Huntington Beach head football coach Brett Brown has team ready for fall season

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — During my recent conversation with Brett Brown, head coach of Huntington Beach High School’s (HBHS) Varsity Football team, I learned that his love of football began right here in town. He played for Marina High School and began his career working from the sidelines soon after. “Coaching football ran in my family,” he explains. “My father coached, as well as several of my uncles, one of whom served as the defensive coordinator at Fresno State University. I would go up every summer and spend several weeks with him, just learning about the game.” Brown has now been coaching for over 20 years, 16 of which have been at HBHS.

The Oilers worked hard during summer training: lifting weights, running, and conditioning. “Getting bigger, faster, and stronger, is the goal.” Coach Brown explains. “We want to be the hardest-playing team on the field.” Physicality is something that Brown speaks of a lot. At the end of the day, he says, “If the other coach tells me, ‘Man your kids play hard,’ or ‘Your kids are physical,’ I know that we were successful during that game, whether we won or lost.”

This season, the Oiler football team has been focused on the journey to success. Brown says that it’s “all about the work that they are putting in right now: their attitudes, as well as the effort they are giving in order to accomplish their goals.”

Several players have been exemplifying that work ethic. Coach Brown places receiver/safety AJ Vandermade at the top of that list. He explains, “AJ is our big playmaker. He is incredibly athletic and helps us score many touchdowns.” Also on the list is 3½-year starter, Nathan Tauanuu, a middle linebacker/running back from whom Brown says that he “expects great things” because he has “tons of strength and experience.”

Finally, look for senior Dylan Webber, who plays defensive end and is a phenomenal pass rusher. Coach describes him as a “high motor guy, who doesn’t ever stop and plays hard every down.”

One thing that Brown stresses all season is the importance of teamwork. “We preach family; we want to be together and pick each other up when things aren’t going well,” he offers. “Football gave these kids a bond that is huge and can’t be damaged.”

You can be part of making the Oiler football season great by coming out to the games and offering your support. According to Brown, the players “love it when the stands are full, and they have people cheering for them.”

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