PagesThe true reckoning of a coach is his team, and the true measure of a teacher is the students. Football Coach Darrin Brown of La Costa Canyon High School ranks high on both of these scales. We were able to talk to the Head Coach for a while this month and find out more about his team and his students.
The La Costa Football team began 1997 when the High School opened up after the split with San Dieguito. Coach Darrin Brown, his father a CIF linebacker, and his grandfather all played for the San Dieguito team during their high school careers.
After playing for San Dieguito, Darrin Brown left for college, and received his degree from Northern Arizona University. After coaching for one year in Arizona, he returned to San Dieguito and coached there for six years. Brown then took a position as assistant coach under Tim Smith at La Costa Valley high school from 96 to 98. In 1999, he was the Athletic Director for La Costa Valley.
When Brown became head coach in 2000, things began to spark for the Mavericks. That same season the Mavericks reached the playoffs with Brown building not only the team but also the coaching staff the team would depend on. The Mavericks have continued to be a playoff team to the present year, reaching never before achieved goals.
The Mavericks have produced some great players in the last few years: Joe Wiegand, who moved on to play Center for the Boise State Broncos. Kevin O’Connell, who had a strong freshman season with San Diego State in which he took over starting quarterback duties. Kevin had his first start at New Mexico, where he became the first freshman quarterback to open a game for the Aztecs since Spencer Britton in 1997.
This year Kevin will be reunited with his team mate, La Costa Canyon High wide receiver Jon Toledo. Toledo scored 14 points in an 85-55 CIF San Diego Section Division I quarterfinal win over Torrey Pines, and was picked up by the Aztecs on football scholarship this year.
The team was young last year, working through a rebuilding season. They played a fierce passing game under the QB skills of Clayton Tunney; the most memorable game being against Torrey Pines, where the Mavericks finally put a stop to the “Never Ever” T-shirt sales. Quarterback Clayton Tunney had 17 completions for 252 yards. Wide receiver Jon Toledo caught 12 of those passes for 215 yards. The final burn however was Jake DeRoads breaking through the line and running for the end zone to score the winning touch down. The long history of no wins against Torrey Pines was over. It was no easy win, certainly, but the Mavericks were definitely on their game that night, and the fans of both teams loved the excitement.
“We got out-coached and outplayed tonight,” Torrey Pines coach Ed Burke said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Clayton Tunney under the coaching staff of Brown lead La Costa Canyon to the CIF-San Diego Section semifinals for the first time in the school’s history after a surprising win against the top-seeded Carlsbad team in the quarterfinals. Tunney now holds the current record for single-season passing completions and yards, passing for 2,400 yards last season. It is little wonder UC Davis picked Clayton Tunney up with a full scholarship.
For the coming season of 2005/2006 Cole Ducey will take the position of starting Quarter Back. Ducey is definitely on the list of HSQB’s to watch, being a talented athlete not just on the football field, but also in baseball, going 4-for-4 with two RBIs for the Mavericks in the 05 season.
The coming season has some big positions be filled. Coach Brown is confident that their line up will not only fill those positions but also continue to push forward up the ladder of success.
Coach Brown relies on his team’s intelligence. Thick playbook tactics and the ability to put together on-the-fly defense patterns are tools that raw speed and strength have a difficult time over coming. With over 40 formations and 20 running plays (where typical high school playbooks have 8 to 10) the La Costa Mavericks are difficult to scout.
The Mavericks true bonus however is a season long level of play that is always a good time for the spectators. It really is the best $6.00 you can spend for a Friday night of sports entertainment.
Posted by Glenn Hefley in Example -- Sports, Example-News Story
