Coaches Eric Kapel and Clenner Goodman.
By: Matt Rothman
J.P. Taravella has officially announced that they have hired a new boys basketball and football coach for the 2022-23 school year.
After one of the most challenging seasons in school history in 2021, Clenner Goodman takes over as the new varsity football coach after Charles Hafley Jr resigned and moved to Georgia. While the Trojans struggled in 2021, Goodman is hoping to turn the program around. His goal is to get the players to buy into the program and feel comfortable with what they are doing.
“I have been wanting to have my program for some years, and Taravella gave me this opportunity,” Goodman said. “I’m going to do my best to repay with having a great. season and rebuilding the program.”
Goodman has nearly 40 years of experience. He graduated from Dillard High School in 1981 and played college football at Bethune-Cookman University. He began his coaching career at Dillard and won a pair of State Championships under Otis Gray.
He also had stops with Northeast High School, North Lauderdale Academy, and Piper and was an assistant at JPT before recently working as the offensive coordinator at Blanche Ely High School. Besides coaching, he is working as the ESE support facilitator.
The Trojans will begin their season at home against South Plantation High School on September 2. They are also scheduled to play against Hallandale, Pines Charter, Western, Pompano Beach, Cypress Bay, Coral Glades, Coral Springs Charter, and Coral Springs High School.
The J.P. Taravella boys basketball team announced the addition of Eric Kapel as head coach. He comes in with a wealth of high school and college coaching experience. Kapel spent three seasons at Cooper City High School, leading the program to back-to-back Big Eight Championship appearances, and coached at the University of San Fransisco and the University of Colorado.
“I’m honored to have the school put their trust in me to turn around their program and help make a difference in these kids’ lives,” said Kapel. “My main goal is to help these kids get an opportunity to play at the next level if that is what they want to do.”
Kapel and his family own an aviation company in Coconut Creek called TSI Aviation, Inc. He is also a graduate of Cypress Bay High School but did not play high school basketball after having brain surgery due to a brain abscess and sinusitis in 10th grade. Still, that did not get in the way of his love of basketball.
“Some of my good friends play in the NBA and are coaches in college, so it keeps me motivated to learn and become a better coach,” Kapel added. “I’ve also been fortunate to learn from Tad Boyle and Rex Walters and gained a ton of knowledge that I’m able to pass on.”
The Trojans are coming off a season winning only seven games- the fewest they have had in the past ten years. However, JPT returns several key players, including multiple seniors, that Kapel is eager to get started with.
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