For the last quarter century, St. Peter’s Prep has celebrated the first Wednesday in February almost like it was a school holiday.
You see, National Signing Day is set aside for the best high school football players in the country to sign their national letters of intent, securing a scholarship, a free ride, to continue their education and football careers.
At Grand and Warren, it’s an annual occurrence. There is always at least one or two top prospects that gets a chance to be part of the “dog and pony” show, to formally sign their letters, with family and friends present, with proud school officials alongside.
It’s a day to stick out the chest and admire the academic and athletic achievements of the fine student/athletes. To be able to secure a college scholarship in today’s day and age is a major accomplishment.
For the last 25 or so years, it’s been Hudson County’s main source of football pride, watching the young men that were once called Marauders move on to the world of major college football.
Well, perhaps it is only fitting that the members of the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 state champs, the No. 1-ranked team in New Jersey and No. 10-ranked nationally, should have the best signing day in the school’s history.
Eight members of the Marauders signed national letters last week, the biggest contingent of scholarships the school has ever produced. And these were no slouch colleges either. We’re talking the crème de la crème, Notre Dame, Alabama, Stanford, Fordham, the United States Naval Academy. Those are schools that most kids simply dream about.
Those dreams became reality for the Marauders last week, when they signed their letters of intent. A day to be proud? This was far more significant than winning the school’s fourth state title back in MetLife Stadium in December. These young men put their names to scholarships collectively worth in excess of $1.7 million in scholarship dollars. That idea is simply astounding.
Brandon Wimbush led the parade of signees. The quarterback, who was the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year last season as well as the Hudson Reporter Most Valuable Player, put his John Hancock on a letter from Notre Dame.
Yes, a Prep quarterback (albeit one who threw for 3,200 yards and 36 touchdowns last season) is headed to South Bend, Touchdown Jesus and every single game on national television. That is some achievement right there.
“It’s unreal,” Wimbush said after the signing ceremony. “It’s an unreal feeling right now. Winning the state championship identifies what we were as a team, but this is something special. We were great friends, great teammates and this exemplifies that. It’s unbelievable to be able to put the stamp on being the best recruiting class in Prep history.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick, the brilliant wide receiver/defensive back, signed his name to a scholarship to Alabama. Yes, that Alabama. The coaching staff, headed by the legendary Nick Saban, never travels from Tuscaloosa to the Garden State unless the talent is truly special. Fitzpatrick, who will be a defensive back with the Crimson Tide, is that special.
So is Jordan Fox, the linebacker who signed with Stanford. Unlike Fitzpatrick, who declared his intentions almost a year ago, and Wimbush, who switched from Penn State to the Fighting Irish a few months ago, Fox had to patiently wait to get academic acceptance into Stanford before he could officially declare. Now, he’s officially headed to the West Coast to play for the Cardinal.
“It’s a great feeling to actually sign,” Fox said. “It’s an honor and blessing to get this opportunity. It blows my mind, the amount of talent we have right here. Prep produces great people and good football players. It’s great for the Class of 2015 to have eight guys signing scholarship letters. It’s something that a lot of schools can’t say.”
Standout defensive lineman David Tolentino signed his letter to head to Annapolis and Navy.
“It’s more than serving the country, but the country is now doing me a service, giving me this chance and continue to play the sport I love,” Tolentino said. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity. It’s crazy to think that four years ago, I was just an Average Joe and now I’m going to Navy. I can’t thank this place enough. I’m forever in debt to St. Peter’s Prep. I think winning the state championship was great, but this is icing on the cake. It’s just a blessing and an honor to share this with my friends and teammates. I wish that I could do it all over again, like get a time machine and go back in time.”
Standout wide receiver Corey Caddle and linebacker Chris Geissler are both headed to Fordham University together, even to share as roommates at Rose Hill.
“It feels great,” said Caddle, who is also a fine baseball player who plans to play baseball as well at Fordham. “I’m part of something special here. I’m with my family, but also my teammates, who I feel are my brothers. We will always have the state championship, but this today is an amazing feeling, because it’s never happened before. It’s really hard to describe it. I dreamed about a day like this, but I had my doubts. But I never gave up on my dream.”
“It’s unbelievable to be a part of this,” Geissler said. “We have a tremendous brotherhood here at Prep and this just tops it all off. It’s the cherry on top of the sundae. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
Lineman Jose Palomino is headed to Assumption College.
“I don’t know how to explain this,” Palomino said. “I really didn’t have much interest at first in Assumption, but I went on a visit and everything changed. I was lucky to be part of an unbelievable team. I think that everyone on the team should be signing a letter today.”
Well, let’s not get carried away. Palomino is also a fine wrestler in the winter months and will lead the Marauders into the Hudson County Duals this weekend.
The least likely of the scholarship recipients is kicker Ryan Hernandez, who is headed to NAIA school Warner University in Florida. Kickers don’t necessarily nail down scholarships, but the fledgling program, still in its infant stages in its fourth year of existence, decided to give Hernandez a free ride.
“It came out of nowhere,” Hernandez said. “I didn’t expect to play college football. I never even heard of Warner before. I was in shock when they contacted me. I went for a visit and it was a lot like Prep, a Christian school with a close community. I am so glad that I got a chance to be a part of this. I never thought I would get a scholarship. Kickers don’t get scholarships.”
They do if they’re part of a state champion No. 1-ranked team.
Head coach Rich Hansen, the architect of 27 years of Prep football, just sat back and soaked in the glory.
“With the quality of schools involved, it really is special,” Hansen said. “To see them all moving on to play college football at such great schools really says a lot about our school, about their families and about them as individuals. I’m really proud of them. I really feel like a proud father. There was a tremendous amount of work put into this, in terms of getting accepted and getting the right courses. But this is what it’s all about, helping kids get on their way. I like to think we helped them get prepared for the next step, academically, spiritually, mentally and athletically. It’s a phenomenal group of kids. It really is a great day.”
And a reason for everyone at Grand and Warren to be beaming with pride. That’s what National Signing Day is all about, giving the schools a chance to shine like the players did on the turf in East Rutherford two months ago.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.
You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.