HIGH SCHOOL

Phoenix St. Mary's football all business under new coach Tommy Brittain

Richard Obert
azcentral sports
St. Mary's head coach Tommy Brittain speaks to his team prior to Monday's football practice on May 2, 2016.

The first thing new coach Tommy Brittain did when he arrived at Phoenix St. Mary's weight room two months ago was turn off the music.

It was his way of saying this isn't a country club.

"I don't want the weight room to be fun," Brittain said. "I want it to be serious. I regimen it so that they're constantly listening to my instructions. I just want them to be focused. I want it to be a more serious, rigorous environment. I really believe weight training is the key to football."

About half of the 60 players who were out for St. Mary's first spring football practice on Monday have been hitting the weight room hard every day, Brittain said.

St. Mary's wants to get back to tradition, back to beating teams nobody expects the Knights to beat, and not just getting to the playoffs to model the gold pants. But they want to win, go deep in the playoffs, break through a few barriers that have felt unbreakable since the last recession hit in the late 2000s and had families sending their potential college players to public schools or up the road to Phoenix Brophy Prep.

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On the first day, Brittain not only began field instruction for the 2016 season, but he welcomed visits from Arizona State, Kansas State and Texas A&M. Big college programs will take a look when there is a big-time college recruit. That leads to 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior defensive end Odua Isibor, who has received nine college offers, including Arizona, USC, Texas A&M and Kansas State.

Isibor know colleges are coming out to see him, but he relies on teammates to keep pushing him.

"Really, the only way to get to that place at all is to be with your teammates and work with your team, so you've got to stay grounded, rely on your teammates to push you forward," Isibor said.

Since leaving Tempe Prep -- a program he built from scratch 17 years and helping it become the first prep school to reach a state title game two years ago -- Brittain brought with him his defensive coordinator, and a mindset to be tough and physical, that nothing will come easy.

"We've kind of started from the bottom and we're building up," Isibor said.

St. Mary's will be playing in the 4A Conference, which is a couple of steps below the highest, but in the same conference as three-time defending state champion Scottsdale Saguaro, Tucson Salpointe Catholic, Glendale Cactus, Scottsdale Notre Dame and Tempe Marcos de Niza.

"St. Mary's is used to overachieving, used to playing up and we've got a great group of juniors," Brittain said.

Isibor, junior linebacker Abel Navarrette (6-2, 235) and junior safety/receiver Jorden Blake are leaders Brittain will count on, as he puts in new concepts and has his  long-time defensive coordinator, James Atkinson, there to help mold them.

Brittain still wants to pound the ball, which he did with great success at Tempe Prep.

But he's transitioning from small ball to bigger ball, and Paul Moro will tell you how difficult that can be, after moving from Lakeside Blue Ridge, where he won 13 state championships.

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"You think you have one thing, and you really don't know what you have until you lace it up against an opponent," Brittain said. "All these opponents, with the exception of Yuma Catholic, are new to me. I believe in any division, it's important to remain the same, taking care of the football, playing good defense, playing with great passion. I don't care if you're the Patriots or Stanford or high school football, those things are essential for success.

"I think we're coming along. ... I don't think we're going to be as small as people think we are. We're going to have a physical, strong offensive line. Coach Atkinson is still with me. He's been with me for 17 years. He's a phenomenal defensive coordinator. Our defense is going to be a force to be reckoned with."

Isibor is waiting to hear that first tune played in the weight room.

"It's until our first win," he said.

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-460-1710. Follow him at twitter.com/azc_obert.