Brown quickly grew into headline role in Falcons offense

FLOWERY BRANCH -- There were times this summer when Austin Brown wondered just what he'd gotten himself into.

A senior quarterback, Brown had already proven himself a strong player in Region 8-AAAA -- but picking up the Flowery Branch spread option offense was another matter.

"At first I thought I'd never get it," said Brown, who moved to Flowery Branch during the offseason after playing two seasons for Habersham Central. "There was a lot to learn."

And, as a senior, Brown didn't have much time if he wanted to take charge of the Falcons offense for the 2010 campaign -- Flowery Branch's first in Region 8-AAAA.

"We threw it all on him right when he got here," Falcons quarterback coach Benji Harrison said. "And it was frustrating for him at times."

You'd never know it now.

As the No. 8 Falcons (9-1) prepare for their first Class AAAA playoff game (Friday versus Southwest DeKalb at Falcon Field), Brown has entrenched himself as one of the standouts for an explosive Flowery Branch offense and is a big reason the program finished second in Region 8-AAAA.

Through 10 games Brown, a UAB commit, has passed for 2,293 yards and 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions.

"He's done a great job," Falcons coach Lee Shaw said. "He had all the intangibles, and we knew he had the ability. It just took him time to get used to our offense. "

A strong-armed passer, the asset sometimes proved a drawback as Brown strove to grasp his role with Flowery Branch.

"It took some time for me to learn that every ball doesn't have to be perfect; I didn't always have to go for the home run," Brown said. "We have a lot of good receivers here. I just need to get the ball into their hands, and let them do the rest."

And while it took a few weeks to adjust, it's a lesson that Brown took to heart -- to the benefit of the Falcons' spread attack.

"After game two it clicked for him," Harrison said. "He started making his progressions on every throw and finding the second and third receivers when necessary. It was at that point that the game really slowed down for him."

Brown has shown he'll throw the ball to any member of the Falcons receiving corps. And while Logan Conley has proven his top target with 51 catches for 938 yards and 10 TDs, three other receivers have double-digit receptions this season (Casey Osborne is second with 43 catches for 671 yards and 6 TDs), with two more on the cusp.

"He's done a great job taking what the defense gives us," Harrison said. "He throws it to the open receiver; there's no forcing it any more."

While the speed of Brown's development has impressed, the Falcons coaching staff says they're not too surprised.

"He came in from day one and worked hard, and he earned the respect of his teammates by doing that," Shaw said. "He immediately fit in -- and he wasn't trying to be somebody he wasn't."

Specifically, he wasn't trying to be either of the last two quarterbacks to lead the Falcons -- Jaybo and Connor Shaw. The brothers and sons of Lee Shaw started every game for Flowery Branch between 2005-09 and are both collegiate signal callers now (Jaybo a starter at Georgia Southern and Connor a back-up at South Carolina). The duo left some big shoes for Brown to fill, leading the Falcons to a 52-13 record over five seasons (including finishing as Class AAA runner-up in 2008).

The challenge didn't daunt Brown, however.

"If you try to be someone else, you're going to fail," Brown said. "I just came in looking to be the best I could be."

And while Brown's skill set differs from the Shaws (who were each a big threat to run the ball), it has been no less effective.

"He can make all the throws, and he has a great understanding of the game," Harrison said.

That understanding should come in handy on Friday night, as Flowery Branch takes the field against an athletic and aggressive Southwest DeKalb defense.

"They're going to bring a lot of pressure and play man-to-man," Harrison said of the Panthers (8-2). "There will be some wide open receivers because of that, but recognizing the blitz and knowing the right protections will be huge this Friday."

Brown's also excited to get back on the field and wash away the taste of last week's 21-0 loss to No. 1 Clarke Central -- the Falcons only defeat of the regular season.

"The whole team is re-juiced," Brown said. "We've tasted defeat, and we've pushed harder in practice this week because of it."

And after improving every week, the Falcons offense -- which averages 35.5 points per game -- is yet to maximize its talents, and all involved hope they can do so in the postseason.

"Every week we've gotten better; now we're just waiting to hit our peak," said Brown, who is relishing every minute of his final prep campaign. "I'm loving it. I really wanted to make the playoffs this season, and I found out what that takes down here."

SOUTHWEST DEKALB at FLOWERY BRANCH
-- WHAT: Class AAAA football playoffs
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
-- WHERE: Falcon Field, Flowery Branch
-- RADIO: 550 AM
-- SOUTHWEST DEKALB (8-2, No. 3 seed Region 6-AAAA): Defeated Lithonia 44-12 last week.
-- FLOWERY BRANCH (9-1, No. 2 seed Region 8-AAAA): Lost 21-0 to Clarke Central last week. The Falcons are ranked No. 8 in Class AAAA by the Associated Press and 10th by the coaches poll.
-- WINNER PLAYS: South Forsyth at Kell winner