In sports, whenever a team gears up for a playoff run it needs players to step up and make key contributions throughout that stretch. That’s the type of role English wide receiver Prince Brown has tackled this season.
Brown, a junior, has been a reliable target for Bulldogs coach Chris Carroll and quarterback Matt Severance. In his second season on the varsity team, Brown has totalled 11 touchdowns, nine through the air. He leads Division 3 in touchdown receptions.
“Prince works extremely hard all year round to improve his game,” Carroll said. “He’s got speed, agility, acceleration, and an ability to make people miss tackles. He’s a strong receiver and that’s why he makes defenders miss tackles. He also has great hands and every great receiver needs great hands.”
Over the past two weeks, Brown has emerged as an offensive talent for opposing defenses to gameplan for. Two weeks ago, Brown caught a pair touchdown passes to help English cement its undefeated regular season with a 49-0 win over Winthrop. Last week, he scored three touchdowns, two receptions and one run, in No. 1 English’s 36-0 win over No. 8 Winchester in the Division 3 North quarterfinal.
“As a team our goal this season was to make it to the Super Bowl,” Brown said. “We have big goals as a team. Hopefully we can fulfill that.”
A three-way player, Brown’s contributions haven’t been limited to offense. Brown also plays cornerback on defense and serves as the team’s kick returner. He returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown in English’s 28-16 Week 2 win at Somerville.
“He’s a matchup problem for a lot of teams,” Carroll said. “His speed, his ability to catch the ball and make plays give teams problems. He’s made plays for us on offense, defense and returning kicks on special teams. He’s made big plays for us all year long.”
For Brown, the motivation to work hard this season stems from a down year in 2016. The Bulldogs, stymied by injuries and falling on the wrong end of close games, went 2-9 last fall.
“Last year was a tough year for us,” Brown said. “We really dedicated ourselves in the weight room in the offseason. We’ve looked great in the weight room and in 7v7. We’ve been working hard in practice.”
The 2016 season was also tough on Brown healthwise. Brown missed five games of his sophomore season with a foot injury, and made it a priority to stay on the field this year.
“My goal was to stay healthy for the whole season,” Brown said. “Last year I missed five games with a foot injury so I wanted to make sure I stayed on the field this year. I just wanted to give it my best.”
Now that he’s back at full strength, Brown and the Bulldogs are off and running. One of the keys to his success this season, Brown said, is the chemistry he has developed with junior quarterback Severance.
“It’s really important to have good communication with Matt,” Brown said. “I’ve known him since we were sixth-graders. He actually convinced me to go to English and I’m glad I did. We have a great relationship.”
In a redemption year for Brown and the Bulldogs, English is currently 8-0 on the season and hosts No. 5 Billerica in the Division 3 North semifinal. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Manning Field.
“Billerica’s a big team,” Brown said. “They’re a really good team. We played them in 7v7 and they beat us. Hopefully we can get revenge.
“We haven’t redeemed ourselves just yet,” Brown added. “We still have a few games left to go. This upcoming game is a big game for us. Hopefully we can reach that (Super Bowl) goal.”
