clair

Week 4 – Matt Sieg, Fort Cherry

Week 3 – Trey Hopper, Montour

Week 2 – Tyler Eber, Thomas Jefferson

Week 1 – Donald Barksdale, Steel Valley

Week Zero – Drew Welhorsky, South Fayette

Tags: Jeannette