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Question for Jersey Guys - Catholic HS Football


Hardcore Troubador

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Fellow Garden Staters,

I was reading NJ.com's coverage of Roselle Catholic beating Bosco in Basketball TOC.  Lot of big athletes at Roselle, which got me thinking about football programs @ Catholic schools.  Anyone know if the traditional basketball powers like Roselle Catholic, Union Catholic, St. Benedict's (although they're not in NJSIAA), or even the smaller ones like St. Mary's (Elizabeth) ever had football programs?  Were they any good?  Any notable wins against the BNU teams back in the day?  I assume the programs folded due to costs and enrollment, but was just wondering, since it seems like they would draw from athlete-rich areas and have some athletic kids they could put into pads and a helmet.

Thanks!

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Roselle Catholic and Union Catholic have never had football teams.

St. Benedict's was actually one of the top teams in NJ.  But you have to go back over 50 years for that.  They shut down for a few years in the late 60s/early 70s and came back without football.

There once were quite a few small Catholic (parish) schools with football (St Cecelia's of Englewood was probably the most famous).  But virtually all of these schools either closed down, or dropped football...  There are only a couple left, and they are not power schools in football...

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1 hour ago, elKakador said:

Roselle Catholic and Union Catholic have never had football teams.

St. Benedict's was actually one of the top teams in NJ.  But you have to go back over 50 years for that.  They shut down for a few years in the late 60s/early 70s and came back without football.

There once were quite a few small Catholic (parish) schools with football (St Cecelia's of Englewood was probably the most famous).  But virtually all of these schools either closed down, or dropped football...  There are only a couple left, and they are not power schools in football...

Thanks!  Very informative!  I remember the big one without football was always CBA.  No one ever knew why (rumors trended towards them once having it and some kid dying on the field back in the day so they folded the program), but I read recently that they apparently never had one at all.

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7 hours ago, Hardcore Troubador said:

I think that was plain ol’ Union HS.

Yep. Had a running back, I believe his name was Tony Stewart, who went to Iowa. Clifton had some monster  teams back in the day.

Found this. Didn't know TS was a South Carolina native.

 

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4 minutes ago, Drummer61 said:

In the 1060's St Cecilias with Vince Lombardi as coach early on, St Mary's and Pope Pius were established......and pretty good...Bosco,BC,DPC had just started football...SJR came along in the mid 60's and PC later..SPP back in the 40-60's also had some good teams..It all really began  to flourish in 1999 when Toal came to Bosco...Parity came along and now you have it..

think you mean 1960s?

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21 hours ago, Hardcore Troubador said:

Fellow Garden Staters,

I was reading NJ.com's coverage of Roselle Catholic beating Bosco in Basketball TOC.  Lot of big athletes at Roselle, which got me thinking about football programs @ Catholic schools.  Anyone know if the traditional basketball powers like Roselle Catholic, Union Catholic, St. Benedict's (although they're not in NJSIAA), or even the smaller ones like St. Mary's (Elizabeth) ever had football programs?  Were they any good?  Any notable wins against the BNU teams back in the day?  I assume the programs folded due to costs and enrollment, but was just wondering, since it seems like they would draw from athlete-rich areas and have some athletic kids they could put into pads and a helmet.

Thanks!

In in 68 and 70 Bosco won the state Championship because they were the best team. CBA was the biggest name at the time. 

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1 hour ago, Drummer61 said:

CBA?....in track...Had no football team..

My bad! I was speaking to basketball. 

The OP in the first sentence speaks to basketball. 

In football Seton Hall and Essex Catholic were no joke. Also it was the Big Three back then too. 

Funny thing is, in 68 and 70 Bosco also won the state in Football. Cross country too I believe. 

Of course with @GardenStateBaller's boy in power now those days are but a fond memory. 

 

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28 minutes ago, GardenStateBaller said:

The Peppers xfer changed the BNU forever. It wasn't an outgoing President, contrary to your conspiracy theory. BC fans like @Mickeybern can now confirm that JH did the right and just thing. 

yes I do concur that the Bosco move last year was the right thing to do for the program. Reminds me a lot of how Belichek and New England have stayed on top all these years. You have to know when to sell high on talent and reputation. Then reload. The only question is can Bosco reload in this competitive environment? Time will tell.

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29 minutes ago, paladin4ever said:

In Hudson County, you had SPP, Marist, Hudson Catholic, St. Joe’s West New York (my Alma Mater), St. Michael’s Union City, St. Al’s Jersey City, and St. Anthony. Today, only SPP, HC and Marist remain. The downfall of Catholic education in the inner city.

Hard to afford 10k+ a year in tuition

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Just now, paladin4ever said:

No doubt. There are no more brothers and nuns that would basically teach for free. Kept tuition down considerably. Most schools were also supported by the local parish. No longer. The churches themselves are barely surviving.

Exactly. Its sad to see. Privates had the discipline and such with the nuns and the brothers. Now the outrages prices it doesnt make sense for the majority to pay 40+ over 4 years then pay for college if you dont get the scholarship

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4 hours ago, Drummer61 said:

I doubt it and here is why...The team last year won two games and had a lot of very good players...Should have lost three games...No team will ever dominate as Bosco did....."Time will tell".....It has already spoken....

I wasn't referring to reloading in a way that they could dominate like they did 10 years ago but I would be concerned if I was a Bosco supporter if they don't get a couple of good freshman classes. They had a terrible freshman class last year and I don't think they can afford from a talent perspective another one of those over the next couple of years. We have debated on more than 1 occasion on this board of the importance of underclassman teams but considering how hotly contested it has become to get the top talent in NJ I do believe multiple down years can have a lasting impact on the overall health of a program. Bosco's 10 year dominance was not the result of just great coaching. It was the result of WINNING and top talent wants to win. BC won the state chip this year, has a great feeder program but also has from what I'm told an incredible freshman class coming in.  Why?? Because they won! 

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5 minutes ago, Drummer61 said:

Ok"""The priest that hired Toal was a football guy...Heuser is not..IMO they will remain mediocre at best and 2-8 at worst..Hopefully,I am wrong, but if it continues,they go back to the first varsity season ....2-7..._The parity factor, imo, now will result in a  good and solid catholic league, but not close to what it was..Funny, when I first went to Bosco they were very good in basketball and stunk in football.... Same now ......

You have to give Teel some breathing space and allow him to establish himself. With Bosco's reputation and strong alumni support they will be fine in the long run, They will be competitive on the field it just might take a few years.

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