Today’s interviewee is Central (Carrollton) coach Umbrah Brown, whose 5-1 team travels to unbeaten Starr’s Mill for a Friday night game that will decide first place in Region 3-4A. This is the first time these schools have been in the same region, but they met in last year’s Class 4A quarterfinals. Starr’s Mill won 35-29 on a Hail Mary pass on the final play. Central is 17-2 in two seasons under Brown, a Central alumnus. The 2023 team won the Lions’ first region title since 2014.
1. Hate to make you relive it, but wow, what a great game that you and Starr’s Mill had last year. What are your memories of it, and how does it affect this year’s game? It’s a new game, but surely it’s at least in the back of people’s minds. “It was an awesome atmosphere last year, and Starr’s Mill will always be well-coached and play hard. But you are correct in that it is a new year, and that game has no bearing on this year’s game, good or bad. Our kids and coaches are excited to play the game because it’s the next game, which is the only game that matters. We learned a lot from that game last year. We learned to play every play as if it has a life of its own. It’s ‘Every Play Lives and Dies.’”
2. How does this year’s team compare to last year’s? How are you different? “This year’s team has built off of last year’s leadership. We have a few more seniors than we did, so we are more experienced in some areas than we were a year ago. This group is resilient, and they love each other, which isn’t very different from last year’s team.”…