Brown Does Whatever It Takes : Athlete of the year: Foothill water polo player has been surrounded by good players this season.

Brian Brown and the top-seeded Foothill water polo team weren’t playing up to expectations in the first half of the Southern Section Division I championship game last month.

Villa Park, the third-seeded team that Foothill had beaten by seven goals for the Century League championship, was more than making a game of it. Brown, Foothill’s best all-around player, had an uncharacteristic second quarter, playing poorly on offense and defense as Villa Park took a 4-2 halftime lead.

But in the third quarter, Brown showed the form that helped him become The Times Orange County player of the year. He scored five goals as the Knights took an 8-6 lead and went on to win, 8-7, for Foothill’s first section water polo title.

Brown said he and his teammates were never overly concerned. “Probably there was a little worry,” Brown said, “but not that much because we knew what we had to do in the second half to win the game and we did it.”

The Knights did what was necessary the entire season, losing only once--to Long Beach Wilson in the championship game of the Southern California Invitational.

Foothill was a well-balanced team that could hurt its opponents with a number of weapons. Three players--Brown, Robby Arroyo and Jeff Pflueger--each scored at least 60 goals and the Knights had several other players who could step up if necessary.

There are those who argue that Brown’s value is diminished because of the talent that surrounds him, but Foothill Coach Jim Brumm disagrees.

“If you ask whether we could lose him and still win, that’s a tough question,” Brumm said. “Well, in the championship game, yeah it would have made a difference.”

Brown, a senior who is also a member of the U.S. youth national team, had a team-high 95 goals and 83 steals and was second in assists with 44. “He does everything really well,” Brumm said. “He’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever had and he’s one of the most knowledgeable about the game.

“He’s got a knack of letting the game come to him. He doesn’t go out there and try to force the action or feel that he has to score five goals a game. Villa Park gave him some shots, that’s why he scored.”