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11/21/2025

Prep vs St. Joe's Regional Playoffs Recap

In the Non-Public A semifinals, the Marauders fell to the Green Knights of St. Joe’s Regional in a heartbreaker 25-21. This was the second meeting this season between the Marauders and the Green Knights.

The game started with two St. Joe’s touchdowns, and the Marauders trailed 13-0 at the end of the first quarter. However, Prep bounced back in the second quarter scoring two touchdowns of their own. Tyler Bell threw two touchdown passes to Amari Jones and Hunter Watson from 31 yards and 13 yards respectively. That gave Prep the 14-13 at halftime.

QB Tyler Bell reminisces on his last 3 seasons as the varsity starting quarterback after the contest.

Junior Ryan Wooten embraces Senior Jordan Rodriguez after his last high school game.

In the second half, the Marauders started the third quarter with a 32 yard touchdown from Bell to Watson once again to extend their lead 21-13. The touchdown was a record setter, as Hunter Watson set the all time school record for most receiving yards in Prep history passing current NFL star Minkah Fitzpatrick. St. Joe’s responded on the next possession with a touchdown of their own, but failed to convert the two point conversion making the score 21-19.

In the fourth quarter, the Green Knights scored another touchdown but failed on the two point conversion to make the game 25-21. On Prep’s last drive of the season, Tyler Bell threw an interception to give the ball back to the Green Knights who would then run the clock out.

Bell finished the game 6/17 passing for 93 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT and added 69 yards rushing on 9 attempts. Barksdale rushed 4 times for 35 yards. Watson had 4 catches for 52 yards and 2 TDs while Jones added 1 catch for 31 yards and 1 TD. On the defensive side, Jordan Rodriguez again led the group with 13 total tackles. Junior defensive backs Ryan Wooten and Ty'ire Clark added 9 tackles each.

Prep finishes with a 8-3 record, and it was a bounce back season for the Marauders as they fell just short of the state championship game. That concludes the 2025 season, and Prep fought until they very end.

11/14/2025

Prep vs St. Augustine Playoffs Recap

For the first time since 2022, Prep hosted a playoff game at Caven Point. It was a victorious one for the 2 seed Marauders, as they won the game 31-17 over the 7 seed St. Augustine Hermits in the 2025 NJSIAA Non-Public A Quarterfinals.

On Prep’s opening drive, Tyler Bell (7/12, 180 yards, 1 TD) connected with Hunter Watson (1 catch, 15 yards, 1 TD) once again for a 15 yard touchdown pass. The next Prep score came in the second quarter when Bradley Abraham converted a 24 yard field goal to give the Marauders a 10-0 lead. St. Augustine scored a touchdown with under a minute left in the half, but on the ensuing kickoff Jordan Rodriguez returned it 85 yards for the touchdown to give the Marauders the 17-7 lead at halftime.

Junior Left Tackle Oluwasemilore Olubobola was presented with his UA Next All-American uniform by Coach Hansen in a pregame announcement before the playoff game vs. St. Augustine Prep.

In the third quarter, Bell ran for a 35 yard touchdown that extended Prep’s lead to 24-7. After the Hermits responded with a touchdown of their own, Abdul Turay caught a 52 yard touchdown pass from Bell to extend the Prep lead to 31-14. The fourth quarter began with a St. Augustine field goal, but the Hermits would turn it over on their next two possessions. Darius Anderson Jr had an interception, and Rodriguez forced a fumble that was recovered by Julian Contreras. Even though the Marauders were scoreless in the fourth quarter, they would hold on to secure their first playoff win since 2022.

Junior RB Abdul Turay was the star in this one accounting for over 200 all-purpose yards (10 for 115 rushing, 3 catches for 73 yards, plus kick return yardage). Bell added 74 rushing yards on 4 attempts to go with his 180 yard passing night. Junior WR Chris Horn added 2 catches for 68 yards. Jordan Rodriguez led the way on the defensive end with 14 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Darius Anderson and Julian Cruz added 9 tackles each and Ty'ire Clark chipped in 8 tackles and 2 pass breakups.

