Helping turn a moribund football program into a perennial contender has earned the head coach of the St. Jean de Brebeuf senior football team the McMaster High School Football Achievement Award.

"It's an honour," said Steve Alfano, who was recognized at the 11th annual McMaster Football Gala Dinner May 1. "From what I understand it's a nomination from our players who have moved on and who are playing at the next level, so when your players nominate you for something, you think you're doing something right."

Alfano was selected from a group of nominees from the Hamilton, Halton, Niagara and Haldimand school boards who have displayed a long-term coaching commitment, classroom dedication and the ability to prepare student athletes to compete in football programs at the elite level.

A thousand dollars worth of athletic equipment comes with the award.

The 40-year-old Alfano, who teaches science at Brebeuf when he's not overseeing football activities, is quick to credit long-time assistant coaches Anthony Alfano, Mike Lanc and Sam Esposto and more recently Matt MacLean for the Braves' success.

A Brebeuf and McMaster graduate, Alfano played on the O-Line and at middle linebacker in high school and on the defensive line at Mac.

Alfano said when he arrived at the central high school Mountain school in 1999 the senior football program was not doing well. The team consisted of fewer then 20 players and wins on the gridiron were few and far between.

"It was pretty much in a shambles when we got here," Alfano recalled.

But over time and with a lot of hard work Alfano and the coaching staff began to build a program that would become the envy of other schools, including three consecutive Catholic school city championships between 2003 and 2005.

"I'm proud of our coaching staff," Alfano said. "We've come a long way from 0 and 6 for three years and 17 (players) to 70 (players) and three championships and GHAC."

Another reason for the success, Alfano noted, is that the young men who wear a Braves' sweater believe in the program.

"We have really good players here and it has made it a lot easier," Alfano said.

He noted coaching football is essentially a second a full-time job between September and December and even during the off-season the players continue their workouts and the coaches keep an eye on them to ensure they don't fall behind on their studies.

"We teach them how to play, teach them how to be young men," he said. "We try to be good examples."

Six former Braves are currently playing with Canadian university squads including John Hartnett and Carm Porco at McMaster.

While the next football season is still four months away, Alfano is looking forward getting back on the field with a more experienced squad and hopefully beating Mountain rival St. Thomas More, who has replaced Brebeuf as Catholic school city champs the past two seasons.

The coaching staff will also be looking at making a few adjustments to their play-calling as the Hamilton Catholic school league recently voted to switch from four downs to three downs, although Alfano doesn't think it will have a major effect on the team. He noted Brebeuf was opposed to the change.

With 17-years of teaching under his belt, Alfano still enjoys the combination of classroom work and coaching football.

"I makes it exciting to come to work every day," he said "I couldn't see myself doing anything else."