Brookwood High School Football
Improvement on defense will be the priority for Broncos coach Mark Crews this season. The traditionally-sound Brookwood defense allowed 28.8 points per game last season including an eight-touchdown 56-21 loss to Mill Creek in the second round of the playoffs.
Nick Aube and Matt Price return at safety and Hobson McCain, Chris Dancy and Zach Williams all logged valuable minutes on defense last season as well. The personnel on the defensive side of the ball are improved, but Crews believes that playing good football on offense is the best recipe for being a consistent defensive unit this fall.
The Broncos have a big challenge in the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic when they face McEachern, known for its high-scoring offense.
“One of the ways to limit a team that is really explosive offensively is to play really well on offense,” said Crews. “You keep the ball away from them. When you get a chance to be on defense you have to be sound, aggressive and get the ball back. Obviously we are going to have to play well on defense too, but our offense can limit their opportunities with the ball.”
Leading the offense will be new playmakers as Clemson signee Kyrin Priester leaves after catching 54 passes for 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns during his senior season. Matt Price and Daquan Joy will act in a collective effort to maintain the offensive production post-Priester.
Joey McLane is the new signal caller. McLane’s brother Ben led Brookwood to its last state title in 2010, and now starts for Georgia State. Josh Brown will be the feature back and he is a seasoned starter. The physical playmaker started in the secondary as a sophomore and stepped in at fullback last season, rushing for more than 800 yards.
Consistency will be the mantra of this Brookwood team and it is something that Crews says he and his staff stressed this offseason.
The Broncos compete in Region 8, one of the toughest in the state, while McEachern and Mill Creek form a challenging non-region schedule. Crews and his players, however, approach the season with confidence.
“Part of it [confidence] is built into your program,” said Crews. “Past success and tradition adds into the fact that your kids feel like they can play with the best teams and can play in games like the Kell Classic and hold their own.”
Off the Field
Brookwood is one of the largest schools in the state and sits between the intersection of Holly Brook Road and Dogwood Road in Snellville. The “Brook” and “Wood” in the two street names is how the school got its name. Brookwood has a strong combination of athletics and academics and had the highest SAT scores in Gwinnett County in 2012. The Broncos have won the GADA Director’s Cup three times and placed second this past school year behind Walton. Boys tennis and girls cross country claimed state titles last year. The original school motto is “A tradition of excellence.”
- Since the school officially opened in 1981, it has added two-story additions in both 1997 and 2006.
- Brookwood was the 1999 AAAA State Literary Champion, and the 2006 AAAAA State Debate Champion.
- Brookwood Broadcasting is an award-winning program that features student-produced work for the BHS student body and community. Four years of coursework is offered, including advanced classes and internship programs.
- Brookwood's Maroon and Gold colors were originally voted on by the students. The runner-up was Baby Blue.
- With an enrollment close to 3,300 students, Brookwood is the third-largest school in the state.