Prep improves to 8-2 for the season and advances to the semifinals of the NJSIAA Non-Public A tournament for the first time since 2021. They will take on the winner of the 3 seed St. Joe’s Regional and the 4 seed Delbarton on November 21st at Caven Point.

A trio of Prep underclassmen swarm a St. Augustine ball carrier in Junior LB Evan Pratt, Junior CB Ryan Wooten, and Sophomore DE Aaren Cirino.

11/1/2025

Prep vs Don Bosco Recap

Junior WR Chris Horn prepares to play vs. Don Bosco Prep on Halloween night.

On Halloween night, Prep traveled to Don Bosco for their regular season finale. The Marauders fell to the Ironmen 31-6.
The Marauders were held scoreless in the first half and trailed 24-0 at halftime. Don Bosco scored one touchdown in the first quarter, and two touchdowns along with a field goal in the second quarter. The Ironmen would score another touchdown in the third quarter before the Marauders would get on the board.
Prep scored their only touchdown of the game on another Tyler Bell pass to Hunter Watson from 60 yards away. The touchdown was Bell’s 24th passing touchdown of the season, and Watson’s 14th receiving touchdown of the season. Bell finished with 183 total yards (129 passing and 54 rushing on 2 carries). Junior RB Abdul Turay added 65 tough yards on 13 carries for a 5.0 yard per carry average.
Prep ends the regular season with a 7-2 record, and the Marauders next game will be on either November 14th or 15th. They will find out who they play in the NJSIAA Non-Public A tournament on November 2nd.

Coach Hansen poses for a picture with several SPP FB alumni who attended the game in support of the Marauders.

10/26/2025

Prep vs Pope John Recap

At high noon on Saturday, the Marauders traveled to Pope John XXIII High School to take the Lions for their penultimate game of the regular season. Prep took care of business, and beat Pope John 30-9.
Abdul Turay was the first to score for the Marauders in the first quarter giving Prep a 6-0 lead after a failed two-point conversion. After Pope John scored a touchdown of their own later in the first quarter, Tyler Bell and Hunter Watson once again led the Prep passing attack in the second quarter. The duo scored two passing touchdowns from 41 and 4 yards, and they went into the half with a 20-6 lead.
Both teams scored a field goal in the third quarter, and the 39 yarder from Bradley Abraham was the first Prep field goal of the season. Junior Bryant Issac Jr threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Sophomore Amari Jones in the fourth quarter, and put the icing on the cake for a much needed bounce back win after a tough loss at home a week ago.

Sophomore Bradley Abraham celebrates his 39 yard Field Goal in the 3rd quarter.

Bauer Anderson and Liam O'Neill combined for one of Prep's five QB Sacks.

Bell finished the day completing 15 of his 16 passing attempts for 243 yards and 2 TDs. Watson had 6 catches on 6 targets for 121 yards and 2 TDs and Junior Chris Horn added 5 catches for 73 yards. Tyler Barksdale added 42 yards rushing on 7 attempts coupled with Turay's 5 carries for 31 yards and a TD.
Pope John's offense was able to control the pace of the game and dominate the overall time of possession, running 70 offensive snaps to Prep's 37. The Marauder defense did hold Pope John to 3.34 yards per play overall and held the Lions to 5/15 on 3rd downs and 3/7 on 4th downs. The defensive production was spread evenly amongst many players, with 9 players adding 4+ tackles. However, the defense also added 5 sacks with several players recording the first of their careers including Sophomore DE Karter Gelin (1 sack) and Senior LB Liam O'Neill (.5 sack). Seniors Sebastian Gray (1.5), Julian Conteras (1), Will Maloof (.5), and Sophomore DT Bauer Anderson (.5) also added sacks on the quarterback. Sophomore Jevon Ledgister also added the first interception of his career.
The Marauders improve to 7-1 on the season and their regular season finale will be at Don Bosco on Halloween for a 7PM kickoff.

