Brentwood goaltender B.J. Jarnagin gets tangled up with Ravenwood's Justin Stelzer in last Friday's game. (Submitted photo by Brian Jones)

By CAROL STUART
Brentwood Home Page
Hockey isn't just a spectator sport in Brentwood, even though you have to travel a little bit north or south for some ice time.

Brentwood High School is the defending GNASH League champion, and 2009-10 champion Ravenwood has a new coach straight out of the pro ranks for this year's veteran team. Brentwood Academy students also combine with Ensworth to form another team in the Greater Nashville Area Scholastic Hockey.

Brentwood's Chris Marti skates against Ravenwood last Friday. (Submitted photo by Brian Jones)

BHS is coming off Friday night's victory in their first meeting with RHS, and two more meetings are scheduled during the regular season (Jan. 6 and Feb. 10, both 6:40 p.m. at A-Game).

“We are smaller in the size of our players this year, but I think we may be almost as fast as we were last year,” Bruins Coach Chris Morris said. “This season looks promising. The coaching staff is pleased with what it’s seen so far.”

Raptors Coach Al Rooney already has RHS off to a 5-1 start this season after coaching professional hockey in Finland in 2010-11. Rooney moved back to Nashville, where he played his minor-league hockey rookie season before the NHL's Predators arrived, to live near his 8th-grade son.

Rooney, a goaltender who had ice time with the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers in preseason camp, has coached for six years. His teams won the MET League Junior Hockey League Championship in 2004-05 and placing third at USA Hockey National Championships.

"Coaching and teaching hockey is what I'm most confident and comfortable with in my life, I love it," Rooney said. "But for now, all my concentrated efforts are on my son, and getting acclimated with Ravenwood and hopefully bringing them to the next level."

Pope John Paul II High School expects to be the top contender for the title this season along with Brentwood and Ravenwood.

The playoffs will start Feb. 27, with the semifinals set for March 7 and finals March 10.

Benton Jones and goalie B.J. Jarnagin defend for BHS.

Shane Liddell, from left, Davin Chawan, Nikolaus Jones compete for the Bruins.

Brentwood High

Morris, who has 17 years under his belt coaching hockey, has a record of 104-17-6 in his sixth season with Brentwood.

The Bruins went undefeated last season, going 19-0-3 and winning both the regular season and the tournament title.

BHS has goaltenders Tanner Elmore and BJ Jarnigan returning, along with wingers Garrett Elmore and Shane Lidell, and defenseman Shane Liddell.

The Bruins, however, lost some tough seniors with the graduation of A.J. Rittler, Dominic Granda, Nick Thornber and Joe Feeney.

Morris said the team’s strengths include good work ethic and team discipline.

Brentwood’s team has also added long-time NHL enforcer Stu Grimson, known as the Grim Reaper for his fighting prowess on the ice, to its coaching staff.

Grimson is now an attorney in Nashville after post-concussion syndrome ended his career following one season with the Predators in 2001-02.

 “We have a great group of players this year, good team leadership in our captains, and the addition of Coach Grimson gives the Bruins all the parts that make up a productive season,” Morris said.

“Top this off with fantastic goal tending, we have the right stuff. We just need to pull it all together all the time, every time.”

Ravenwood

Ravenwood, 13-3-1 during the regular season, went 4-2 in last year's Predators Cup and finished in second place behind BHS.

Six key seniors are back for this year's Raptors club, starting with captain Corbin Pefanis at center on the top line with Taylor Griffin and Nathan Traczewski.

Goalie Ryley Hynes deflects a shot for Ravenwood with his stick. (c.2011 Through Our Lens LLC)

Cam Estes (14) takes a shot for the Raptors (c.2011 Through Our Lens LLC)

Wing Tate Janasek and center Clayton Williams also return for their final season, along with defenseman John Sisk, to give RHS a lot of experience.

Two underclassmen are making their mark on the blue line, Rooney said. Junior Taylor Fagan and sophomore Zach Wertz log a lot of time each game and are expected to contribute at both ends of the ice.

"With a bunch of returning players and seven seniors, this team has a lot of veterans that can be relied on," Rooney said.

The first-year coach said depths in all facets of the roster also help the team to match up well with any opponent the Raptors may face.

Rooney says the adjustment to new systems he has installed has been fairly smooth so far.

"The transition to new systems and expectations would have to be considered one of the few issues or weaknesses this team has to face," he said. "With the roster of talent, it has few, if any, glaring weaknesses."

Ravenwood went 5-2 in the preseason, with a 3-0 record in a trip to Louisville, Ky. Friday was the team's first loss in the regular season, heading into Friday's night's 6:25 p.m. game against MBA at A-Game.

"A big part of this success can be attributed to the fact that the team is getting contributions from everyone on the roster, not just the top lines,"  Rooney said. “It's this type of depth the Raptors hope to lean on to continue with winning results throughout the season.”

Ravenwood gets to play on the Predators' ice at 1 p.m. Jan. 21 against Father Ryan at Bridgestone Arena.