Unsinkable Brown
Trion star runs over Trojans in rivalry win
CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. — Trion running back Rob Brown ended the regular season with another spectacular performance Friday night, rushing 31 times for 279 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs to a 43-7 win at GHSA Region 6-A public rival Gordon Lee.
Friday’s performance put Brown over 2,000 rushing yards for the year, with 35 touchdowns in the regular season.
“I just come out and try to play as hard as I can every day,” the senior said after the win. “Even if I’m off, I’m going to go out and run as hard as I can.
“My boys up front just keep blocking good for me every play.”
Brown was dominant in the first half, rolling up 190 yards on the ground and scoring on touchdown runs of 44, 37 and 8 yards in the first half. Brown opened the scoring for Trion (9-1, 4-1) on a fourth-down play. Lined up in the wildcat formation, Brown took the snap and broke away for his 44-yard score with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter.
Brown’s big night came a week after he rushed for 441 yards seven touchdowns against Mount Zion-Carroll — a performance that led to him being named player of the week locally by the Times Free Press and statewide by Georgia High School Football Daily — and the game before that he rushed for 290 yards and scored eight touchdowns.
“Rob’s an incredible kid,” Trion coach Sean Patrick said. “Rob’s got an incredible work ethic, and he’s a selfless kid. He constantly deflects praise to his teammates, so he’s just an incredible player. I’m sure glad he’s on our team.”
As impressive Trion’s offensive output was, the Bulldogs’ defense was perhaps more outstanding in the win. Gordon Lee (5-5, 2-3) was forced to punt without gaining a first down four times in the first half, and the Bulldogs intercepted Trojans quarterback Connor Whitman twice in the game.
“Our defense has played well all year. I’m so happy with them,” Patrick said. “It’s gratifying to know that we don’t have to go out and score 50 points a game to win. They played really well tonight.”
In the second half, Brown added a 25-yard scoring run, and junior Logan Eller added a pair of touchdowns to seal the win. Gordon Lee managed its only score on an 11-yard run by junior running back Nate Dunfee midway through the final quarter.
“The biggest thing is that this was a rivalry game,” Gordon Lee coach Josh Groce said. “You can’t allow yourself to get outworked. … Moving forward, we’ve got to work harder. They were more physical than us, they were stronger than us, and we’ve just got to work harder.”
With the win, Trion secured the region’s No. 2 seed in Class A public playoffs. Gordon Lee heads into the postseason as the region’s No. 4 seed.
“We were able to finish our regular season 9-1, and we’re incredibly excited about that,” Patrick said. “But next week we get into the playoffs, and everybody’s 0-0 again. But we’re excited about this opportunity and the bracket. We’ve just got to continue to get better and find a way to get it done.”