Senior RB Tyler Barksdale was presented with a plaque as Prep's Super Football Conference Young Man of the Year nomination after the game.

10/17/2025

Prep vs DePaul Recap

On a crisp Friday night at Caven Point, the Marauders fell to the Spartans of DePaul Catholic 31-21. Before the game began, there was a pregame ceremony honoring the Prep football seniors for the Senior Day festivities.
The game started with a DePaul touchdown in the first quarter, and it took until the second quarter for the Marauders to get on the scoreboard. Tyler Bell threw a 44 yard strike to Hunter Watson to tie the game at 7-7, and it was Watson’s 11th touchdown catch of the season. However, the Spartans would respond immediately as they would return the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to make the game 14-7. DePaul would take that one touchdown lead into the half.
The Marauders started the third quarter with the ball, but a fumble on the drive resulted in a scoop and score touchdown for DePaul. The Spartans also scored a field goal, which made the game 24-7 in the third quarter. Prep started to chip away at the lead from this moment on, as they would score on a 30 yard touchdown pass from Bell to Abdul Turay.

Junior WR Chris Horn led all receivers with 9 catches on the day.

Senior WR Hunter Watson eludes a tackle on his way to a 6 catch, 110 yard, 1 TD game.

In the beginning of the fourth quarter the Marauders scored another passing touchdown from Bell to Amari Jones, and Prep only trailed by 3 as they made the score 24-21. The touchdown was significant because Tyler Bell broke the all-time passing touchdown record in Prep football history, with the 58th of his career. Unfortunately, that would be the last score of the night for the Marauders. DePaul would score another touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Prep suffered their first loss of the season.
Bell finished the night 19/24 passing for 268 yards and 3 TDs; he added 27 rushing yards on 6 attempts. Abdul Turay rushed 10 times for 54 yards and added 2 catches for another 43 yards. Hunter Watson reeled in 6 catches for 110 yards and a score. Chris Horn had a game-high 9 catches for 86 yards. Amari Jones added 2 catches for 29 yards and a TD. On the defensive side of the ball, Junior safety Ty'ire Clark flashed with 14 total tackles and an interception. Junior LB Evan Pratt added 12 total tackles and a pass breakup.
Prep falls to 6-1 on the season, and their next game will be on October 25 when they travel to Pope John XXIII High School for a noon kickoff.

10/5/2025

Prep vs Seton Hall Prep Recap

At Brendan P. Tevlin Memorial Field in the Kelly Athletic Complex, the Marauders traveled to Seton Hall Prep to take on the Pirates in a division matchup. Prep took care of business, and beat Seton Hall Prep 42-3. Once again, the defense had a dominant performance. The Marauders held the Pirates to less than 100 yards of total offense. The only score that the defense allowed was a field goal in the second quarter, and it was their second time this season not allowing a touchdown.

Offensively, the Marauders lit up the scoreboard once again scoring more than 40 points for the fifth time in six games. After going scoreless in the first quarter, Prep put the ball in the endzone twice in the second quarter. Tyler Barksdale had a 1 yard touchdown, and Hunter Watson caught a 28 yard pass from Tyler Bell. The third and fourth quarter saw the Marauders put up two touchdowns in each quarter. The third quarter saw Chris Horn catch a touchdown from Tyler Bell, and an Abdul Turay one yard rushing touchdown. Finally in the fourth quarter Hunter Watson scored a touchdown from Tyler Bell, and Bryant Isaac Jr threw his first touchdown pass of the season to Tre Williams.

The Marauders improve to 6-0, their best start since the 2019 season. Prep has a bye next week, and their next game will not be until October 17th when they return home to Caven Point to play DePaul. The game is expected to be a top 5 matchup in the state, and will be a de facto championship game for the division crown.

