Grimsley head coach Darryl Brown previews 4A state title game vs. Cardinal Gibbons
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Grimsley head football coach Darryl Brown met online with HighSchoolOT Triad reporter Zack Adams to preview the 4A state championship game. The Whirlies bring an unbeaten 9-0 record after taking the Metro 4A Conference title for the second-straight season. Grimsley faces Cardinal Gibbons at UNC's Kenan Stadium on Friday night (7 PM kickoff).
Show Transcript
Hello everyone and welcome back to high school. Ot I'm joined this morning by Grimsley head football coach Darryl Brown. Thank you for joining me here coach. Thanks Zach, appreciate you having me on any time. So Grimsley is now nine and overall leading up to this week's for a football state championship game in Chapel Hill. The pandemic hasn't been fun for anybody obviously, but just how is Grimsley overcame that adversity and just how meaningful is it? Um getting to this point for the entire team, knowing how difficult it's been. Um at least to have state championships and just the football season as a whole. Yeah, I mean it means a lot. I mean obviously it means a lot any any season, any, any time of the, you know, that you're playing. But I think with what we've had to go through, um all of us the past year to be able to, I'm kind of in this thing in the state championship game is very special, says a lot about our kids, about our coaches, um and just their resiliency, how they stuck together through this whole thing. And I told him when we finally were able to start in Guilford County in december, and I kind of met with our guys then and told them that I just felt like, you know, whoever is left playing this week, um that it would be something special, something that nobody would ever forget, because hopefully this is the only time we have spring football and I just think, you know, to be able to kind of navigate what we've all had to navigate and get to this point. Just again, it says a lot about our kids and um, just their willingness to buy into believe and to hang in there and push through difficult times and I'm really proud of them. So I come from behind 28 to 21 victory over a Butler and the Western Regional Files last week, I heard there was like a fake punt ran and then after that didn't work. I'm Alonzo ended up throwing a game winning touchdown pass to christian, just described, uh, those final sequence of events and uh, just what that experience was like for you on the sidelines, just seeing how your team kind of rallied there late in the fourth quarter. Yeah. I mean, We were down in the third quarter 21/7 and scored a couple of times to tie the game. And in the fourth quarter our defense had a couple really nice stops with their backs against the wall there and you know, come up big for us a couple of times with some huge stops, but you know, the fake punt that Butler ran, we were able to kinda had a couple of guys in the right spot and we tackle that thing up around midfield and a couple yards short of the first down And I think we had maybe 26 seconds, 25 seconds um left to go in the game at that point in time. We had one time out, so we were kind of thinking um you know, maybe something on the sidelines, get out of bounds, maybe try to complete another pass, use our time out if need be and try to set up a field goal and Alonso hit Christian 2 2 on the sideline and instead of going out of bounds, which I was okay with, we did have a time out. Um he spun back to the inside and had the corner miss and was able to get on the sideline for for a touchdown, just really special play. Um You know, our kids made really hard plays all night against a really good team. Um, it was tough sledding for us most of the night, but we have, you know, four or five really big plays, hard plays that are guys made in tough situations. And that's the thing I'm most proud of is how they hung in there and continue to battle and find and find a way to make those plays when we needed them. Yeah, So Grimsley has outscored its opponents 69-17 and the second half of playoff games. Uh, what do you think clicks are guys just do a real good job coming in to half and no matter no matter what the situation is. Um, you know, they're, the morale has been great at halftime. The spirit of the guys have been great. Um, any kind of minor adjustments that we have to make because you don't really make major adjustments and a half, maybe it's just tweaking a thing here there, it's really been locked into that and you know, have adjusted to those things really well. But I think more than anything, it's just, you know, coming out after the half, they understand, you know, here we are, we got two quarters left, we gotta go finish the job and we, we work those things as far as finishing each and every day. We talk about that where there is a weight room conditioning wise or at practice and our guys responded that they, you know, they come out to the half and um have just really been zeroed in on what the job is and getting the job done and going and finishing the job. So the world, these are gonna meet Cardinal Gibbons on friday at UNC is king in Memorial Stadium Gibbons is playing. Um, and it's a second consecutive for a title game. But just, what else do you know about the crusaders program? And just things that I stood out on film, um, in this week of preparation? Well just from watching film, they seem to be a very disciplined sound football team. You don't see them make mistakes. Um, you see very few penalties on film, you see very few turnovers. If any on film guys are in the right spots. Um, they play hard and they seem to play together. And that's the thing that really sticks out is that they do not