Howard and Dawson Brown

Dawson Brown helped Phoenixville earn its first Pioneer Athletic Conference title since 2007.  The 6'1 sophomore finished with a team-high 18 points in a thrilling 54-52 victory over Spring-Ford.  Brown drained three 3-pointers and provided 13 points in the second half.  His father knows a little something about winning big games.  Howard Brown became a household name in Pottstown in the 1990s.  The Trojans captured their lone state championship in 1993.  They beat Valley High School 85-66 in the PIAA-3A Final.  "We just caught lightning in a bottle, had a whole lot of fun and were able to accomplish a dream...best moment ever," he told Paul Roberts of SV Sports.  After scoring 1,769 points at Pottstown, Brown went on to play at Villanova from 1995-99.  He averaged 13 points per game during both his junior and senior seasons.  Brown racked up 1,122 points for the Wildcats before a lengthy professional basketball career overseas.  The 46-year-old now enjoys watching his son.  "My wife sees a lot of him in me, the way we move. I know he's a much better ball handler than me. There are things that he does on the court that I'm like 'wow'," remarked Brown.  The father and son get up early during the week to train at the Phoenixville YMCA.  The Phantoms increased their win total from 10 last year to 18 this season under head coach Eric Burnett.  Dawson Brown noticed a big change in the team's mentality.  "The mindset was we're winning, we're going out here to kill," he explained.  Phoenixville finished third in the District 1-5A playoffs.  The Phantoms qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2009.  They fell to Whitehall 62-46 in the opening round.  Dawson Brown, who started as a freshman, averaged 14 ppg. this year.  He's now competing on the track & field team.  The Brown family will be spending even more time together next basketball season.  Dawson has decided to attend Episcopal Academy where Howard is an assistant coach.  "I try not to compare him to me. [I] just try to enjoy the moment and try to enjoy him," said Brown.