BOCA RATON – When Kelcey Brooks took over as the St. John Paul II Eagles head coach in 2019, few outside of his circle had much of an idea how the program would fare.
But if one gets to know Brooks as a person and a coach, it will be evident rather quickly that he is intensely focus on these ideals: preparation, discipline, confidence, skills, and results.
It takes this combination and more to led a group of young men to believe they can win games. It takes even more than that for all to see actual results.
Facts matter more than anything else.
Brooks fielded a that went from 0-9 in 2018 to 4-5 in 2019, which was his first year at the helm. That is a four-game improvement on the fly.
Fast forward to 2020, a year in which no one even knew how a football season would unfold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In amazing fashion, Brooks led the Eagles to the most games played in Palm Beach County, as his team finished with a 6-3 record and a berth in the Class 3A-Region 4 semifinal round.
St. John Paul II’s best win of the season came in the 3A-Region 4 quarterfinals, when it went on the road to take down Cardinal Newman in a 20-3 win that was decided in the game’s final few minutes.
But the biggest accomplishment of the Eagles season was the level of continuous excitement the players have for Brooks. It has had a lasting impact on the program.
Sophomore running back Matthew Wilson (MVP of Week 6) spoke on the level of impact that Brooks has garnered over the past several months.
“I can say that Coach Brooks is a great coach,” Wilson said. “He pushes his team really hard. He really is a humble coach, and our team is really going to keep succeeding while him and our other coaches keep pushing us. I appreciate him a lot because he wants all his players to be the best.”
Brooks has implemented a mantra that has stuck quite well. It is simply called ‘The New Pope’.
In short, The New Pope is in hashtag form as #TNP.
Sophomore athlete Benjamin Laurore (MVP of Weeks 2 and 10) chimed in.
“Coach Brooks pushed us so hard since the beginning of summer,” Laurore said. “He only wanted the greatest for us and strived for us to be great. Thus is an incredible achievement for him and our team. We’re glad for him to be our head coach.”
Offensive line coach Vincent Polimeni could not agree more.
“Coach Brooks being the Coach of the Year is no surprise to me,” Polimeni said. “He came into this program with a vision to win, and is not going to let anything get in his way of doing that. This means a lot to me being an alumni of St. John Paul II. He wants to see the best for his players and coaches on his staff. He definitely runs a tight ship around here. He is great coach on and off the field.”
Polimeni believes that it will only get greater from here with Brooks as the Eagles head coach.
“We are ready as coaches and a team to come back next season and shock everyone,” Polimeni said. “We got one goal and we are coming for it at full speed. Believe that.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Keith Forde
