Brennan football coach Steve Basore knows the drill because he's been this way before.
He was defensive coordinator at Brandeis High School in 2009 when the Broncos advanced to the Class 5A Division II state quarterfinals in only their second season.
Now in his third year at Brennan, which opened in 2010, Basore has the Bears off to a 3-0 start that has caught the attention of fans across the city.
Brennan recorded one of the most impressive victories in its brief history Friday night, stunning 5A East Central en route to a 24-0 victory on the Hornets' field.
The Bears, favored to run away with the 28-4A title, led 17-0 at halftime after a scoreless first quarter and then coasted in the second half.
East Central (2-1) is no slouch, but it simply was outplayed by the more aggressive, physical Bears. The Hornets finished with five turnovers, four on interceptions, that Brennan cashed in for 17 points.
"We have a lot of respect for East Central, and we knew it would be a test for us," Basore said. "Early, it was kind of a grinder both ways. It was real, real close, and then we got a little momentum and were able to wear on them a little bit. The game eventually played out the way we wanted it to. I'm real happy with the offense, defense, the whole shebang."
Brennan opened the season with a 34-13 victory against Holmes and beat Taft 24-0 last week. East Central was expected to make the Bears sweat a little, but it was the Hornets who withered.
Brennan linebacker Watanabe finished with two picks
David Gonzales gave Brennan all the points it would need when he nailed a 33-yard field goal with only six seconds gone in the second quarter.
The Bears extended their lead to 17-0 on a pair of 1-yard TDs by quarterback DeShawn Key, who scored on consecutive possession in the final four minutes of the second period. Defensive back Christopher Douglas, who had an interception, set up Key's first TD with a fumble recovery at the East Central 24.
An interception by Llandre Mitchell at the Brennan 27 set up a 68-yard TD by sophomore running back Makai Green with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
Linebacker Grant Watanabe had the other two interceptions for the Bears, who played without defensive end Derick Roberson, who was suspended at the beginning of the season for violating team rules.
Roberson, a junior who has committed to Texas, is expected to return to the lineup next week when Brennan plays Southwest in its last nondistrict game.
"I'm just excited about the whole process," Basore said. "Coaching kids and seeing them get better and believing in each other, building a team. We had a great team effort tonight.
"I told them that's what it was going to take against East Central because they've got a lot of guys who can make plays on offense and defense. It's a great win for us because East Central is such a great opponent."
Brennan held East Central standout running back Chris Armstrong, who missed the second half with a groin injury, to eight yards on nine carries.
"We just wanted to attack, attack and play with great effort," Basore said. "Play intelligent football and play together. If we can do those things, we have a chance for success."
