Three championships
St. Peter’s Prep enjoys best athletic year in Hudson County’s history
There’s an old athletic fight song used by St. Peter’s Prep, titled "The Pride and the Glory." In fact, the words get a little fuzzy to me after having been taught the tune the first time some 26 years ago. But the theme was never more evident this year, when the school’s athletes had tons of pride and, in turn, received their share of glory.
It’s very rare when one school is able to enjoy more than one HCIAA championship in the same scholastic year. It’s another thing when one school dominates every sport, winning every major championship.
In fact, it’s such a different accomplishment that it never happened in the history of Hudson County athletics before this past year.
That’s because the 2000-2001 scholastic sports year totally belonged to St. Peter’s Prep. In an unprecedented display of dominance, the Marauders captured the HCIAA National Conference championship in football, defeating Hoboken in a showdown of the two divisional champions, then won the HCIAA basketball title for the first time in 38 years and captured their third straight HCIAA baseball championship.
Never before in the rich and storied tradition of the HCIAA had one school captured the HCIAA’s version of the "Triple Crown," winning the county championships in all three major sports.
The championships and success didn’t stop there. The Prep swim team won the HCIAA title and went to the state tournament for the first time. The Prep bowling team also seized the HCIAA title, with its best bowler, Jeff Butler, getting the individual state championship.
In the eyes of Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Rich Hansen, the amazing run also includes track and field, wrestling, tennis and cross-country, on different levels. In all, 22 different teams won respective championships this scholastic school year.
"I’m really not amazed by it at all," Hansen said. "All of our sports teams have done well, marking a phenomenal run over the last five years. When you look at the obstacles that these kids have to overcome, it makes it more impressive and more gratifying. This was one of those magical years that just kept going. It seemed to catch on. The football season carried over to the basketball season and everyone got excited about what they could do. Baseball followed suit. It all sort of perpetuated itself."
When you ask the athletes, the ones who truly achieved the greatness, they all speak of one thing – the pride. Just like the fight song. Just like the spirit that is instilled with them in the first moments of freshman orientation, when they are introduced to the school’s colors, the school’s logo, the school’s tradition – the Prep pride. It’s a mystique of its own.
"You’ve always had a sense of pride at the Prep, no matter what you did," said Patrick Farrell, a recent graduate who played on the football and baseball championship teams and will now play football at LaSalle University. "Being a Prep student gives you a sense of pride. That’s the one thing you carry with you. Our football team was missing something after we lost the first two games of the season and we all realized it was the Prep pride."
"Those first two losses were pathetic," recalled fellow senior John Talty, who also played on both the football and baseball county championship teams. "But after those losses, we captured the leadership, the camaraderie and the pride."
Wearing the maroon and white, representing a school with a long tradition meant something to these student athletes, who knew they had a chance to make history.
"It is an incredible feeling," said Jimmy Supple, who was a key member for both the basketball and baseball championships. "It’s very hard to describe how incredible it is. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. It’s a weird feeling, to realize that we were part of something that had never happened before. I was part of two teams that made history. I know that myself and my teammates are very proud to be a part of it."
In all, five Prep athletes were able to participate on two of the championship teams: Talty, who is headed to Sacred Heart to possibly play football; Supple, to Georgetown to play baseball; Farrell, Billy Rabbitt and Augie Gonzalez. Countless others got to experience the glorious season, the year of dominance, the year that Prep made Hudson County history.
"I think this year, our class was just such a close-knit group, all with the same strong will together," Farrell said. "I think our sense of pride carried through the whole year. It really is amazing. And every Prep student is proud of it. It doesn’t matter if you’re able to play on two teams or if you’re a member of the 2:30 club [kids who leave school right after last period]. It carries over. There’s a tremendous sense of pride. I’m glad to have watched it all unfurl this year."
These students will go their own ways in the fall, to their respective schools, colleges and universities. The school at Grand and Warren will remain, like it has for the last 130 years. The pride and the glory remains – but never more proud than the way the old building stands today.
"As old as I get, I’ll never forget this year," Farrell said. "It’s amazing that it had never happened before. It’s amazing that we were the ones who did it."
"Maybe down the road a couple of years, like 30 years or so, I’ll appreciate it more," Supple said. "I know how much it means, being on two teams that made history. It just hasn’t hit me yet."
"I was just talking to my father about that today," Talty said. "No school had ever won the Triple Crown before and we did it. It was a huge accomplishment. I still can’t believe it. But we all work hard at what we do. We just didn’t walk onto the field and win. This finally shows how good we are, but how hard we work as well."
Hansen can’t describe it either.
"They were in a zone," Hansen said. "They just became determined that this is the way they wanted to go out. You can’t pick a better ending. When you look back and think of all the great talent there has been in Hudson County, all the great coaches, the Coviellos, the Halligans, the Cochranes, and you think that they were never able to do it. The fact that the championships of all three sports were won by one school is incredible. But with these kids, it almost seemed destined to be. Looking back 10, 15 years from now, we will remember how truly special it was. It’s very gratifying."