The Marauders returned home to Caven Point and picked up their third win of the season with a score of 35-14 over Seton Hall Prep. The Prep defense headlined the game with three forced turnovers, two interceptions and a forced fumble, on a picture perfect Saturday afternoon.
Special teams was the story of the first quarter. The game started with four consecutive punts, and on the fourth punt Ty'ire Clark returned it 52 yards for the first touchdown of the game. The extra point was missed but Prep led 6-0 midway through the first quarter. The next drive had Seton Hall Prep respond with a 50 yard rushing touchdown, and the Pirates took a 7-6 lead. Special teams once again played a role when Prep had a bad snap on a punt where the ball bounced in the end zone, and Seton Hall fell on top of it for their second touchdown of the quarter to extend their lead 14-6. 
    The second quarter started with a Seton Hall fumble that was recovered by Prep’s Jordan Rodriguez. Prep’s offense responded with a 6 yard touchdown on a quarterback run by Tyler Bell, but the Marauders could not convert on the two-point conversion and trailed 14-12. Punts were once again the story of the second quarter, as neither team scored for the rest of the half and the Marauders trailed by two at halftime.
    A momentum swinging play began the third quarter, as Logan Graham had an interception at the Seton Hall goal line and returned it all the way into Seton Hall territory. Prep’s offense would respond to the turnover with back to back touchdown drives. Tyler Bell had two touchdown passes in those drives, one to Andres Perez and the other to Hunter Watson. The Marauders converted on both two point conversions, and took a 28-14 lead into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter featured another turnover by the Prep defense, as Justin Gonzalez had a 25 yard interception return for the last score of the game.
Prep improves to 3-3 on the season, and the Marauders will have their bye next week. The next game for the Marauders will be on October 17 where they will play DePaul Catholic at 6:30PM at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ.

​

On a rainy afternoon in Bergen County, the Marauders fell to the Green Knights of St. Joe’s Regional 38-14. Before the game began, there was a pregame ceremony honoring the late Rocco Rodden, a St. Joe’s football player who was tragically killed less than a year ago. 

The game started out with a 7-7 tie midway through the first quarter, and the Marauders got on the board thanks to an Andres Perez rushing touchdown from 16 yards out. From that moment on, St. Joe's would have all of the momentum. St. Joe’s closed out the first quarter with a 14-7 lead, and their defense played a major role into the second quarter. St. Joe’s forced four turnovers that quarter, and built up their lead to 28-7 as the game went into halftime. 

The third quarter featured a field goal by St. Joe’s to extend their lead 31-7, and the fourth quarter had another St. Joe’s touchdown to widen their lead to 38-7. However, Prep did not give up and played until the very end. The Marauders would get another touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a 20 yard pass from Tyler Bell to Hunter Watson to make the game 38-14, and that would be the last score of the game.
​
Prep falls to 2-3 on the season, and the Marauders next game will be on October 5 where they will host Seton Hall Prep at 1PM at Caven Point.

​

​Q: What made you go to Prep?
A: I knew I wanted to go to a private school with a good mix of academics and athletics. In
addition, the camaraderie I felt on my “Freshman for a Day” put the icing on the cake as
well as the motto of “Men for Others.” It was a no-brainer decision for me. 

Q: What is your most lasting memory of Prep?
A: There are so many memories that come to mind. The friendships, state championships,
hanging out at lunch in the Commons, and even Prom are great memories. I guess if I
were to choose one, I’d have to go with the State Championship in 2014.

Q: How important was football to your prep experience?
A: The value of football was a lot bigger than the sport itself. Discipline, brotherhood, trust,
camaraderie, work ethic, and respect. Football teaches the understanding of
perseverance and outcomes. It taught me that positive inputs result in positive
outcomes. The Prep coaches taught me how to be a responsible and respectable young
man. 

Q: What’s your greatest Prep football memory?
A: Our trip to Ireland in 2016 when we beat Blessed Trinity, a powerhouse from Atlanta. Our
team had some great memories from that trip which we still laugh about now. Most of all,
we handled business. I scored three touchdowns in the first half, it was a great win for
the program, and we showcased our abilities on a national scale.

