HISTORY OF ST. JOE'S FOOTBALL
St. Joe’s football team began in 1919, after several years of clamoring for a team to compete with other schools. The team played their first game against Canisius in 1921, a 7-6 loss. In 1924, the team went 5-2 and was declared Catholic Prep Champions of Western New York when they defeated Canisius for the first time 7-6.
Coach Joseph Brown’s first team, in 1926, was truly one of the great teams ever in Western New York. Led by Captain John Candee, they went 7-0-1, outscored their opponents 220-0, and set a school record by defeating Leroy 93-0! Brown would win two more Catholic Prep School Champions during his tenure. St. Joe’s continued its’ success in football after Brown’s departure, with three more Prep Championships, including an undefeated team in 1945, led by the running, passing, and punting of Frank “Bucky” Illig. In 1956, St. Joe’s embarked on their most dominant period. From 1956-1959, Coach William Fitzhenry’s team won every game they played, part of a 33 game victory streak. 21 different players from those teams were named to the All-Catholic 1st team. Back Ray Paske played on all four teams, the only player in St. Joe’s history to be undefeated in every game he played. Guard Reed Bohovich became the first SJCI player to be named to the Catholic High School All American, an honor also bestowed on Kevin Brinkworth and Paske. Quarterback Dick Jackson scored 20 touchdowns in 1958, setting a record that would last an incredible 40 years. Tom Reddington replaced Fitzhenry in 1960, but St. Joe’s never missed a beat. The 1964 Marauders featured five All Catholics on their way to an
undefeated season. In 1967, RB Mark Becker was named to The Catholic All American team following another perfect season. The Maraurders success continued in the 1970’s, as they featured a winning team every year. Two notable years in that span came in 1973, when quarterback Phil Scaffidi guided St. Joe’s to a 7-1 record. The next season, Billy Hurley rushed for a school record 381 yards in one game and was named the All American Prep School Quarterback. In 1981, Bob O’Connor began his career has head coach of the Marauders, and quickly began his own legacy. In 1982, his second season, the Marauders were the #2 ranked team in Western New York. The next year, they would begin a 17-game winning streak over archrival Canisius. The annual Canisius game became one of the focal points of the school year, with a motorcade and bonfire the highlights of the school’s annual Spirit Week. The football team would be ranked as one of the area’s top five teams four separate times in a seven-year span, and in 1985, tight end/linebacker Kevin Deakin was named the Western New York Player of the Year. St. Joe’s would continue their dominance over Canisius, and the rest of the Monsignor Martin League in the 1990’s, culminating in 1998, when the Marauders were the top ranked team in western New York with a 10-0 record, and featured the Connolly Cup winner and Western New York Player of the Year in running back Sandro DeAngelis. St. Joe’s success in football has continued in the 21st century. St. Joe’s annually plays several regional powerhouses, from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Long Island, and even Canada. In 2005, the Marauders beat a host of powerful teams on the way to a 9-1 record and the #1 ranking in Western New York. QB Naaman Roosevelt won the Connolly Cup and set a local record with 35 touchdown passes in one season. St. Joe’s looks to add to its storied history in football.