9/28/2025

Prep vs St. Joe's Regional Recap

On a perfect Saturday afternoon at Caven Point, the Marauders took on the Green Knights of St. Joe’s Regional in a top 5 matchup in the state. The game was an instant classic, and Prep had a come from behind win 29-28 thanks to a bold late successful two-point conversion.

The game started out as a shootout, and both teams scored two touchdowns in the first quarter. Prep scored on two runs from Tyler Barksdale (8 carries for 56 yards, 1 TD) and Tyler Bell (17/23 passing for 167 yards and 2 TDs), while the Green Knights scored on a passing touchdown and a 75 yard kickoff return. With the game at 14-14 heading into the second quarter, both teams would also score a touchdown in the second quarter. Bell would throw a 23 yard touchdown to Chris Horn (2 catches for 28 yards, 1 TD), followed by another rushing touchdown by St. Joe’s.

After a high scoring first half where the score was 21-21 at halftime, the game turned into a chess match in the second half. St. Joe’s had the only score of the third quarter, meaning that the Marauders trailed 28-21 heading into the fourth. With 1:07 left in the game, Bell connected to Hunter Watson (6 catches for 86 yards, 1 TD) from 19 yards out for what looked like the game tying touchdown. However, Coach Hansen decided to roll the dice and send his offense out on the field for a two-point conversion. Abdul Turay (15 carries for 100 yards) scored on the sweep, and the Marauders gamble paid off to go up 29-28. St. Joe’s tried to respond, but Will Maloof executed a strip sack and Julian Cruz recovered the fumble to ice the game and give Prep its biggest win of the season so far. The defense shined throughout this game with 3 takeaways on an interception by Ty'ire Clark (8 total tackles) and forced fumbles by Jordan Rodriguez (6 total tackles) and Will Maloof.

Coach Hansen was selected as the SFC/Alliance Orthopedics Coach of the Week for the win. Prep’s 5-0 start is the best since the 2021 season, and the Marauders have already surpassed their win total from last year before the calendar turns to October. They will travel to Seton Hall Prep on October 4th with kickoff scheduled for 1PM.

9/20/2025

Prep vs Delbarton Recap

Junior CB Ryan Wooten celebrates an interception in the 2nd quarter, which was Prep's 3rd takeaway in 3 straight possessions.

On the last Saturday afternoon of the summer, Prep traveled to Delbarton to take on the Green Wave in a top 10 matchup. The Marauders left no doubt, and sent a message to the state with a 42-7 win.

After a scoreless first quarter, it was the defense that got on the board first for the Marauders. With just under 4 minutes left in the second quarter, Ty’ire Clark had a pick six and returned a 66 yard touchdown. The defense forced another turnover on the next possession thanks to a Darius Anderson Jr forced fumble and recovery on a QB sack. With less than a minute left in the first half, Tyler Bell hit Hunter Watson on a 63 yard touchdown to make the score 14-0. Ryan Wooten then intercepted another pass with under 30 seconds left in the half to put the Marauders into the locker room with a 14-0 lead.

The second half had another deep touchdown pass from Bell to Watson, this time for 73 yards. Bell also had a 3 yard rushing touchdown to make the score 28-0, before Delbarton finally scored with a touchdown of their own right before the end of the third quarter. That would be their only score of the game. The fourth quarter had a pair of rushing touchdowns from Tyler Barksdale and Abdul Turay, and the Marauders spoiled the homecoming game for Delbarton.

The 4-0 start for Prep is their best since 2021, and the Marauders have already matched their win total from last year less than a month into the season. They will return home to Caven Point on September 27th for a top 5 showdown against St. Joe’s Regional, with a scheduled 1PM kickoff.

Darius Anderson celebrates his strip sack and recovered fumble to thwart Delbarton's drive inside Prep's 30 YL.

Tyler Bell celebrates after one of his TDs -- he accounted for 2 passing and 1 rushing on the day.

9/12/2025

Prep vs Shabazz Recap

Ty'ire Clark is a threat any time he touches the ball. In this one he found the endzone on a 63 yard kickoff return.

