Brophy Prep’s new facilities impress

Pole vaulting guru Greg Hull, who helped Nick Hysong win a gold medal in the Olympics, helped oversee the design that was installed by Atlas Track. Encapsulated urethane was poured in place. He said it is the same surface that was used in Berlin last year for the World Championships.

Glosser said the synthetic turf that will soon be used for spring football is the same quality as the New England Patriots.

Brophy has long been an established football power

As it is now, Brophy has already put great distance on Phoenix St. Mary's, which once owned the Catholic school football rivalry.

While Brophy players now walk to a state-of-the-art football field, St. Mary's, land-locked at 3rd Street and Sheridan, walks across the street to a city park for practice.

St. Mary's athletic director Carlos Sanchez, who recently took a tour of Brophy's complex, said he drives by it every day on his way home from work.

"I want to pull my car over and look at it myself," he said. "You look at it and say, 'Oh, my God, how did that happen?' Good for them.”

In recent years, Paradise Valley and Scottsdale Chaparral installed synthetic football surfaces. A track similar to the one installed at Brophy was put in last summer at Sedona Red Rock. New Gilbert Campo Verde also has a synthetic football field.

"I think anybody from the outside sees Brophy and Chaparral as serious about football, serious about athletics," Chaparral football coach Charlie Ragle said. "High expectations come with second-to-none facilities.

"I use a quote: 'Too much is given, much is asked.' "

If there was more room to install bigger stands (Brophy could fit only 800 seats worth of bleachers), varsity football games would be held for the first time ever at Brophy and state track meets would likely wind up there.

Brophy will still bus to Phoenix College for their home football games. But the freshmen and junior varsity games will be played at the new complex, as will varsity soccer and lacrosse.

As Brophy distance coach Mike Keahon hears excited teenagers boast about their new personal records on Brophy's new track, he recalls being one of thousands of athletes in Brophy history to make the trek across the canal.

"It's been a long time coming," he says.