Prep notebook: Brown wild card in crucial Georgetown-Myrtle Beach matchup

Back in August, Bradley Adams said that as long as Jarvis Brown was on the field, Georgetown would have a chance in every game it played.

Heading into Friday’s game at Myrtle Beach – with all the implications tied to The Sun News’ Game of the Week – the coach’s sentiment is only stronger now after what has been a record-breaking first eight weeks of the season.

“Without a doubt, he’s definitely a playmaker,” Adams said. “Everything we do, it goes through his hands. I’m not [surprised]. I thought he could have done it last year also. He was just so limited (because of an ankle injury). When he came back we couldn’t run the football with him. Everything we did in the passing game was so limited. He was still putting up very good numbers. He was only about 60 percent.”

Brown’s 2014 campaign started to peak around this time. He put up 361 total yards and fourth total touchdowns against Myrtle Beach.

This season, with only the normal bumps and bruises, he’s been the dynamic player Adams believed he could be all along. Through those eight games, he’s led Georgetown to a 6-2 record while passing for 1,773 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Brown’s passing figures broke the school record previously set by Caleb Hughes, who threw for 1,620 yards in 2012 before signing at Limestone. Hughes played in 11 games that season.

It stands to reason that Georgetown will have at least that many games this year, if not more.

Much of his future potential is tied to the emergence of two top-end targets in Deakidd Anderson (643 yards, six touchdowns) and Cavonte Gamble (563 yards, six touchdowns).

But he’s also taking advantage of opposing defenses on the ground, where Brown has already run for 437 yards and 10 more touchdowns. By themselves, each of those totals leave him among the top 10 in the area.

At least slowing down all that production is Myrtle Beach’s primary defensive goal on Friday. The only team to hold Brown in check this year is Conway, which limited him to 100 total yards in the season opener.

Since then, Brown has erupted in terms of both yards and touchdowns. His 26 combined scores lead the Grand Strand.

“Any time you play a quarterback that can run and throw, it becomes a little more dangerous offensively,” Myrtle Beach coach Mickey Wilson said. “He’s a guy that can hurt you with his arms and his legs. I’m sure we’ll spy him some. We’re well aware of how good of a runner he is. He’s is able to beat you with some big plays.”

Georgetown (2-1 in Region VII-AAA) has to win the game in order to keep any hope of a title going into Week 10. Myrtle Beach (5-3, 3-0) can clinch at least a share of the region crown with a victory.

HTC GAME OF THE WEEK

The other crucial Region VII-AAA contest will serve as HTC’s Game of the Week on Friday when North Myrtle Beach (5-3, 2-1) heads to St. James (4-4, 1-2).

The two teams, both of whom would be playoff bound if the season ended today, are jostling for postseason position. The game will be aired on HTC Channel 4, as well as HTCConnect.com.

This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Prep notebook: Brown wild card in crucial Georgetown-Myrtle Beach matchup."