Friday Night Lights: Top Tigers commit excited to play in Upstate

Sammy Brown returns to the Upstate on Friday at Wren High School.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Aug 22 13:58:06 GMT-05:00 2023

Clemson commit Sammy Brown is headed to the Upstate, in what he hopes is a playoff atmosphere when his Jefferson Dragons travel to Wren to take on the Hurricanes.

Brown, Clemson’s prized 5-star linebacker commit, ran for 90 yards and scored four touchdowns last week against Alpharetta (GA) in a 34-24 win. Brown played both ways for the Dragons, racking up eight tackles. Wren, under new head coach Anthony Frate, looks to rebound from a 3-8 campaign a year ago, and it all starts with the home game against Brown and Jefferson.

Brown told TigerNet it was good for Jefferson to get on the field last week and earn a win.

“It’s always good to get a win. It’s good for morale and for team energy,” Brown said. “It’s always exciting coming off a big win and being 1-0. It’s big for the morale of the coaches and the players.”

The two teams met last year in Georgia, with the Dragons earning a 56-21 victory. Brown led the offense with 178 rushing yards and nine receiving yards. Brown also led the defense with seven solo tackles.

“I remember they are physical,” Brown said of Wren. "They come off the ball really well, and they execute. I think this will be a good game, and I am excited to see what we can do. This will be a good, physical game. We will have to play physical and smart and pay attention to our assignments. They will dink it behind you if you aren’t careful.”

Wren Athletic Director Stan Yarborough told TigerNet he expects close to 2,000 fans for the game, which means it should be a playoff-type atmosphere in the heat of August.

“That will be crazy,” Browns said. “I am excited. That should be really fun. I didn’t know there would be a crowd like that; that caught me off guard. It will be like a playoff game and should be really fun. It will be a really good game, and even though there are high stakes, we have to treat this game like it’s just the next game. That is how I will be treating it.”

Many fans are shocked to learn that Brown also plays running back.

“It is a love-hate relationship. Last year I sprained my ankle from playing running back,” Brown said. “At the same time, I like to get out there and physically beat the crap out of somebody on offense. It’s honestly a lot of fun. My freshman year, we played at Washington-Wilkes, and we were up at the end of the game and ran the same play like 10 or 15 times in a row, and they couldn’t stop it. Just a simple power play, and they couldn’t stop it. You could tell them the play, and they couldn’t stop it.”

Yarborough encourages all fans to arrive early for the 7:30 p.m. kickoff in Piedmont.

Tickets are available on the Go Fan App.

Yarborough said, “Cash at the gate is also accepted, but we are expecting a huge crowd, so best option is online to avoid missing the opening kickoff. Parking – there is limited parking behind the Visitor Stands, and the best option is at the Middle School or High School down the Street from the Stadium. We hope to see a lot of Orange in the Stands on Friday Night! Plenty of tickets available and $2 bills are welcome at the concession stand!"

🏈🌀🌴Get there early. Come support a Special group of men‼️@MrCoachFrate @CoachPerdomo @Miller_Jordan3 @cnmerritt14 @ZachPritchett @OfficialWren https://t.co/xcq73qPM81
— Wren Hurricane Football (@OfficialWrenFB) August 21, 2023