At Alumni Stadium at Kean University, the Marauders took on the best team in Essex County the Shabazz Bulldogs. Hudson County reigned supreme over Essex County, as the Marauders shutout the Bulldogs 50-0.

The defense was the headline for tonight’s game. Back to back sacks from Jordan Rodriguez and Will Maloof set the tone for the night on Shabazz’s opening drive. The front 7 was dominant and caused nine rushing plays to go for zero or negative yards in the opening half. LB Evan Pratt led the way with 9 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. DL Sebastian Gray added 8 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 2 QB hurries. It was the Marauders first shutout since 2021, and the defense made the statement that they are one of the best in the state.

Sebastian Gray and Evan Pratt combine for a tackle on the Shabazz ball carrier. The two Marauder defenders accounted for FIVE tackles for loss.

For the second week in a row, the Prep offense scored 35 points in the first half. The first touchdown came in the first quarter when Tyler Bell (7/14 passing, 89 yards, 3 TDs) found Hunter Watson (3 catches for 50 yards and 2 TDs) on a 41 yard touchdown pass. The rest of the scoring came in the second quarter, where the Marauders scored from the air, the ground, and on special teams. Bell and Tyler Barksdale (7 rushes for 54 yards) ran for touchdowns, Prep forced a safety which lead to a Ty’ire Clark 63 yard kickoff return, and Bell and Watson connected once again for a 1 yard touchdown pass with four seconds left in the half. Prep started the second with an onside kick that they recovered. Amari Jones scored on a 3 yard touchdown pass from Tyler Bell and Abdul Turay ran for a 27 yard touchdown that came with a successful two-point conversion. This made the score 50-0 with 1:59 left in the third quarter, and that would be the last score of the game. Turay finished the game with 116 rushing yards on 10 attempts.

The Marauders best start since 2022 continues to grow as they move to 3-0 on the season. Their next game will be on September 20th when they travel to Delbarton for a 1PM kickoff time. It is expected to be a Top 20 matchup, and Prep will look for their first road win of the season.

LT Olubobola opens the hole for RB Abdul Turay who finished the day with over 100 yards rushing.

The Offense was all smiles after this 50 point outburst at Kean University.

RB Abdul Turay was selected as the Zone6ix Player of the Game after rushing 10 times for 116 yards and a TD.

9/6/2025

Prep vs Union City Recap

QB Tyler Bell let's a ball fly. He finished 13/18 for 265 and 5 TDs passing on the afternoon.

On a late Saturday afternoon in Hinchcliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, an old Hudson County football rivalry was renewed between Saint Peter’s Prep and Union City. Once again, the Marauders came up on top of the Soaring Eagles with a 42-15 victory.

Of the five touchdowns that the Marauders scored in the first half, Tyler Bell contributed to all of them. Four of the touchdowns came from the air, and the other came on a 1 yard run. Bell threw to Hunter Watson (4 catches for 109 yards, 3 TDs) on the first three scores of the game, and also connected with Christian Cruz (2 catches for 41 yards, 1 TD) for the last score of the half. The Prep defense also played very well in the first half. Union City did not gain a first down until the second quarter, and the defense held the Soaring Eagles to under a 100 yards of total offense for the entire game.

Christian Cruz's TD in the 2nd quarter became a viral moment.

QB Tyler Bell and WR Hunter Watson continue to have a strong connection.

RBs Abdul Turay and Tyler Barksdale each rushed for over 50 yards.

Prep went into the half with a 35-7 lead, and were on cruise control for the rest of the game. Bell threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Amari Jones (4 catches for 51 yards, 1 TD) in the third quarter, and Union City scored another touchdown plus a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. Bell finished the game with six total touchdowns, including five touchdown passes and one from the ground. The Marauder offense also managed to rush for over 160 yards on the day with Sr Tyler Barksdale leading the way with 78 yards on 9 attempts. Junior Abdul Turay added over 100 scrimmage yards with 56 yards on 6 carries rushing in addition to 2 catches for 60 yards. The defense was led by Jordan Rodriguez with 9 total tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack, and 1 pass breakup.