beat yourself. They don't hurt yourself in any way. And so that, you know, that's a credit to them and their kids and, and how well they've been coached. But obviously a very consistent program. They've had a lot of really good years the last few years, um, in the state championship game for the second year in a row. And I don't think you need to say anything else anytime somebody's there two years in a row and they lost quite a bit out for last year's team quarterback and some of their receivers and to get back again just says a lot about their program as a whole and how they go about doing things. So we got our hands full come friday night. We understand that we know that, but we're looking forward to the challenge. So this maybe I'm a little bit of a weird question, but comfort wise, I do believe there's any sort of quote unquote advantage for givens and Grimsley to be playing on friday night where there is some more a normalcy, um, in the schedule or does just a spring football season not have any routine at all? Well, what you said is true. There has been zero routine this year. Yeah, we're always having to continue to adjust and adapt our schedule and be flexible, but I mean, I do think it's nice plan on friday, but you know, you get to this point in the year, playing a state championship will play on saturday morning, eight o'clock if we have to, you know, we're just thankful and happy to be playing. Um, but it is nice friday night kind of keep this week the same as the previous weeks or try to keep it the same as far as how we go about doing things during the week. Um, playing at seven o'clock, we've had a lot of seven o'clock games this year on friday night and you know, it's nice to only have to be the only game in the stadium on friday. So those things are nice. But again, you get to a state championship game any year, any time you'll play any, you know, whenever they tell you. So again, we're just thankful to have the opportunity to go play. Okay. So I kind of want to focus on my defensive players here first being Caleb curtain and Elon University recruit, um, he's totaled seven interceptions through nine games. Let's talk about just what it's been like to coach Caleb and how important his efforts have been in the defensive backfield in the spring season. Caleb is a really tough kid, doesn't say much fairly quiet, but leads by example, practices extremely hard. Um, you know, very smart, intelligent young man, really understands, um, what's going on out on the field. Um, and he's been huge for us in the secondary. I mean, um, he's a guy that we've asked to cover other teams, best receivers at times, um He's a good tackler and great cover guy returns kicks for us, place them off in, so does multiple things, but just to really, you know, as a team guy, he's bought in and his teammates really enjoy being around him and um like I said, he leads more than anything by example. And I think for a player of his, you know, of his caliber to go out every day and practice the way that he does with such an intensity and passion, I think that, you know, says a lot and it also influences the younger guys in a positive way. Okay, so that's Maury, Thompson is a junior defensive end that just may not get as much attention as some other players on that side of the ball. Um He has 57 total tackles and 11 sacks, uh nine outings in early 2021. Um In what ways has that's Maury kind of upped his game, given some of the outstanding talent that is also on the D. A defensive side of the ball. And I just continuing to make timely place weekend week out Well, well to more is just a really good football player. Um And you're right, so sometimes he doesn't go on or some of the attention and say maybe Travis or Quentin Williamson or somebody like that. But Tamara is an outstanding football player. Um he's got four or 5 Division one offers and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Some people would say he's undersized or maybe maybe a little smaller than what you would want from a defensive lineman. But I think that kind of motivates him. He plays with an edge, plays extremely hard, it's very strong physical kid, but just, he's relentless and he's a tough competitor and he's had a great year, has had two great seasons for us from his sophomore year to this year and um, you know, it makes a lot of big place for us in big time situations, so he's a big part of what we have going on for sure. So lastly about the defense, Travis shaw is a four or five star prospect. Just depending on what recruiting website you're looking at. Um I asked Coach Hensen at Salisbury, a similar question with you all having the two top juniors in the state, but just what is Travis like um off the football field as a leader and just how have you seen him grow from a night to, I'm 11th grade, um in your opinion. Well, the, the way he's grown is, I mean he's matured so much over the last couple of years. Um, just he's really just in the consummate team guy and um, he really cares a lot about his teammates. He loves to see them have success. Obviously he gets a lot of attention and he's deserving of that attention. But you know, he's quick to credit his teammates. Um, he loves playing with those guys and playing for them. Uh, you know, during this spring, not, you know, a lot of recruiting and stuff going on virtually and through the phones and that kind of stuff. You know, just a couple of months ago told me said coach, I really just don't even want to deal with the next couple of months. I just want to focusing on what we have going on, um, what our team is doing and try to make sure I'm the best I can be for for grams of high school and and for my teammates. And I think that says a lot about him