For more than four decades, St. Anthony High School has been recognized nationally as one of the premier high school basketball programs. The tiny school on Seventh Street, located in downtown Jersey City, has been a hoop haven for thousands of students over the years, winning 22 NJSIAA state championships and a record nine Tournament of Champions crowns.
Plain and simple, if you think of St. Anthony, you think of basketball.
Bill Sullivan is totally aware of that. Sullivan, a retired New York City police officer, joined the staff at St. Anthony last year as a vice-principal, but came to the school with a reputation as a football coach, one who initiated programs at two different Catholic schools on Staten Island.
So when Sullivan arrived at St. Anthony, he had an idea to try to finally bring football to St. Anthony.
“I always had that idea in the back of my head,” Sullivan said. “When I got here, we tossed the idea around. The big thing was the cost. It’s a costly sport to start from scratch. But the enrollment of the school has gone up. It was a great attraction to me.”
So the members of the St. Anthony school board gave Sullivan the approval to initiate a football program, something St. Anthony never had in the 55-year history of the school.
The school will field a junior varsity squad in the fall, with the intention of becoming an independent varsity team by 2008.
Sullivan has vast experience in starting a program from scratch. He performed similar wizardry at St. Peter’s High School and Moore Catholic on Staten Island, eventually leading Moore Catholic to the New York City Catholic School title in just four years. Moore Catholic started football in 1999 and won the Catholic A Division title in 2003.
“Bill has the experience and drive to build a football program,” said St. Anthony athletic director Tom Augello. “Serving as the school’s vice principal plays a vital role in the day-to-day growth of the football program, not only as the coach, but someone who can provide guidance and growth to each kid. He’s a straight shooter, a no-nonsense guy, and his professional and coaching background will provide a positive structure for the players in the program.”
Sullivan knew that there was one certain member of the St. Anthony community that he needed in his corner, namely legendary Friars basketball coach Bob Hurley.
“He was one of the first ones I called,” Sullivan said. “I had to know how Coach Hurley felt about it.”
“I knew that he was an experienced veteran at this, but I also knew that football locally has had its ups and downs,” Hurley said. “It’s not necessarily a sure-fire thing around here. But if it’s going to keep kids involved and it’s going to help enrollment, if it helps kids to become interested in going to St. Anthony, then that’s terrific. I’m supportive of anything that helps kids.”
Everyone involved knows that it’s going to be a costly venture. The start-up costs to begin a football program, with equipment, coaches’ salaries, weight training materials, etc., are approximately $40,000. Hurley said that the school is applying for grant money from the National Football League, which helps inner-city schools promote the sport of football.
That’s a hefty proposition for a school that was rumored to be on the brink of closing just a few years ago, until a host of famous people (mostly from basketball circles) stepped forward and made significant donations to the school.
Former Duke All-Americans Christian Laettner and Grant Hill, who were college teammates of St. Anthony alum Bobby Hurley, the coach’s son, stepped forward and chipped in. So did former New Jersey Net Kerry Kittles. The school survived and now, it’s taking on the challenge of fielding a football team.
Sullivan says that he has unconditional support from the school board.
“They’re all excited about the direction we’re going in,” Sullivan said. “It’s going to be a heavy hit financially, but people are stepping forward to help. Sure, there’s some apprehension, but we’re getting positive feedback.”
Sullivan said that a big addition came when Tim Rooney, from the famous Rooney family who own the Pittsburgh Steelers, joined the school’s Board of Directors.
“I think we’ll get the kids who want to play basketball and football,” Sullivan said. “Maybe their parents can’t afford to send them to schools like St. Peter’s Prep or Hudson Catholic, but they can afford to send them here, a place with a premier basketball program that plays football also.”
Sullivan knew that in order for the St. Anthony football program to work, the foundation had to be set in place as soon as possible. So when Sullivan put out feelers to see how many students would be interested to begin weight training in order to play football in the fall, as many as 20 prospective football players began to regularly show up for the sessions, in a makeshift weight room in the school’s basement.
Before the kids can begin workouts, they have to break down the tables that were set up in the cafeteria for lunch. When the weight training is over, the tables go back up and the chairs are put in place for the next day. “We’re getting such a great turnout in the weight room and the kids want to stay,” Sullivan said. “Some days, I have to chase them home.”
Some of the prospective players have never played organized football before, like sophomores Kevin DiMarco and Michael Ogundele. DiMarco, a Jersey City native, and Ogundele, a native of Nigeria who now lives in East Orange, have signed on to play football at St. Anthony for different reasons.
“I work out a lot and spend a lot of time in the weight room,” DiMarco said. “I’m good at weight lifting, but I want to be able to hit somebody. When I heard that they were starting football here, it was sort of like being here for liftoff. It’s pretty cool. I can learn the game. I think curiosity is getting the best of me. I’m not that worried. I just want to hit someone.”
Ogundele has already has his chance to hit people. Throughout his life, Ogundele has been a boxer, starting his boxing career at age 8 at the East Orange PAL. Two years ago, Ogundele was the junior New Jersey state champion in the lightweight division, but decided to walk away from the sport.
“I found that I wasn’t loving boxing the way I once did,” Ogundele said. “I was losing interest. I had to train and train and I wasn’t having fun. I wanted to have more fights and there weren’t any for me.”
Ogundele stands all of 5-foot-4 and weighs 130 pounds. He certainly doesn’t have the frame of the traditional football player.
“But I like the challenge of it,” Ogundele said. “I’ll be ready for it. I also like the team concept. In boxing, it’s just you and the other opponent. In football, you have to learn to lean on others. I like that part as well.”
“Here are two kids who have never played a snap of football and they’re coming every day to work out,” said Augello, who is also the school’s baseball coach. “I think they’re all looking forward to it.”
Sullivan firmly believes that football can work at St. Anthony, even though the school obviously doesn’t have a practice field – but then again, who does in Jersey City? No one, except St. Peter’s Prep.
“I think there is an abundance of good talent in this area,” Sullivan said. “I’ve been down to the Jersey City Recreation football games already with Coach Hurley and saw some really talented kids there. Once we get the foundation here, we’ll be able to get other kids from the area, like Manhattan, Staten Island. We’ll be able to succeed. It just takes a few years to get it going. If we show kids we’re going to be here for a while, they’ll come. We just have to get in a routine.”
Sullivan knows that this building project will be a little tougher than the first two, simply because of logistics and the competition factor. There are so many other football programs in the immediate area. There weren’t that many in Staten Island.
“It’s going to be tougher,” Sullivan said. “I know it’s going to be a bit of a fight. But I can’t wait to get it going. We’re doing things the right way right away.”
Hurley said that, as Jersey City Recreation director, he will assist with the practice fields, that the Roberto Clemente Little League field adjacent to the school might be the best place to practice.
“I think that part will work out,” Hurley said.
Now, it’s just up to getting the players.
“Football is a sport of numbers,” Hurley said. “We have to see what the numbers say.”
Right now, the numbers are positive – and the only piece of equipment the school has is a gold helmet.
“We’ll look like either Florida State or Boston College,” Hurley laughed. “Those are the colors.”
“I think we can be real successful,” Sullivan said. “I really do.”