Reggie Brown : Buena Park Star Is Not Guarded Secret

Before Reggie Brown ever dribbled a basketball or took a jump shot for Buena Park High School, Coyote Coach Ken Bell knew of his exceptional talents.

Brown had gained a reputation as an outstanding athlete on the playground of Fullerton’s Independence Park. He entered Buena Park with expectations of becoming the school’s first four-starter and eventually a record-breaker.

Also, he expected to grow about eight inches in four years because his older brother stood 6-feet 4-inches. Brown entered high school at 5-6.

Four years later, Brown has set school records for career scoring, assists and steals. He’s the only player in the school’s 28-year history to start four seasons.

He also has earned more varsity letters--a total of 10 in football, basketball and baseball--than any Buena Park athlete.

In football:

--This season Brown finished second among Freeway League rushers behind Sunny Hills’ fullback Tim Byrnes by gaining 1,140 yards on 216 carries. Brown, who also scored 13 touchdowns, was honored as an all-league back, though the Coyotes failed to win a league game.

“Reggie Brown was our offense,” Coyote Coach Bart Goldstein said.

In basketball:

--As the team’s point guard, Brown has helped lead the Coyotes to a first-place tie with Fullerton, averaging 12 points and 5.5 assists per game this season.

In baseball:

--He started at shortstop and batted .390 last spring.

But there’s one expectation Brown never reached--his projected height.

Brown grew only an inch since his freshman year, and that may be a detriment to his athletic future.

The only school interested in Brown as a football player is Fullerton College, where Coach Hal Sherbeck wants to turn him into a wide receiver.

Goldstein also thinks Brown could make a solid college receiver.

“Reggie is a true wide receiver,” Goldstein said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have anyone who could throw the ball to him, so we handed off to him. I think if he goes to a junior college, in two years time he’ll be a major college prospect.

“He has all the qualities . . . soft hands, speed, good leaping ability, and he’ll go into traffic to catch the ball.”

Said Brown: “I’ve dreamed about being bigger, but I know there isn’t much I can do about it. Because of my size, I work harder in the weight room and try to give more than 100% on the field or the basketball court.

“I’ve never let my size inhibit me, and I haven’t given up hope that I’ll grow some more. I eat a lot and have a lot of energy, I just don’t have much size.”

Sunny Hills football Coach Tim Devaney marveled at how Brown managed to play nearly every down for the Coyotes and average 22 carries per game.

“I had heard a lot about Reggie before he got to high school because there was a chance he might have gone here,” Devaney said. “When I saw him as a sophomore and junior, I didn’t think he was anything special.

“But after this year, I felt Reggie became everything that he was built up to be. He excelled in a big man’s game because of his inherent ability to find the seams and avoid a lot of contact. You don’t coach that--it’s an instinct among great football players.”

Brown also was a naturally inclined athlete.

Said Bell, the basketball coach: “He does things your average Orange County player can’t do. Based on pure athletic ability, Reggie Brown may be the best athlete we’ve had in my 23 years at Buena Park. He knows what it takes to win.

“If he were five or six inches taller, I’d never get anything done around here. The phone would be ringing off the hook. Every college around would be after him.”