Browns Enter Final Year of High School Athletics

Leader Democrat Special Correspondent

What do the Olsen girls, a professional baseball team in Minnesota and the Brown sisters at West Washington have in common?  

If you said twins, then you would be correct.  

Mackenzie and Madison Brown have been three-sport athletes at West Washington since entering high school their freshman year.  

With volleyball season upon us, the Lady Senators are poised to make a run in the post season this year, but the one standing force in their way is powerhouse Trinity Lutheran, who has beaten them two of the last three years in the sectional. “I think it will take a lot to beat Trinity this year,” Madison said. 

Mackenzie said, “They still have powerful players, but I think if we continue to put in the work and get better each and every day we could have a shot. I would say one thing we need to do for sure is play together as a team and always give it our best.”  

Madison plays the outside position, while Mackenzie is a middle hitter for the team.  

“Playing last year with such a young team was tough because we always had people playing different roles that they never played before,” Madison said. “Losing Mackenzie at the beginning of our season was hard because we had to move people around making it even more difficult. I felt like we never had the team chemistry like we should have had.” Mackenzie was out for the season with an elbow injury.   

Like every year, all players have that one team they look forward to playing and Madison and Mackenzie always look forward to playing against Mitchell. Not only are they a conference opponent, but also they enjoy it because they knows most of the girls on the team. 

“Most of the girls play travel softball with us,” Mackenzie said.  

Once volleyball is over, Madison and Mackenzie then gets ready for the basketball season. For three years in a row, the Lady Senators’ basketball team has advanced to the sectional finals, but have been beaten by Trinity Lutheran. However, the Browns were able to help them win a sectional title their freshman year.  

“Winning sectionals my freshman year was so surreal because coming in as a freshman I didn’t expect us to pull off a win like that,” Madison said.  

“It was an amazing feeling because I never dreamed of winning against Trinity my freshman year knowing that we were considered the underdogs,” Mackenzie said of winning a sectional title.  

During their first two seasons, the sisters played for coach Darin Russell, but their junior year and now their final year, they have played for coach Matt Meyers.  

Madison and Mackenzie agree that playing for two different head coaches was very different. “They both had their own styles of coaching and coming in we had different roles, so that was challenging at first,” Madison said.  

Sometimes siblings don’t get the opportunity to play alongside together, but for Madison and Mackenzie they have made the most of that chance.  

“Playing with my sister for the last three years has been nothing but amazing,” Madison said. “Getting to play with her in every sport is something I can cherish for a long time. She’s always there to back me up no matter what and I can always count on her. My main goal heading into my senior year is to be the best I can be.”   

“Playing alongside my sister for the last three years has been the best feeling because she is always there to back me up no matter what,” Mackenzie said. “My main goal for my senior year is to give it all I got.”  

From their sophomore year to their junior year, the Browns, like everyone else, were in limbo on whether or not they would get to play their next game each week because of the pandemic, but fortunately they managed to get each game in.  

“I have tried to take it day by day and enjoy the time we were given to play because we never knew if it would be our last or not,” Madison said.  Mackenzie added, “It was kind of hard to stay motivated, but my mindset was if we got to play that I would give it my all.”  

Madison was the player on the team always looking for the open play and to just be an all-around player. As for Mackenize, she was the player that defended the goal and rebounded.  

Also, each year the Lady Senators get little to no recognition in the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference and Madison said, “It motivates us more to play our best.”  

Mackenzie said, “Yes, knowing no one talks about us helps motivate us to work harder and to never give up.”  

An important part of the game is making improvements each year and each year they have achieved that. “I would have to credit our coaches for this improvement because they were always ready to handle what was being thrown at them and they would always let us know things that were happening,” Madison said.  

“I would have to credit the improvements from last year to our coaches because they always kept us in the loop about what was going on and how we could better ourselves,” Mackenzie said.  

Playing sports doesn’t stop after basketball season, as they will then get ready for their final softball season.  

The Lady Senators’ softball team will once again come into the season as the team to beat after they won another sectional and regional title last season. The Browns have been an important part of two of those two great post season runs. They were able to win sectionals and regionals their freshman and junior year and their sophomore year of softball was canceled.  

“Since having a target on our backs from being sectional champions we knew that we would have to go in and just play like we know how too,” Madison said. “So it motivated us to do our best each and every game.”   

“It gives us motivation to try harder and to just do the things we know how to do,” Mackenzie said.  

Madison plays centerfield and considers herself a defensive player. Mackenzie plays outfield and shortstop and also considers herself a defensive player.  

The one thing that Madison and Mackenize and the rest of the Lady Senators thrive on is defending their home turf.  

“Defending our home field is very important because it shows who we are as a program and what West Washington has to offer,” Madison said. It’s very important because everyone in our community always shows up to support us,” Mackenzie added.  

After graduation, both girls plan on pursuing a degree in the medical field.  

Names: Madison and Mackenzie Brown

Hometown: Campbellsburg 

Parents: Todd and Anita Brown

GPA: Madison 4.09, Mackenzie 4.26 

Plans after graduation: Both plan on getting a degree in the medical field. 

Clubs/Activities in high school: FFA, HOSA, Leadership Committee, National Honor Society, volleyball, basketball, and softball. 

Favorite Food: Chicken or Pasta 

Quote: Madison - “Everything is hard before its easy.” Mackenzie – “Never give up!”

What was it like attending West Washington? Madison, “It has been the best experience. They are always open to helping you if you need help and they always make you feel welcome.” 

Mackenzie, “It has been the best experience attending West Washington because they have always made me feel like part of the family.”