Lincoln Prep gets past Pembroke Hill with help of QB who will be a college D-lineman

There are multiple superlatives one could use to describe Lincoln Prep senior quarterback Howard Brown:

Powerful. Accurate. Game changer.

But the best one, at least if Friday’s game against Pembroke Hill was any indication, might be unstoppable.

Brown was something close to that as the Lincoln Prep Blue Tigers defeated the Pembroke Hill Raiders 34-14 Friday on senior night.

Having taken the first lead of the game before Pembroke Hill pulled even, It looked for a minute like the host Blue Tigers (4-1) were about to lose their early momentum. Their only drive of the second quarter started with a holding penalty followed by a false start, presenting an improbable first and 25 deep in their own end.

No matter.

Brown got things going with a crisp throw to wide receiver Darryl Williams on a flat route to the right. The latter took the ball 11 yards to give the Blue Tigers a much more manageable second and 14.

Brown bulldozed through the Pembroke Hill front for 9 yards. Everyone was expecting more of the same on third and 5, but intead he took a quick step back and threw a dime to receiver DJ Amrine for 45 to the Raiders’ 4.

On third and goal shortly thereafter, Brown barreled into the end zone on a keeper to give Lincoln Prep a 14-7 lead.

In college, a guy Brown’s size—he’s listed at 6-2, 290—will more likely be lined up on the line of scrimmage than under or behind center. But in high school, if a QB that big can chuck it — which Brown most certainly can — he’s all but unstoppable at times.

The connection between Brown and Amrine wasn’t their first biggie of the game, either. The pair opened the scoring on the first drive of the game. Faking an inside handoff, not unlike the play described above, Brown found Amrine down the boundary for a 43-yard touchdown.

The Raiders (2-2) leveled the score at 7-apiece on a seven-minute drive to open the second quarter. The march was capped by Hank Newell’s 5-yard touchdown.

But that’s where Lincoln Prep took over.

Brown’s well-earned touchdown on the first-and-25 drive was followed up by three more touchdowns from the Blue Tigers as they ran away with the game.

Overcoming a fourth-and-long for a scoring drive and recovering a fumble for a defensive touchdown were the top highlights in the second half for the Blue Tigers.

This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 9:48 PM.