Garron Brown is Mr. Intensity for the Merrimack High School football team on both sides of the ball. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

MERRIMACK – As a back/receiver, he’s tough to tackle. As a free safety, he’s tough to run past.

But as a cornhole player, Merrimack High School football standout Garron Brown is tough to beat, period.

Just ask his coach, Kip Jackson.

“He’s a natural athlete, if you compete against him in anything, even in cornhole, he’s good at it,” Jackson said of his 5-foot-8 senior. “He kicks my butt. We’re a good cornhole team.”

And tonight vs. Nashua South at Stellos Stadium, the Tomahawks’ third game there this season, they’ll try to prove they’re a good football team, hoping to get to .500 in Division I (2-3) and above .500 overall (3-3 as of now).

And Brown will no doubt play a key role.

The kid is ultra competitive. After the Tomahawks dropped their second game of the season to Keene, he sat on the grass as the rain fell, simply pondering what happened.

“Coming here every day, working hard, it sucks losing, obviously,” Brown, a Merrimack native who’s been playing football since he was 5, said. “I just sit there, think of what I can do better, think of what the team can do better, and show up the next week.”

“He’s a special athlete, not just in football but in baseball, he competes in everything he does,” Jackson said. “He’s a great student, and we’ve been fortunate to have him starting for us the last three years.”

His sophomore year, Brown just played on defense. The last two years, however, he’s been a two-way player, and a highly effective one, although he made the All-Conference Team as a junior at free safety.

Ironically, baseball is the sport Brown will likely play in college. He’s been a superb second baseman for the Tomahawks, and hit nearly .500 last spring.

“He could play football in college, but his heart right now is baseball,” Jackson said. “We’ll see what happens when football season’s over.”

Brown actually stopped playing football for two seasons, seventh and eighth grade. He wasn’t having fun with the game and wanted to focus on baseball, and figured he would pick it back up when he went to Merrimack High.

“I knew I was going to play in high school,” he said. “At the time I didn’t love it as much. But I definitely missed it during those times. … It’s whatever season I’m in. Right now, football’s my sport.

“Playing on a Friday night, you don’t get a better feeling. Coming out here every single day with your boys, playing for your boys, your coaches, it’s like the energy is crazy. It’s a great feeling.”

Brown is a multi purpose player on offense. He was a slot receiver a year ago and began this season doing the same thing before moving into the backfield. He’s been following lead blocker Jack Thornton and had a superb game last Friday in the win over Windham, rushing for a whopping 210 yards on 18 carries, including runs of 75 and 50 yards.

“I love running the ball,” he said, “especially with the O-line (offensive line) I have. They’ve been blocking great lately.”

He’s also dangerous as a receiver with his yards after catch and works out and has formed a bond with ‘Hawks QB Sahil Mujawar.

Brown can do a lot of things, for sure.

“He’s kind of like a queen in chess; we can use him at multiple places on offenser or defense, and that’s what we like to try to do,” Jackson said. “If you have somebody who’s that much of a threat on offense, as good as catching the ball as well as running the ball – he’s a really good blocker – you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of his ability.”

And he’s no slouch on defense, not afraid to come up to make tackles.

“You’ll see him making plays around the line of scrimmage,” Jackson said. “And lot of that is he’s a senior that’s been playing that position for three years now. He’s also taking it upon himself to mentor some of the younger DBs which is awesome.”

Brown said defense is fun, too. “I just like being on the field,” he said. “Makes me feel in the game more, adrenalin going through my body. Playing defense is great. I love tackling.”

Brown decided after his sophomore year he wanted to have “a bigger impact on the team” and he did, taking advantage of the fact teams were focusing on stopping big back Reimello Hyde, who has since graduated.

Then it was time to take the next step for his senior seaosn. He worked out religiously, juggling that with a busy baseball summer in which he played for the New Hampshire Prospects AAU team.

“We lost a bunch of seniors last year, so it was great to be in the weight room every single day, create that bond with your teammates,” he said.

Brown isn’t a vocal leader, he leads more by example, but he is one of the team’s captains. Jackson notes that if he chooses to talk, his teammates know it’s worthwhile to listen.

“I just try to be there for my teammates,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade any single teammate for anyone else. I love every single one of them.”

Baseball gives Brown a great low pace alternative to football. “I love every single part of it,” he said, noting he’s talked to a few Division III schools, including Keene State.

But, as a prospective business major, he’s hoping to have a chance to go to Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

“I want to go to SNHU, we’ll see what happens from there,” he said, saying he played in a baseball tourney with a travel there this last weekend.

“That,” he said, “was a great experience. I got to tour their field, eat in their dining hall, play in front of their head coach (Chris Shank).”

Brown was of a defensive player but hit near or at .480 last spring for Merrimack, so feels his game is coming of age.

“Now that I’m older, I’m more of an all-around baseball player,” he said, noting the same work ethic he uses for football is what he will continue to do for baseball, including weight room, hitting in the cage, etc. “Whatever it is to bring my game to the next level, I’m going to do it.”

And the Tomahawks have taken their game to a new level.

“The first two games didn’t go great, but as of now we’re 3-3, definitely heading up the right path,” Brown said.

Where does the competitive intensity come from?

“My whole life I’ve been a hard-working kid,” he said. “The coaches teach me, especially in Merrimack, it’s great. They teach me how to work hard, how to be determined, how to handle adversity. It’s great having the by my side every single day.”

Even better when you beat them at things like cornhole.

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