The Marauders are now 2-0 to begin the season, their best start since 2022. Their next game will be on September 12 where they will face Shabazz at 7:30 PM at Kean Alumni Stadium in Union, NJ.

8/29/2025

Prep vs Paramus Catholic Recap

It was a Friday night on Labor Day weekend, and Prep Football returned to action at Caven Point for the 2025 season after a long offseason. The Marauders started the season with a 42-26 win over Paramus Catholic with the offense and defense contributing to the victory.

The game started as an offensive shootout. Both teams scored on their first two possessions with Abdul Terry and Chris Horn scoring the first two touchdowns of the season. With the game at 14-13 in the first quarter because of a Paramus Catholic missed extra point after their second touchdown, the Prep defense forced a punt on the Paladins’ third drive of the game. The Marauders responded with a 10 yard rushing touchdown by Tyler Barksdale to give them a 21-13 lead.

On the first play of the second quarter the Paladins scored on a long 78 yard touchdown pass, but failed to score on the two-point conversion and the Marauders still led 21-19. Prep scored once again on a Hudson Prichard receiving touchdown, and went into the half up 28-19.

The second half began with the Marauders fumbling the ball. The Paladins capitalized off the turnover and scored a touchdown to cut the Prep lead to two points, 28-26. However, that would be the last time Paramus Catholic scored and the Prep defense stepped up the rest of the way. They had a big goal line stand to start the fourth quarter and forced a turnover on downs. The defense followed that up with another 3 and out, and a bad snap on the punt put the ball on the Paramus Catholic 3 yard line. Prep would score on the very next play with a rushing touchdown from Barksdale, and the Marauders led 35-26.

Prep put the finishing touches on both sides of the ball. The defense had a fumble recovery by Kyle Wise and interception by Jordan Rodriguez. While Aaren Cirino iced the game with a touchdown to make the final score 42-26. The Marauders begin the season 1-0, and their next game will be on September 6 where they will play Union City at 7 PM at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ.

RB Abdul Turay had a huge day in his first game as a Marauder, rushing 17 times for 170 yards and 1 TD.

Junior WR Chris Horn added a receiving TD and finished with 4 catches for 26 yards.

6/7/2025

A Team In Service

The first team service opportunity of the spring came at Camp Liberty. For the past several springs, Prep has supported the Educational Arts Team summer camp by assisting with camp clean up and setting up for the ensuing summer youth camps at the site. Located between Saint Peter's and Cochrane Stadium, the organization was founded in 1974 to bring art and drama workshops to Jersey City youth. Over the next 50+ years the organization - and the site - has evolved quite a bit and served thousands of kids through various programs.

The second team collaboration this spring was with the Hoboken Community Center Pantry. The pantry is located at the old site of the Hoboken-North Hudson YMCA that closed it's doors in 2010 due to insufficient funding. The pantry serves over 3,000 registered clients and runs many events in support of the community. The site also consists of 96 affordable housing units run by the HCC.

Prep football has volunteered at the food pantry for several years. Tasks typically include organizing food deliveries and packing bags for bi-monthly distribution.

Prep Football has also maintained a strong relationship with the AngelaCARES, Inc. organization. Founded and run by Jersey City resident and New Jersey State Senator Angela McKnight, the foundation aims "to serve as an advocate and support system for senior citizens, a support system for a senior caregivers and a mentor to the youth by educating and empowering them to volunteer."

The organization has a central office in Jersey City and leads many different community initiatives. This May, Prep football volunteered at the office to help pack bags for bi-monthly food pantry distribution.

For the second straight year, Prep players also volunteered at the AngelaCARES Senior Citizen Prom. This event, held at the Duncan Skyroom at Saint Peter's University, is free for Hudson County Seniors and has been running annually for the past ten years. The players assist in greeting arrivals, helping with check-ins, and escorting attendees to their seats.

