Sports

'Divine intervention': Why Brian Brennan has officiated high school football for 54 seasons

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2024

'Divine intervention': Why Brian Brennan has officiated high school football for 54 seasons

The L.A. Times ran an article on Orange County’s high school football officials in 1971 and listed a name to contact for more information: John Dickey, secretary of the Orange County Football Officials Assn.

The article included Dickey’s home address — a house on Brenan Way.

“I felt there was some divine intervention,” Brian Brennan recalled, seeing his last name — albeit one letter off.

The 21-year-old Cal State Fullerton graduate knocked on Dickey’s door and introduced himself. Soon, Brennan was hired and hooked on officiating football. Fifty-four seasons later, he still is.

The spry 76-year-old with bushy gray hair growing horizontally off his head like a subdued Doc Brown is the white hat — the boss — on his crew. Brennan is in his third stint as OCFOA president and stands behind the quarterback for Friday night lights. When Capistrano Valley’s Todd Marinovich broke Pat Haden’s Southern Section career passing record in 1987, Brennan was there in his white and black stripes. Those were still his early days — later building rapport with coaches such as Mater Dei’s Bruce Rollinson.

“That doesn’t mean [Rollinson] didn’t yell at me,” Brennan said. “He understood why I was out there, and that made a big difference. That’s what I try to instill when I’m instructing young guys who are coming in to officiate.”

That rapport extended to Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and today’s young slingers.

“Are you going to protect me tonight, ref?” Brennan said quarterbacks ask him.

“I’ll make you a deal,” he responds. “Your left tackle protects you because you’re right-handed. Who’s on my backside? You talk to your right tackle. Tell him to make sure no one runs me over and I’ll make sure no one runs over you.”

“Everyone laughs, and from that moment on, there is no problem.”

When he began officiating, crews adjusted to yellow flags, switching from red. Now, Brennan’s passion for officiating collides with today’s changes.

Girls’ flag football debuted last year, expanding across Southern California. Brennan said he expects flag football to grow, and they need more officials. Only 60% of boys’ football officials referee both sports.

“If there’s more schools playing, you just add more officials,” Brennan said. “But if someone doesn’t want to do it, I can’t force them. That’s where the poor pay and some other things came into play. People struggle, and it’s expensive to live in Orange County.”

As OCFOA president, fixing officials’ problems is much of what Brennan ponders. And as one of the oldest officials countrywide, sharing wisdom is another responsibility.

”It’s my job to teach them what I know about football, to try to make them better officials,” Brennan said. “My real calling is to make them understand that what you’re doing is giving back.”

All of his crew are longtime partners. Two had Brennan as their rookie instructor. His longest-tenured compadre, Tom Innocenti, died of cancer at 63 years old on Aug. 13.

Innocenti spent 34 years — more than half of his life — on Brennan’s crew.

His crew meets at a local coffee shop before games, caffeinating as they review film and notes. In their changing room, they snack on Red Vines, Laffy Taffy and Skittles — hitting pregame sugar highs like kids on Halloween. They have fun, bickering and joking — as they did before officiating Sonora versus Northwood at Portola High in Week 1action.

With a wry smile, Brennan turns on his headset and adjusts the collar of his striped uniform as he closes the locker-room door to trot down to the turf.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’ll do it until I drop dead,” Brennan said.

Sports

Loyola wins Southern Section Division 1 lacrosse championship

Published

4 minutes ago

May 17, 2026

Press Room

Loyola wins Southern Section Division 1 lacrosse championship

There’s no denying that Loyola’s lacrosse program is best in Southern California and could be that way for years to come with the number of elite young players participating.

On Saturday night, the Cubs (16-3) won their latest Southern Section Division 1 championship with a 14-6 win over Santa Margarita. The Cubs have won three title since the sport was adopted as a championship event in the Southern Section. Defense has been Loyola’s strength all season.

Senior defenders Chase Hellie and Everett Rolph and junior goalkeeper William Russo led one of the best defenses in program history under coach Jimmy Borell.

Senior Cash Ginsberg finished with five goals and junior North Carolina commit Tripp King finished with two goals.

In girls Division 1, Mira Costa upset top-seeded Santa Margarita 12-6.

Sports

Napoleon Solo wins 151st Preakness Stakes

Published

11 hours ago

May 17, 2026

Press Room

Napoleon Solo wins 151st Preakness Stakes

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Napoleon Solo took home the 2026 Preakness Stakes on Saturday, the 151st running of the race.

The favorite in Taj Mahal, the 1 horse, was in the lead from the start until the final turn until Napoleon Solo made his move on the outside and took the lead at the top of the stretch. As Taj Mahal fell off, Iron Honor, the 9 horse, snuck up, but the effort ultimately was not enough.

Napoleon Solo opened at 8-1 and closed at 7-1. Iron Honor, at 8-1, finished second, with Chip Honcho fishing third after closing at 11-1. Ocelli, one of just three horses to run both the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago and Saturday’s Preakness, finished fourth at 8-1.

A Preakness branded starting gate is seen on track prior to the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16, 2026 in Laurel, Maryland. For the first and only time, Laurel Park is hosting the Preakness Stakes which is the second race of the Triple Crown jewel due to the traditional home of the race of the Pimlico Race Course undergoing complete renovations. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

A $1 exacta paid out $53.60, while a $1 trifecta brought in $597.10. But someone out there is very lucky, as a $1 superhighfive – picking the top-five finishers in order – paid out $12,015.70.

Even moreso, a 20-cent Pick 6 – picking the winners of the six consecutive races, with the final being the Preakness, paid out $33,842.34.

The race was run without the Kentucky Derby winner for the second year in a row. After Sovereignty did not run the Preakness last year – and wound up winning the Belmont Stakes – the training team of Golden Tempo opted to skip the Maryland race.

From 1960 to 2018, only three Derby winners did not run in the Preakness. Three Derby winners have skipped the Preakness in the last five years, and for the sixth time in eight years, for various reasons, the Triple Crown had already been impossible to accomplish by the time the Preakness even rolled around.

“I understand that fans of the sport or fans of the Triple Crown are disappointed, but the horse is not a machine,” Golden Tempo’s trainer, Cherie DeVaux, told Fox News Digital earlier this week.

Paco Lopez, right, atop Napoleon Solo, edges out Iron Honor, ridden by Flavien Prat, to win the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

CHERIE DEVAUX REFLECTS ON MAKING KENTUCKY DERBY HISTORY AS FIRST FEMALE TRAINER TO WIN THE RACE

Only three horses from two weeks ago – Ocelli, Robusta, and Incredibolt, were back at the Preakness. Corona de Oro, the 11 horse on Saturday, was scratched well ahead of the Derby, and Great White, who reared up and fell on his back after becoming startled shortly before entering the Derby gate, took the 13 post on Saturday.

The Preakness went off roughly 24 hours after a horse died following the completion of his very first race.

Hit Zero, trained by Brittany Russell, came into the race as the favorite. However, he finished last in the race, which was won by another one of Russell’s horses, Bold Fact — and upon crossing the finish line, Hit Zero reportedly began coughing, dropped to his knees, then put his head down and died.

The Preakness took place at Laurel Park as Pimlico undergoes renovations. It was the first time ever that Pimlico did not host the race, moving roughly 20 miles south.

Paco Lopez, atop Napoleon Solo, wins the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

The Belmont Stakes, the final Triple Crown race, will take place on June 6. The race will return to Saratoga for a third year in a row as Belmont Park continues to be renovated.

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