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JERSEY CITY – Pressure? Always.
After two straight losing seasons – unthinkable – St. Peter’s Prep is eager to take back its spot back among New Jersey’s elite. The Marauders are led by three-year starting quarterback Tyler Bell (UMass commit) and a bolstered running game with transfer Abdul Turay.
“I think there is always pressure, that’s just what we sign up for as a staff and even the players,” St. Peter’s coach Rich Hansen III said after practice Aug. 7. “I think we choose to be in this fishbowl, and this is what we want. I don’t look at it as pressure. It’s a lot of fun and that’s why we do it.”
Last year, the Marauders finished 4-6, which represented progress after a 1-9 season in 2023. Their biggest problem last season was a defense that allowed more than 40 points five different times.
Hansen III vows that the defense will be better and is sure that the adversity of the last two seasons will pay off.
“The last two teams that we had, even the 1-9 team, it was never like we dreaded coming to practice and dreaded playing games,” Hansen III said. “The kids were great. We had pride in what we were doing. I think that what sets us up to be able to take the next step. Yes, 4-6 is what it is, but five of our losses were to the top 5 teams in the state.”
The program has some new coaches working in the secondary, and former Marauders standout Stan Dennis has come back to work with the defensive line.
Hansen III said numbers remain solid, with the varsity around 75. The freshman class figures to be around 40.
For sure, everyone in the dark maroon and silver is feeling the pressure, but it’s not unusual. This is one of New Jersey’s premier programs, and pressure comes with the territory.
The tradition
St. Peter’s Prep has been the dominant program in Hudson County for decades.
The Marauders list 17 state championships (many in the pre-playoff era), with the last one coming in 2019.
Hansen III’s father, Rich, is still the school’s athletic director after winning 273 games during his 33-year tenure as football coach. Multiple Marauders are current pro players, including Dolphins star Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cardinals rookie linebacker Cody Simon.
The challenge
In a division in which Division I skill players are everywhere, line play becomes the decisive factor.
The Marauders feature Olu Olubobola, a junior tackle who is still learning the game while also getting serious Division I interest (Pitt, Auburn and Miami offers). But it takes more than one quality lineman to succeed.
The other challenge is the brutal schedule. St. Peter’s opens with Paramus Catholic in a game that will tell a lot about both teams. That game is followed by grudge matches with Union City and Shabazz.
Expectations
The Marauders haven’t been a serious player in New Jersey football the last two years.
What they are trying to do is extraordinarily difficult, which is build back up on the fly. Once teams fall behind in the Big Six arms race, it’s difficult to rise back up.
Bell has lived through the wars and should now have plenty of pieces around him for this offense to be better. Defensively, the Marauders will certainly be better.
Yes, St. Peter’s will be good, but will it beenough to break back into the upper tier of the Big Six? We will see.
2025 schedule
Aug. 29: vs. Paramus Catholic, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6: vs. Union City, 7 p.m. at Hinchliffe Stadium
Sept. 12: vs. Shabazz, 7:30 p.m. at Kean University
Sept. 20: at Delbarton, 1 p.m.
Sept. 27: vs. St. Joseph, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4: at Seton Hall Prep, 1 p.m.
Oct. 17: vs. DePaul, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25: at Pope John, 1 p.m.
Oct. 31: at Don Bosco, 7 p.m.
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