19 Seasons. 169 Wins. 16 Championships.
Across his first 19 seasons leading the West Catholic Burrs (1999-2018), Brian Fluck won 169 games and 16 championships — nine Catholic League titles, six City titles, and the 2010 PIAA Class 2A state championship. He served as the school's head football coach and co-athletic director (alongside cheerleading coach Mary DeMasi), and he turned a program that had not won a major-sport title since 1979 into the most decorated team in modern Catholic League football.
The Burrs went 89-20 in Catholic League regular-season play under Fluck and 167-79 overall (through 2017). At one stretch they won 33 consecutive Catholic League regular-season and playoff games. Fluck's 2008 offense set the city scoring record with 741 points in 14 games and became the first team in Philadelphia scholastic history to feature three 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.
A 27-Year Drought, Ended
When West Catholic took the field at Northeast High's Charlie Martin Memorial Stadium on a close-to-biting cold Saturday in 2006, the Burrs had not won a major-sport Catholic League title since the 1979 baseball team. Their last football crown was in 1965. Their drought was the longest in the Catholic League. They had lost the Blue final in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. They had started the 2006 season 2-4. Then they didn't lose another game.
Beating three-time defending champion Archbishop Wood 20-12, the Burrs got 55- and 44-yard touchdown runs from sophomores Raymond Maples and Curtis Drake, a 17-yard scoring pass from Drake to junior Rodney Blango, and a defensive masterclass from Isiah Edmond, Anthony Rhoades, Marc Holloway, and Chris Booker that held Wood to 14 rushing yards. Twelve underclassmen started for West.
“We made some personnel changes after the Egan loss. Some young kids stepped up and the seniors showed great leadership. Once we started winning, I knew we'd get even better. This team had a different look. Intense and dedicated to working, but also relaxed.”