and his character and the kind of person he is. Um, he has a lot of fun. He loves to cut up and have fun, but when it's time to go to work, he's locked in and ready to go to work. And he's really played his best football in the last three weeks, um, in the state playoffs. I mean, he's played really well against some really good opponents and last friday night against Butler, I get 13 tackles and eight of them for loss. And um, Butler is a really good football team, but um, Travis a really good player and you know, he's um, like I said, he's great off the field. I mean, gets along with his peers, respecting here at the school and has a lot of different friend groups. But, uh, he's just a guy that enjoys being here, enjoys playing with his teammates and um, you know, he's good, things are going to come to him later on down the road. I'm really proud of him, how he's kind of putting those guys first and doing the best he can for, for his situation right now. So we are midway through the week, at least one of this interview is being recorded. Just how would you describe the team's mindset and the first couple days of practice leading up to friday night then? Pretty much exactly the same as every other week. Our guys a fairly loose group, um, when it's time to practice their locked in on what we're doing and they're really focused. So practice has been, well the first couple of days, but I haven't felt like we've been tight or anything like that. Um, you know, so it's pretty much been business as normal for us. I mean film day on monday and some installing some teaching and our guys, you know, we're fine there. Tuesday is a kind of a tough day for us. So we got after a pretty good yesterday, like we normally do on Tuesdays and had a really good practice um yesterday, so things have been pretty much the same and I think our guys will be ready to go come friday and I don't expect the moment to be too big for them or expect them to be tight or anything like that. Well, like I said, we're pretty loose group and we've got some good senior leaders that I've been in big games and kind of understand what it's about. They handle those situations. Well, I have some of your former players or even surrounding try it area football coaches have been in contact this week. And if so, how do you mind sharing a couple of those interactions? Well, I mean a couple of guys that more than a couple, I guess if you guys that um, I have a lot of respect for have reached out guys like coach Hokum at Oak Grove who have a tremendous amount of respect for him and um, how he does things and we've talked a lot through the years and I've gotten fairly close when it comes to football stuff. Um, coach stuff from Western diplomats, another guy in the same boat that I have a lot of respect for him and how he does this program. I heard from him the other day and good friend of mine coach Shane handy who is at random and for a while and coaches at Clayton now and we're gonna play them next year in the first game of the year, but he come up and saw, saw this yesterday and hung out with us a little bit of practice and stuff, you know, it's nice to hear from them guys and there's a few more along the way, so they've got any names, but just guys that you know, have a lot of respect for and um, you know, they just kind of encouraging us and giving us some support and as far as our players go, heard from a lot of our former players from the past four or five years and then even some guys that um from Southern that I coached back several years ago have reached out to us whether it's been through facebook twitter text, whatever, you know, maybe, but it's nice to know that um all those, all those guys are thinking about us and many of those guys, especially the ones when we got here at Grimsby that started with us, you know, we want them to feel a part of this journey as well. They were here when times were tough and they believed in us and bought into our scheme and our system and how we wanted to go about doing things and they kind of laid the groundwork and the foundation for these guys that we have now to build on. So it's been good to hear from all of them. It's So the final question coach brown and say, I fill in the blank uh, 4g lead to win the for a football state championship on Friday night. A blank needs to happen. We just need to continue to do what we do and be us. Um, I don't think you get this kind of game and get out of character and try to do things that you haven't been doing all year. So you know, our guys are gonna play hard and they're going to play tough and that's what we always expect out of them. But you know, the normal stuff is important for us to take care of the football on offense and we've got to make tough plays again on the offensive side of the ball. And I got a lot of confidence in our players that they'll be able to do that defensively. I think it's extremely important for us to get them off the field on third down as much as we can not let them extend drives be nice to be able to create a couple of turnovers. They've done that several weeks in a row now and um, that's always been big for us defensively and when something we stress and talk about quite a bit, so, you know, doing those things will be huge and I think always were big on it, but always special teams are important. And when the father you get in the season, they become even more important. So, um, being sound on that within our special teams, I think it's huge. I don't necessarily think we have to return a kick or block a punt or anything like that would be nice if we would. But I think more anything, it's more important that we're just sound, um, on special teams and, and, and take care of our job on, on those areas.