Brown Deer's Trayvon Palmer earns second All-Suburban berth

Brown Deer - Brown Deer's NOW All-Suburban receiver Trayvon Palmer freely admits that he likes to play offense more than defense.

But he was also a spectacular defensive back for the Falcons helping them to a 5-4 overall record and a share of a Woodland Conference divisional title.

And he was happy to be of service on both sides of the ball.

"I feel one of the things that I improved the most on this year was as leader and a captain," he said. "I've been doing it (two ways) since my sophomore year, so I'm used to it. It became second nature to me. Offense is more fun though, there's a little more glory in it (laughs)."

Coach Rob Green appreciated his efforts as injuries dimmed the Falcons' hopes a little in this senior-dominated year.

"It still turned out to be a good year for us as we had to face a lot of adversity from within," Green said. "We competed pretty well against the teams that we could. We would have liked to have won an outright (divisional) title. I think it would have helped us a little more in the WIAA playoffs.

"Still, I was proud of the way we played this season."

As it turned out, Brown Deer lost in Level 1 playoff action to eventual Division 3 WIAA state champion Catholic Memorial.

One of the injuries that affected Palmer, a senior, was that of quarterback Jake Schimenz, who missed all but one game of the season due to leg and shoulder injuries.

Drew Worth stepped in and proved to be a more than adequate replacement.

"Drew actually made it easy for me," said Palmer, who made the NOW All-Suburban team at all-purpose last season. "He could make a lot of adjustments and get me the ball when I was open."

And Palmer helped Worth, too, as he used his 4.57 40-yard dash speed and 35-inch vertical leap to great advantage, making acrobatic catches in traffic and getting behind defenses with ease.

"I think I really improved as a route runner this year," he said, "and that helped with my playmaking. I also became more disciplined and that also helped me improve."

Palmer said that possession receiver Pietro D'Amato was also a big help this fall.

Palmer has made a quick transition to the Falcons' high-powered basketball team and is looking at a number of midlevel colleges to play football or basketball. He hasn't made a decision yet.