Although it was every man for himself and when they stepped on the field Saturday night, rival running backs Aaron Green of Madison and Malcolm Brown of Steele share a common bond and a great friendship both on and off the field.
When questioned about his friendship with opponent Aaron Green, Brown smiled and said they had a good relationship. "We talk on a weekly basis, and we have a real good friendship off the field," said Brown.
Green also commented on his friendship with Brown. "All summer it was like we couldn't wait for this game; we talked about it all the time," said Green. "But this morning when I woke up, I sort of felt like I wanted a few more days. There was a lot of pressure."
The night before the game, the two players spoke briefly, and they also talked the morning of the game. "He asked me if I was ready, and I just smiled, and he said he was nervous, and I told him he would do fine, and he did," Green said. "That long touchdown run of his was just breathtaking; it was almost hard to watch."
When asked how he felt about the win as the underdogs, Green was happy to share his thoughts. "I think we proved that we deserved to be ranked number one," said Aaron Green. The Mavericks were ranked number four in the pre-season in the San Antonio area, with Steele receiving the top ranking.
"It feels really good to play, especially because I was still a little hurt," said Green. "I'm really blessed with my offensive line and my blockers, because without them I wouldn't have scored." Green does not have any immediate plans to make a decision on which school will be fortunate enough to gain his playing experience next year, but he is considering several schools at this time.
"I just want to concentrate on the season," said Green.
Teammate Troy Williams is also a top-notch running back, and likely would be the go-to guy without Green in the mix, and he still gets plenty of looks and touches, many times blocking the way for Green or heading out with the ball on his own. "Troy is an amazing player and he could be the starter at any other high school, but he loves to play with me and I love to play with him," said Green.
Malcolm Brown was not thrilled with the outcome of the game, but he joined together with his team and the Mavericks, led by Green, for a group prayer at midfield after the game. It was obvious the prayer session was spearheaded by these two leaders, and Green led the group in a prayer.
Brown also shared his thoughts about the game and his upcoming college career, as well as his appreciation for his coaching staff. "Our staff knows how to coach kids, and now we need to asses the game and move on," Brown said. "It was an unfortunate loss, but I just try my best."
Brown recently verbally committed to the University of Texas after considering several schools. "I was just real comfortable with the coach and staff and just felt like I just felt like I fit in there," said Brown. "It was just a blessing for them to even want to recruit me."
Reports of Brown being compared to running back great Adrian Peterson make the senior a little bashful. "Man, he is a great running back, and to even be thought to be possibly in the same category as him is a true blessing from the Lord, because I just try my best," said Brown.
There is no doubt the two players share an uncommon bond, both on and off the field through friendship and also a spiritual link between the two, just as there is no doubt they will both find a place to shine after their high school careers are over this season. Fans from both teams look forward to watching these two perform on the field this year.
If you like what you read here, Subscribe to this Examiner by clicking the Subscribe button at the top of this page or email her with your comments.
Comments