Also, the day before, our team was able to watch Georgia Tech against Boston College
in Ireland. That was awesome because BC’s running back was Jon Hilliman (Prep ’14),
who dominated in the game. Our senior class played with Jon during our freshman year
at Prep and watching his dreams come to life was eye-opening for us. It sparked energy
in our team for the season.

Q: What are you doing now? 
A: I’ve been working at EY since June of 2022. I started as a business strategy analyst and
was promoted to senior strategy consultant this summer.

Q: What is your job like?
A: It's similar to football in a way. I'm in a group of eight consultants, we help our clients
strategize their wealth management capabilities and planning. Just like football, each
team member has a role and needs to play their part. 

Q: How has your Prep experience helped you in the real world?
A: It has shaped my experience a lot. Prep taught me how to maneuver in a room of smart-
minded people and how to be positively competitive. I compete every day regardless of
the objective, it could be as simple as beating out a competitor or finishing three bottles
of water before a friend.

Also, the camaraderie at St. Peter's showed me what good leadership looks like and that
carried over to my college experience and now my career in business. It taught me how
to be a leader. 

Q: Any additional thoughts?
A: Yes, I want to mention a very impactful person at Prep, Trish Fitzpatrick. Consistently,
she took time to get to know me and gave me a sense of belonging. Over the years, that
relationship has continued to grow, and I am grateful to have her in my life as a role
model and a friend. I continue to use her as an example of how I treat and interact with
others.

The Marauder's second showcase event will also be promoted by Zone6ix in a rematch vs. DePaul Catholic at Hinchliffe Stadium. The game will also be a single-game event on October 17th at 6:30pm. This unique Thursday night matchup is an extremely rare game slot for Prep football. DePaul won last season's matchup 46-20. The Marauders have a 3-2 record over the Spartans in the last five matchups between the two teams. Tickets are available for purchase here. ​

The next event that the team supported was the 9th Annual AngelaCARES Senior Citizen Prom held on May 31st, 2024 at Saint Peter's University. This large event was a hit with Senior Citizens in Jersey City and beyond, and all present appreciate the player's interaction and care. Players welcomed the seniors upon arrival, greeted them at check-in, and helped them to their seats for the event.

The next collaboration this spring was with Jersey City's Camp Liberty. The camp is run by a local non-profit called the Educational Arts Team and sits on 5 acres of land just between Prep's campus and Cochrane Stadium in Liberty State Park. The camp hosts close to 400 campers every summer, and for the past 2 years the camp staff has greatly appreciated Prep football players donating their time to ready the camp site for the summer influx! This year players assisted the camp with playground cleanup, weeding, and spreading mulch, as well as setting up tables and benches to construct the lunch area.

Lastly, the team has partnered with the Hoboken Community Center pantry. The facility is located on Washington St. in Hoboken at the site of the old Hoboken-North Hudson YMCA. Players volunteered on several evenings throughout the spring to help organize, package and distribute food at the pantry. 

       Brandon Wimbush, '15 returned to campus at the end of February to participate in a Black History Month assembly. He was joined on a panel including Olympic Medalist & civil rights activist Dr. John Carlos and classmate Clark Burnett, '15. Brandon shared about his experiences at Prep and beyond, including leading the team to a state championship in 2014. Brandon still holds the Marauder single-season passing record for his performance during that year with 3,187 yards. Now, Wimbush leads MOGL, a company he co-founded with a Notre Dame classmate. MOGL seeks to help collegiate athletes navigate Name, Image, and Likeness (NLI). Read more about the assembly and the Ebony Club's 50th anniversary celebration on Prep's website here.

The NCAA transfer portal has been scorching hot over the last few years as new rules went into effect giving players more freedom to transfer between all levels. SPP Alumni have definitely taken advantage and have found plenty of new homes. We'll try to outline the most recent transfers that occurred this winter below.

The biggest name to make a move so far this offseason was Duke graduate transfer RJ Oben, '19. Shortly after entering the portal, RJ announced his commitment to Notre Dame (Notre Dame signs transfer defensive end R.J. Oben - SI.com). RJ also joined former Prep & Notre Dame QB Brandon Wimbush, '15, on The MOGL Podcast 44: Do What's Best for You, which aired a couple of weeks ago.

