The St. Joe’s Prep Hawks took the field on Saturday to face the Green Knights of St. Joe’s Regional (Montvale, NJ). Regional came into the game ranked in the top thirty in the country according to USA today and in the top ten according to Maxpreps. The Green Knights came into the game 4-1 after playing some very high caliber talent, including IMG Academy (FL) and North Jersey rival Don Bosco Prep. Through their first five games, Regional had given up an average of just over ten points per game; they held Don Bosco Prep (who beat St. Joe’s Prep 55-21 a few weeks ago) to just seven points. Many, seemingly including the Regional players, came into the game versus the Hawks thinking there was no way they would lose.
Hawks take the field on the first play of the game. - PSD Photo
However, behind a seasoned coaching staff headed by Gabe Infante, the Hawks took the field looking to avenge their disappointing 33-21 loss to Malvern Prep a week earlier. The Hawks came out fired up on both sides of the ball and took an early 14-0 lead, and went into halftime up 14-3. At the start of the second half, it seemed the Green Knights had turned the tides, getting an early safety off of a blocked punt making it 14-5. However, the Hawks took the momentum right back, allowing only one first down on the ensuing drive.
The rest of the game was all St. Joe’s Prep, finally winning the game 28-5. There were a few key moments in the game where the Hawks showed true poise. Towards the end of the second half, the Green Knight's offense rallied to try and put the ball in the end zone. Yet, the Hawks kept outworking their opponents. On a big run that seemed sure to be a touchdown, St. Joe's safety Benny Walls chased down and tackled the ball carrier at the three-yard-line. This gave his team the inspiration it needed to force a goal line stand and limit the Green Knights to only a field goal. In the second half, a similar situation occurred in which the Hawks put together yet another goal line stand, getting the ball back at their own one-yard line. Both of these defensive stops provided the Hawks with all of the momentum they needed to put this game away.
The standout performer for the Hawks was defensive end Joe Dumond. Dumond pressured the quarterback all game Saturday against a talented offensive line, and also shined on the offensive side of the ball. Slipping out into the flat in the red-zone as a tight end, Dumond caught the pass from quarterback Kevin Shaw and dove for the endzone. He took a big hit and was front flipped into the endzone, holding on to the ball. More so, the heart displayed by Dumond during that game let everybody know that the Hawks feel they can beat any team in the country.
The Hawks huddle in prayer before the game. - PSD Photo
Looking forward, St. Joe’s Prep starts league play Saturday against their archrival, the La Salle Explorers. This is the first game of the season for the Hawks that will affect their seeding in the Catholic league playoffs starting in a few weeks.