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.

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