4/15/2025

National Signing Day(s) Recap for Class of 2025

The early signing day period for 2024 began on December 4, 2024. On this day, we honored Kyron Grayson who signed his National Letter of Intent with Towson. Kyron worked diligently to become the first student-athlete to graduate early from Prep in order to enroll in college before the spring. This put him on track to enroll in January, begin to take classes at Towson, and participate in Spring Ball with the team.

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, was National Signing Day (not to be confused with the Early Signing Day in December). Graduates in the class of 2025 can sign National Letters of Intent from this day through August. We had a ceremony to honor two additional players who made their college decisions: Justin Gonzalez (Kutztown University) and Santino Cortes-Gil (Bates College).

On April 14, 2025, we held one final Signing Day Ceremony for the remaining student-athletes in the class of 2025 who had made their commitment decisions in the spring. On this day, we recognized the following seniors: Emmett Haughney (Amherst College), Ethan ("Sammy") Bartoszek (Pace University), Andres Perez (American International College), Aidan Lamb (John Carroll University), and Elijah Knowles (Susquehanna University).

3/14/2025

NJFCA Super 100 Selections

Congratulations to Ethan Bartoszek and Kyron Grayson, who were both selected to the New Jersey Football Coaches Association Super 100 All-State Team. The couple were honored and presented with their plaques at a luncheon on March 9, 2025. The award is given out to the top 100 senior players in NJ each year, as nominated and voted on by the coaches association.

2/11/2025

Where are they now? Alumni Spotlight - Jeff Skinner, '95

Jeff Skinner, from Kearny, N.J., quarterbacked Prep to the 1994 NJSIAA championship, a 26-24 victory over Bergen Catholic, which was ranked #5 in the U.S. at the time. The victory gave the Marauders their 14th state title and they ended the season ranked #6 in the country.

After graduation, Jeff was a student-athlete at Wagner College, where he played quarterback and graduated in 1999 with a degree in Business Management. He is now a compliance professional in the financial services industry and is an omnipresent figure at Prep, attending games and leading fundraising and other alumni activities as a founding board member of The Bubba Fund, the charity honoring Bill “Bubba” O’Donnell ‘95, a Prep football star who tragically passed away in 2016.

What made you go to Prep?

It was kind of predestined. I grew up right down the road in Kearny, both my parents were from Jersey City, and my older brother went to Prep. There was never a doubt.
What's your most lasting memory of Prep?

Beating Bergen in Giants Stadium to win the 1994 championship. We had a great group of players and coaches, and it was an amazing ride.
How important was football to your prep experience?

Football was paramount to my Prep experience. Being the starting QB for the #1 team in the state was my identity and I loved every minute of it. Of course, attending Prep was more than just football, and the entire experience has played a huge role in helping me become the man I am today.

Equally as important, I made lifelong friendships during my time at Prep. A transformative experience for me.
What are you doing now?

For my day job, I am a compliance professional in the financial services industry but I’m most passionate about coaching my sons and other young men. I have two boys, and both are very active in youth sports. I also coach football for Bergen Stars, a travel team, and on the 7v7 football circuit.

What can you tell us about the Bubba Fund?

It’s a scholarship fund vested at St Peter’s Prep in loving memory of my friend and teammate Bill “Bubba” O’Donnell. The Foundation has been active since 2017, and we continue to host a few events a year to raise tuition assistance funds for student-athletes associated with Prep football. It’s a great way to keep Bill’s memory alive. He was a great friend and teammate.
How has your Prep experience helped you in the real world?

I’ll often leverage my Prep network to help navigate real life situations. The brotherhood is a real thing, and guys are always willing to help one another.

I’ve also seen my Prep background benefit me beyond my Prep network because once people hear you’re associated with St. Peter’s, they assume they’re dealing with someone who has integrity. That really matters.

This blog was written by Randy Williams, P'27 who also conducted the interview.

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