RJ's younger brother, Andre Oben, also hit the portal this winter. Andre made the move after two years and a coaching change at Purdue and eventually committed to Monmouth University where he will join his class of 2022 Prep classmate Bryce Rooks.

Fordham LB Marc Pretto, '22 had a highly productive sophomore season with 75 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, and a forced fumble before deciding to hit the portal this winter. After garnering several offers, Marc made the decision to enroll at Northern Illinois.

Another class of 2022 sophomore, Landers Green, was also in the portal this winter. The 6'3 185 WR was a 2nd-Team All-Liberty League selection for Union College after playing in 11 games and averaging over 60 yards receiving per game. Green's season stats totaled 41 receptions for 663 yards and 4 TDs. In January, Landers committed to Eastern Illinois University. 

Stan Dennis II, '19 also hit the portal this winter. Stan has been a 3x Academic All-Big Ten Selection (2023, 2022, 2021). At the end of January, Stan committed to Sacred Heart University where he will play next fall alongside several other Prep grads, including a trio of 2021 classmates in Jordan Campbell, Ethan Rodriguez, and Evan Scribner.  

     After Michigan defeated Washington in the National Championship, we'll take a minute to recap the bowl seasons that Prep Football Alumni had this season. Working backwards by date, here is how each Marauder in a major bowl game fared in December.

    On December 30th, 2 marauders were in action in bowl games. Ayir Asante, '19, a Holy Cross alum and graduate transfer, took the field with Wyoming vs. Toledo in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl in Tucson, AZ. Asante had a quiet game, but came up huge down the stretch with a 26 yard reception on the last drive of the game. The catch came from Wyoming's own end zone and ignited the game winning drive in a 16-15 win. Also in action on the 30th was Champ Long, '23, a freshman QB at Maryland. Champ did not play in the game, but Maryland rolled past Auburn, 31-13, in the Music City Bowl (Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN).   
    
      Next up is Ohio State vs. Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29th. In a game played in AT&T Stadium in North Arlington, Senior Cody Simon, '18 started at LB and recorded a season-high 12 tackles (6 solo/6 assist). Cody finished the season with 57 total tackles and has publicly committed to returning to OSU for next season. Freshman Jayden Bonsu, '23 did not appear in the game, which the Buckeyes lost 14-3.

     On December 28th, Rutgers headed to the Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium) to play Miami University. The Scarlet Knights defeated the Hurricanes, 31-24. Alumni Fitzroy Ledgister, '23 and Stanley Dennis II, '19 did not play in the game. Stan was selected to his 3rd Academic All-Big Ten team this season (2023, 2022, 2021) while Fitzroy made his first appearance on the Academic All-Big Ten team in 2023.

     Boston College RB coach Savon Huggins, '11 & defensive lineman George Rooks, '21 were also in action on the 28th. The Eagles took on SMU in the Fenway Bowl in Boston. The game was won by Boston College, 23-14, in a game that Coach Huggins saw the Eagles rush for 265 yards. Rooks, a redshirt Sophomore transfer from Michigan, was out for the game and unable to play. George was a starter all season and finished the season with 29 total tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks. Look for Rooks to have a monster year in 2024!

     Coach Joe Dailey, '03 spent this season as an Offensive Analyst with Kansas after coaching the WRs with the Carolina Panthers in 2022. The Jayhawks traveled to Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. UNLV. Kansas won a shootout 49-36. The Jayhawks offense exploded for nearly 600 total yards and 450 passing. Finally, CJ Wesley, '22 and Howard took on Florida A&M in the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. CJ finished the season with 8 tackles and a sack after appearing in 6 games during the 2022 season as a freshman. Howard came up short vs. Florida A&M and lost the game 30-26.

Early Signing Day was a celebration for the three Seniors who were able to sign National Letters of Intent during this early signing period. The student-athletes included Joe Asiain, who signed with Stanford, Cooper LaFond, who signed with Fordham, and Steven Lizama, who signed with Merrimack.

The National Signing Day is Wednesday, February 7th, 2024.
​