Dobbins' Brown has a great Day-Day

IN THE classrooms and hallways today at Murrell Dobbins Tech, the whispers are probably rampant.

"Yo, what's with 'Day-Day'? He's gettin' lazy."

What else are the students to believe when the football franchise actually spends one play on the sideline?

How dare he?!

OK, upon further review, the bit of inactivity should not be held against Daquan "Day-Day" Brown, a 5-8, 150-pound senior who serves first-year coach John Sullivan as a running back, safety and return man, and does all of the kicking and punting.

"I only came to the sideline that one time to take off my visor," Brown said, smiling. "That little bit of rain we were having, it was making it foggy. I was having trouble seeing."

Otherwise, supported by a personal rooting section, with each member sporting a jersey that featured 28 and Day-Day on the back, Brown had little difficulty imposing his will as Dobbins claimed a 19-0, Public AAA verdict over visiting Boys' Latin Charter on Thursday.

Aside from rushing 22 times for 143 yards and a touchdown, and making two receptions for 42 yards and another score, and hitting a PAT (somewhat sloppy conditions) from 26 yards, Brown soared to break up five passes and one of those deflections occurred in the end zone.

Feel free to say this kid is a cut above. (Especially upon learning his major at Dobbins is barbering.)

"I do some cuts for family and a lot of people around my way," said Brown, who lives on 8th Street, near Duncannon. "It's all except guys for this one lady who has a low cut. I even do my dad's hair.

"I only charge $5. Sometimes I get tips, especially if I wash their hair first. Every bit helps. I'm always looking for gas money. I also work at Sneaker Villa."

Standing right nearby was 3-year-old Tyleem Bonner, a nephew and customer.

"Does Day-Day give you good haircuts?" Tyleem was asked.

The cat had his tongue. He did scratch his scalp, though.

Brown uncorked runs of 21, 13 and 9 yards on a second-quarter scoring drive, capped by soph quarterback Delane Hart from the 1.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, he made a 27-yard reception, moving the ball to midfield, and then zipped off gains of 8 and 19 before scoring in the right corner on a 15-yard, screen-pass play that began to the left side.

"Clarence Murphy came over to the coach and asked him to run that," Brown said, referring to one of the tackles. "He saw that Boys' Latin was keying on every running play. So, I caught the ball behind the linemen, then saw that I had space to the right and cut it over there.

"Everyone did their job. That's the only way I ever get yards, when the linemen help me out."

Brown's second TD, a 3-yard run, followed by three plays an interception and 23-yard return by soph linebacker Nigel Faulks.

The main part of Day-Day's posse featured his father and mother, Levi and Bianca Brown, and his uncle, Rafiq Williams. Oh, and a certain cheerleader, Brianna Johnson, might have screeched a shade more piercingly each time Brown did something special because she's his girlfriend.

"My dad and uncle always get in my ear," Brown said. " 'You need to cut it up! Stop goin' to the outside!' . . . My mom, she just yells the same thing over and over.'Get the ball, Day-Day!'

"It means a lot to have them here. They've been supporting me in everything since [youth ball]."

And he does mean everything. Brown is also a guard in basketball and a pitcher-catcher in baseball.

"Seems like every season at Dobbins, people look to me," he said.

That's especially so this grid campaign because Brown is one of the few experienced players.

"I knew these guys would come around," he said. "When the JV went against our varsity last year, those guys brought intensity. It just took us a while to figure out who could do what and who could play where."

Sharquill Farmer, Khalif Brown and Murphy made fumble recoveries for Dobbins while Faulks had the lone interception.

For BL, Erik Lark passed 13-for-30 for 133 yards, Ben Coulibaly managed 52 yards on 12 rushes and Sam Drummond was a linebacking terror (six tackles at or behind the line, one forced fumble).

In college, Brown hopes to play football.

"But if that doesn't work out," he said, "I'd be fine with baseball."

Whatever happens, he'll do something. Inactivity? That'll be the Day-Day.

Online high school coverage at philly.com/rally.