Man of all seasons

Mike Sciacca

Matt Brennan tossed a perfect spiral over a high chain-linked fence

on Monday straight into the arms of its intended target.

To see Brennan nonchalantly spinning a football repeated a few

feet into the air, and then catching it -- a mere three weeks before

he’s set to graduate and nearly seven months since the prep football

season came to an end -- is a reminder of the role sports has played

in the life of the 18-year-old.

It was also a barometer of how Brennan’s athleticism has been felt

on the Marina High School campus and in its athletic program over the

past four years.

Brennan has lettered in five sports at the school -- football,

basketball, swimming, volleyball and track and field -- and has

participated in three sports in each of his four years.

He has one more prep game left in him, as he’ll suit up for the

Brea Lions Club 45th annual Orange County North/South Football Game

on July 16 at Santa Ana Stadium.

“I guess you could say it’s my one last high school hurrah,”

Brennan said.

The game will be the topper to a busy, exhausting and outstanding

high school career.

Brennan played varsity football and basketball for the past three

years.

In this, his senior year, he had 1,631 yards of total offense as

quarterback in 10 football games and scored 17 touchdowns. He was

named first-team All-Sunset League, one year after being named

Honorable Mention.

During the 2003-04 boys’ basketball season, Brennan led the

Vikings in scoring in 10 league games and in six postseason games in

CIF-Southern Section and State playoff action and averaged 16.5

points per game, overall.

One year after sharing the Sunset’s Most Valuable Player award

with teammate James Lambert, he was named first-team all-league and

second-team All-CIF-SS.

He played a key role in Marina’s run to a CIF championship game

appearance at the Arrowhead Pond in March.

“Matt has done a great job for us during his time here,” Marina

boys’ basketball coach Roger Holmes said. “He has matured as both a

player and a person and was a driving force for us in our run to the

Pond.

“Matt played a variety of positions for us and is a great athlete.

Splitting time between two major sports is difficult, but with Matt’s

natural athleticism, he was able to pull it off. It was amazing to

watch him come off the football field after their last game of the

season and jump right into basketball without missing a beat.”

Brennan said that of all his athletic memories he takes from

Marina, the trip to the Pond ranks right at the top.

“I’ll never forget stepping onto the floor at the Arrowhead Pond

to play for a CIF championship,” he said. “It was insane. It felt so

incredible. I remember having butterflies when I got my first start

as a junior, and I didn’t have those butterflies again until the

playoff semifinals and championship game this year.”

As soon as the basketball season was complete, Brennan jumped

outdoors for a first-time venture into track and field.

“I had a ton of friends on the track team and figured it’d be a

good experience,” he said. “I had a blast and met some goals I had

set for myself.”

His foray into track and field made a lasting impression as he was

a double Sunset League champion in the long jump and triple jump, ran

the third leg of Marina’s 4 by 100 relay team that placed third at

the league meet, and finished in eighth-place in the 200 meters.

Just last weekend, Brennan placed third, overall, in the triple

jump at the CIF Division I finals at Cerritos College.

“I think he’s one of the best athletes in the Sunset League, no

question,” said Edison football coach, Dave White.

White’s son, Matt, a senior receiver and all-league athlete at

Edison, played against Brennan in football, basketball and in track

and field.

The two will be South teammates in July’s all-star football game.

“They’ve played against each other for the past four years, so

I’ve seen [Brennan] in action in a lot of different sports,” Dave

White said. “Personally, I felt that he was the best athlete in our

league. I was really impressed with his athleticism and the way he

carried himself. As an opposing coach, I’ve enjoyed watching him

play.”

Brennan, who said he plans on attending Cal State San Luis Obispo

and walk onto the school’s basketball team, began playing on the

local scene as a youngster in Jr. All-American Football and National

Junior Basketball.

He’s played sports with Marina teammate James Lambert since the

two were in the first grade, and with teammates Nick Levine, Scott

Stone and Jeff Rivera since the four were 9-years-old.

“I don’t know what I’d do without sports,” he said. “A lot of my

enjoyment has to do with the bond I have formed with my teammates.

I’ve known a lot of these guys forever, so it makes what I’ve done

here at Marina all that more special.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].