Orlando Olympia QB Brown enrolled at Plant

Posted Feb 15, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 15, 2012 at 06:20 PM

Colby Brown, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound quarterback who last season as a sophomore passed for 1,637 yards and 11 touchdowns for Orlando Olympia, has enrolled at Plant High and has begun workouts with the Panthers, Plant coach Robert Weiner said Wednesday.

Brown not only started last year for Olympia, he cracked the starting lineup in the closing games of the 2010 season as a freshman. Brown arrived in Plant’s district as a result of a job change that sent Brown’s father to Tampa. Brown led Olympia to the Class 8A-District 4 title last fall and into the regional semifinals, where it fell to Orlando Timber Creek.

With the graduation of Plant’s starting quarterback, James Few, Brown’s arrival on the Panthers’ roster should see some serious competition for the coveted starting quarterback spot for the four-time state champion Panthers. Brown will likely be facing rising senior returners Kyle Groh and Aaron Banks, along with two standouts from last year’s junior varsity squad, rising juniors Kyle Ploucher and JT Faircloth.

Seven-on-7 competition has already begun for several area prep football teams, including Plant. It’s still early (Few didn’t nail down the starting job until a few games into the 2011 campaign) but Plant, called one of the nation’s “QB Highs” in a recent ESPN feature, looks to have more options than ever.