Johnny Brooks, head coach of the Havre de Grace High School (Havre de Grace, Md.) varsity football team, has been named Ravens High School Coach of the Week for the seventh week of the 2008 season. Presented by Toyota, this is the 12th year of the Ravens' award program.
Brooks earned the nod after a win over Perryville Friday (10/17). The Panthers seemed intent on giving Havre de Grace its first loss of the season. Havre de Grace was down 8-6 at the half, but had a spectacular 34 points in the second half to overtake the Panthers, 40-8.
Standout senior RB Hakeem Hines' 13-yard TD score put up the only Warriors points in the first half. As Havre de Grace headed into halftime, Perryville (4-3) was on the cusp of pulling off the upset.
Brooks' halftime speech put his players back on the right track.
"I'm not the kind of person to yell a lot," Brooks acknowledged. "I typically give my kids something to think about, and I explained to them the importance of the game and how well we needed to play. The defense stepped it up in the second half. The offense made some plays. We just got it together."
All cylinders clicked when the team returned to the field. The Warriors scored two defensive TDs on a Maurice Clemons 32-yard fumble recovery and an Arion Tateum 35-yard INT return.
Freshman phenom QB Darin Washington, Jr. threw two TD strikes to junior WR Anthony Johnson of 40 and 13 yards. The talented Hines tacked on a 64-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to finish off the scoring.
Brooks is in his 11th year as head coach at Havre de Grace and in his 15th year coaching overall. A 1982 graduate of Havre de Grace, he finished his career with two state titles (1978 and 1981). In addition to his head football coaching duties, he is also head basketball coach and a history teacher.
"It's a nice transition," Brooks continued, regarding his dual coaching duties. "We take off the cleats, put on the basketball shoes and keep it rolling."
Each week during the season, the Ravens honor a high school coach who has made a significant impact on his athletes. Each of the season's weekly winners will be present at the Ravens–Steelers home game on Dec. 14, for the naming of the Ravens' High School Coach of the Year.
A panel of area high school experts selects the coach of the week. The recipients receive:
- A $2,000 donation to the school's football program
- An award certificate signed by Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and Gene Washington, the NFL's Director of Football Development
- A specially-designed hat
2008 Ravens HS Coach of the Week Recipients
Week 1 Chuck Markiewicz Arundel
Week 2 Lance Clelland Meade
Week 3 Tony Shermeyer Century
Week 4 Keith Robinson Perry Hall
Week 5 Reggie White Milford Mill
Week 6 Anthony Burgos Franklin
Week 7 Johnny Brooks Havre de Grace
