The Brophy College Preparatory football team has gotten off to a quick 4-0 start under first-year head coach Jason Jewell and looks to keep the momentum rolling as its schedule begins to ramp up.  

So who is this Brophy team? Led by Jewell, the team consists mostly of seniors -- there are more than 30 of them -- and sophomores. Jewell, who previously coached at Agua Fria for five years and Glendale Community College for 11 years, emphasized the rigorous Brophy academics and the tough schedule that student athletes thrive in. 

Jewell gave an example of a school event called “Big Brothers” where the freshmen shadow the seniors for the whole day. Activities like this are what Jewell believes separate Brophy from other schools.

Senior linebacker and captain Jack Taylor describes the team as a “tight unit” and said, “We all like each other on this team, and that hasn’t been true in years past.” 

The Broncos have been rolling, totaling 107 points over the last three games and limiting their opponents to 13 points all season. The offense has only one turnover, and senior quarterback Matthew Winter has yet to throw an interception.

Brophy looks to continue its success on Friday at 7 p.m at Phoenix College against Mountain View.

“I consider this a must-win for us,” Jewell said. “Mountain View is 1-3, but they are better than their record indicates.” 

The coach looks for his team to improve upon mistakes they made in the last game against Copper Canyon.

“We’re probably the most penalized team in the state,” Jewell said.

The team had 14 penalties, and 12 in their previous two games. This will not cut it against a tough Mountain View team. Jewell would like to see his team commit less penalties, especially on offense. 

“Simply comes down to doing your job and knowing what you’re doing when you’re on the field,” said senior offensive lineman Andrew Milek, who has accepted an offer to play at the University of Southern California. 

With region play approaching in the coming weeks, Jewell believes this win will be crucial for the Broncos’ postseason aspirations. Jewell sees this game as a good test for his team and a sneak peak at the tougher competition that they will be playing later in the season. He knows the Broncos have a tough road ahead in their region games, so he wants his team firing on all cylinders heading into those games. 

“We have goals to be in the playoffs, and if we want to accomplish those goals, we need to do well on Friday,” he said.