CARMEL — One play doesn’t define an athlete’s career. Simeon Brown has a vault full of highlight reels from three different sports to look back on.

Yet, one play, in particular, will live on, probably for decades.

In the Northern California Division 5AA football championship, Brown stopped what would have been a game-winning 2-point conversion a half-yard short of the end zone with no time left. It sent the Padres to the state championship game, which they won as well, albeit in less dramatic fashion.

“I do reflect back on that moment,” Brown said. “When I watch it on tape, it still excites me and shocks me.”

Brown made a habit of making plays in monumental moments from the football field to the basketball court, even on the track, for the Padres over four seasons. That made him the clear choice to be named The Herald’s Male Athlete of the Year.

Carmel High celebrates after Carmel High's Simeon Brown (1) tackles Acalanes High's Marco Giorgianni (8) just short of the end zone in the fourth quarter on the last play of the game during their CIF NorCal Division 5-AA title football game at Monterey Peninsula College. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)

Brown suffered a fractured sternum on the punishing hit that night, but that didn’t keep him from playing in the state championship game the next week.

“I remember laying down and my chest hurt,” Brown said. “I had trouble getting my pads off. So after the state title game, I went to the doctors and learned it was fractured.”

The play saw Brown come up from his safety position, shed a blocker to hit the quarterback in a collision that ended a short of the end zone and sent his teammates into a frenzy.

“I was thinking it was going to be a swing pass to the running back,” Brown recalled. “As soon as I saw the quarterback keep the ball, I shot through the gap.”

Once cleared to return to the basketball court, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder led Carmel to a Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division title, earning the league’s Most Valuable Player honor.

Where the 18-year-old separated himself from others, however, was the ability to adapt to the moment. Brown didn’t need to be the center of attention to make an impact.

“He embraced how good we could be as a team,” Carmel football coach Golden Anderson said. “Obviously, Simeon makes us better when he’s on the field. His focus point was team first.”

Carmel’s Simeon Brown showed a knack for coming down with contested catches. (Donald Fukui -- Herald Correspondent)

That might have included a critical block downfield to spring a teammate after a catch, sacrificing his own numbers if it translated to a win on the field, which Brown did a lot of this past season.

During his junior and senior seasons at Carmel, the football program went 28-1, including a run of 17 straight, as well as two league titles, a section championship and a state crown.

Over his final two seasons in basketball, the Padres won 46 games, two Gabilan Division titles, and a section championship.

“Coming into high school, I thought I’d be a basketball player at the next level,” Brown said. “I played AAU. I loved it. But after my sophomore year, I kind of knew football was my path.”

Brown, who will be a receiver this fall at College of San Mateo, was recruited as both a receiver and defensive back by colleges.

Using some of his basketball IQ in football, Brown caught 62 passes this past fall for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns, often going up and over defenders to make acrobatic catches.

“His strength is contested catches,” Anderson said. “A lot of times he’s not open and he makes a play. You see his body control. He’s fearless, physical, and makes things happen.”

Anderson pointed out the state title game in which Brown made two sideline catches in traffic to keep drives alive in an eventual 48-7 win over El Capitan of Lakeside.

“Those catches were unbelievable,” Anderson said. “Good things happen when he’s around the ball – and he’s always around it.”

That includes all three phases of the game, where Brown intercepted seven passes this past season, while returning three kickoffs for touchdowns.

Carmel’s Simeon Brown was also an outstanding return man. (Donald Fukui -- Herald Correspondent)

“He had some power five schools looking at him as a nickel defender,” Anderson said. “He made a lot of things happen on the back end of our defense. He finds success wherever he lines up.”

Of his 15 touchdowns on the season, nine were of 35 yards or longer for the Padres, who set a county record with 15 wins.

“I have no preference where I play,” Brown said. “Where I’m needed and wherever I can make an impact is where I wanted to be.”

That included his decision to play at San Mateo. a community college. Enamored with the coaching staff and its pitch, he would have played on the defensive side if asked.

“I chose the college that was the best fit for me, not necessarily the position,” Brown said. “If they wanted me as a DB, I could have gone that route as well.”

Brown, who has been playing football since he was 5 and compiled nearly 90 tackles last season, brings a completely different mentality to the field when playing defense.

“Hitting people is amazing,” Brown said. “The turnover factor is big. What I’ll probably miss is the aggression and mentality of a defensive player. It’s very different. Honestly, I wouldn’t rule out playing defense again if needed.”

While Brown has a strong safety build, his precise route running, large hands and leaping ability make him a valuable target as a receiver.

Carmel High’s Simeon Brown, shown here earlier this season, had 19 points in Carmel's NorCal opener. (Donald Fukui -- Herald File)

“If it’s a 50-50 ball in the air, my mindset is I’m coming down with it,” Brown said. “Training for basketball has played a big part in my development to get up and get those balls.”

The extended football season, coupled with missing time from the sternum injury, forced Brown to miss eight weeks of basketball.

His return was a shot in the arm for Carmel, which went 12-2 in league play, with Brown dropping in just over 15 points a game.

“Watching from the sidelines wasn’t fun,” Brown said. “I just wanted to help our team win. My role was to do whatever I can to give us a spark.”

Brown was nearly unstoppable going to the basket off the dribble drive. Yet, he could knock down the mid-range jumper or change the atmosphere with a highlight reel dunk.

“Knowing you can attack the rim and get up with no doubt about the finish is a great feeling,” Brown said. “I’m going to miss the sport. My destination is football.”

Tenacious on defense, Brown also led Carmel in steals at 2.6, while doling out 3.1 assists and pulling down 4.9 rebounds a game.

“What made him unique is he has one of the highest basketball IQs I’ve ever coached,” Carmel basketball coach Kurt Grahl said. “He sniffed things out that other teams were trying to do. He sees things in real time and understands how to deal with it.”

Brown played with a chip on his shoulder from the moment Grahl brought him up as a freshman, bringing a gallant attitude to the court that made him a three-year captain.

Carmel’s Simeon Brown finds himself surrounded by the entire Half Moon Bay team in the fourth quarter on Thursday. (Donald Fukui -- Monterey Herald correspondent)

“I don’t put freshmen on the roster very often,” Grahl said. “Usually, they need to mature as an athlete and understand that (they) have to work to get better. When he stepped inside the rectangle, he just competed. His skill sets and work ethic travel with any sport. He made me look a lot smarter as a coach.”

While track was more of a tool to enhance Brown’s speed and leaping ability, his competitive juices flowed when competition occurred.

Often limited to a handful of meets, Brown cleared 6-feet in the high jump and ran around 11 seconds in the 100 meters, helping the 400 relay team to a spot in the CCS trials.

“Track is a sport where if you put in the work, you’ll get the results,” Brown said. “There is no one to rely on once you step into that lane. It tests your mental mindset against other great athletes.”

Brown still remembers a conversation he and a core of teammates had with their coaches before the start of football season.

“A state title wasn’t on our list,” Brown said. “But we felt we had the skill and talent to go far. We had some big nonleague wins. I think we exceeded expectations.”

While Brown had the play of the year in the Northern California title game, the state title – the first in the program’s history and just the second in the county – will live on as his most memorable moment.

“I’ve played with most of these guys my entire life, going back to recess in grammar school,” Brown said. “The bond we already had made that title so much more special. I will miss playing with those guys.”

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