Today’s interviewee is Miller Grove coach Melvin Brown, whose team defeated Stephenson 34-27 last week. It was Miller Grove’s first victory since 2012 against Stephenson, where Brown coached for 17 seasons before taking the Miller Grove job in February.
Melvin Brown, Miller Grove head coach
1. What does the victory mean to Miller Grove? “It’s really big for the school, the community and the football program. It’s the second time they’ve beaten Stephenson. Just the magnitude of the game, with Stephenson being undefeated and ranked. It was great for these kids to be in that type of game. I came from Stephenson, and that motivated the players. They want respect from other teams. Sometimes people look at Miller Grove as a basketball school. Our players took the opportunity to show everybody there are some good football players at Miller Grove also. They seized the moment and showed what they can do.”
2. What made the difference in the game? “Our team is based on speed. The philosophy we go by is fast, physical and relentless. Jayden Brown is an exceptional running back with 4.4 speed. [Brown rushed for 205 yards and returned a punt for a touchdown.] Up front, we were able to control the offensive and defensive lines. We were extremely physical with them. We knew they had a young quarterback, so we wanted to put him in uncomfortable situations and create turnovers.”
3. The previous week, you lost to Arabia Mountain 20-6. How did you go from that loss to this win? “There’s such a thing as a good loss. Sometimes you don’t see things when you’re winning. When you lose and break down the film, you see the mistakes you made. There was something that Kirby Smart said, ‘Don’t get infected by the disease that you can’t be beaten.’ It was a humbling experience for all of us. That feeling they had after that game, they weren’t going to have that feeling again.” [Miller Grove is 5-2, its other loss against Pebblebrook by forfeit. Miller Grove’s last winning season came in 2015.]
4. Why did you take the Miller Grove job? “I’d been at Stephenson for 17 years and in DeKalb County for 20, and I’ve noticed schools like Miller Grove that I always felt had the talent and just needed some direction, someone to bring in a new mindset. At Stephenson, I benefited from understanding what a good football program looked like. I brought that style of coaching to Miller Grove. Did I expect to change this quickly? No, I didn’t. But we’ve got a lot of work to do still. We’ve got to stay humble and keep grinding.”
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