Saint Joe Prep/ Roman game Saturday
- Thread starter lilromeo
- Start date
Google Maps tells me it's 15 or 19 miles from Roman to its "home game" at Upper Dublin HS (depending on route) and takes a minimum of 45 minutes via car. People who focus on all the unfair advantages of PCL schools should take note.
Point taken, but they do seem to still bring in the talent even with this reality. I do think it’s one of the biggest advantages that public schools have, highlighting the local rivalry games, the atmosphere at their home field, etc… I’m sure some CBSD kids choose to stay here based on having been to War Memorial for a Friday night rivalry game.
Just so we’re clear; you’re really equating a 45 minute game drive to open border enrollments?
No, I'm not doing any equating. I'm simply saying that not having on onsite practice field or a real homefield for games is a disadvantage for Roman, SJP, WC, and NG. Some look only at their obvious advantage in not having boundaries.
I would go further and say that not having boundaries--an advantage--comes with some extra problems-some could even call them disadvantages. If you're 16 and you live in Vorhees NJ or Perkasie PA where and when would you like to practice in the summer: somewhere within walking distance at, say, 9:00 am or in North Philly at 6:00 am? And during the school year, which trip home after practice would be much, much easier? SJP is not IMG where the students live in comfortable dorms a three-minute walk away from their practice facilities.
Last edited:
dude stop it
this is like saying inheriting millions is a disadvantage if they didn't leave you their house too
The travel time between SJP and Perkasie is within a few minutes of the travel time between West Lawn and Easton. I think our coaching staff would love kids from Wilson West Lawn to be eligible to play for us if they’d be interested. Throw Chad Henne on the 2003 team?
Heck, Perkasie is closer to Easton than it his to SJP, I don’t know of complaint that is a stretch to kids travel wise is a huge disadvantage for SJP. They get kids from an hour in each direction - I don’t think it’s the burden you think it is that some (but certainly not all) kids on the edge of that hour may pick somewhere closer to home.
I don’t think so. His argument all summer was that New Jersey was a hour away from SJP/ Roman.
Did you go to the game tonight? Just from following the score, it seems it was close in the first half.
Did you go to the game tonight? Just from following the score, it seems it was close in the first half.
Yeah, I went. At first I thought the game was close but once I sat with it a little it wasn’t really. The first qtr sjp center was off the mark with a few high snaps. That turned into a great field position on one and a score on another. We’ve been scoring on each team we played at a high clip but this game we sputtered. Sjp gave up a score in the first qtr but we started the possession on their 2-yard line. Their defense and special teams were the biggest difference in this game. They were able to run the ball but that didn’t hurt as much to see. 17-7 at the half and you could hear the screaming from the snack stand.
They scored coming out of the half and again our offense couldn’t get anything going. They began ripping off chunk runs of 40 and 50 yards. I counted 4 or 5 backs getting the ball, could’ve been more. The nail in the coffin to me was their 99-yard drive. Demoralizing, fans and the team lost all life it seems after that. No passing all running. That pretty much sealed it.
Another note: SJP’s defense had 3 scores in the game. Yup, 3. Not going to beat a team of that caliber like that. 2 int returns from their middle lb and a sack fumble recovery in the end zone.
No doubt Prete has this program going in the right direction. Still work to do but even with that said. I like our potential matchup with Imhotep more this year than last year. A run to the state finals is not out of the question. Chester is an interesting team I’m keeping an eye on out of District 1.
Yeah, I went. At first I thought the game was close but once I sat with it a little it wasn’t really. The first qtr sjp center was off the mark with a few high snaps. That turned into a great field position on one and a score on another. We’ve been scoring on each team we played at a high clip but this game we sputtered. Sjp gave up a score in the first qtr but we started the possession on their 2-yard line. Their defense and special teams were the biggest difference in this game. They were able to run the ball but that didn’t hurt as much to see. 17-7 at the half and you could hear the screaming from the snack stand.
They scored coming out of the half and again our offense couldn’t get anything going. They began ripping off chunk runs of 40 and 50 yards. I counted 4 or 5 backs getting the ball, could’ve been more. The nail in the coffin to me was their 99-yard drive. Demoralizing, fans and the team lost all life it seems after that. No passing all running. That pretty much sealed it.
Another note: SJP’s defense had 3 scores in the game. Yup, 3. Not going to beat a team of that caliber like that. 2 int returns from their middle lb and a sack fumble recovery in the end zone.
No doubt Prete has this program going in the right direction. Still work to do but even with that said. I like our potential matchup with Imhotep more this year than last year. A run to the state finals is not out of the question. Chester is an interesting team I’m keeping an eye on out of District 1.
i never said anything about distance, just that New Jersey is not in PA therefore New Jersey kids should not be on a PA high school football team
Exactly. U fail to mention distance bc it goes against your argument. You also believe that any team that dominates on any level must be cheating. You’ve said that plenty times.
I wasn't referring so much to distance from Jersey when I posed my question but to the location of the school, the distance to the practice site (players need to go by bus from the school and though it isn't a long trip it is what it is), and the quality (?) of the practice site. Nothing like the situations at most suburban high schools and at schools like Bosco, St. Joe's Regional, Bergen Catholic, St. John's (DC), Spalding, etc.
One thing of note is that students, at least some of the football-playing students, are coming from greater distances to go to the Prep. The school's website says that a freshman this year comes from Newark, and more guys are coming from parts of South Jersey that are much closer to the ocean than the Delaware. I suppose that's largely the result of the program's success and higher profile--the result of over 25 years of building.
Prep is in Pa.so therefore allowed in the PIAA. A couple years ago ECP had a player from Ohio that went to Penn State and now in the NFL. I didnt hear a word about that or anyone in the past from another state until Prep began its run. It seems folks are trying to find a way to oust Prep due to its winning .
not true at all, many in the WPIAL criticized ECP when they were beating Thomas Jefferson in the state playoffs
you Prep guys are very dishonest, funny considering the recent posts talking about stealing another schools quarterback
lilromeo is not, as he would be the first to say, not a Prep guy.
Yes, there was some chatter on here about whether a QB from another school might be coming to the Prep. As I recall, some (not from the Prep) reported that the QB wanted to enroll at the Prep--not that the Prep was trying to "steal" him. Anyway, not sure anyone should take what some anonymous person says on a message board as the last word.
I have heard from several people that Smith and Stewart (who are junior transfer starters for SJP this year) came to the Prep entirely on their own, i.e., they weren't "stolen" from Salem and Roman. Of course, you are free to disbelieve me.
What have Prep guys--Roxy, Bighead75, and I are the only ones on here, I think--been dishonest about?
You can't compare prep to ecp or any other school in pa including the other private schools out east. Prep is what they are but they do have advantages no other schools in pa have. I'm fine with them competing in the piaa but you can't act like thier advantages aren't great. There's a reason they are the only school doing what they are doing. They also had 2 junior in the rivals top 200 transfer in this year. Now sounds like another QB is going to transfer in.
Is that truly an advantage if others can do the same? I’m not disagreeing but it seems that Lasalle could do the same thing.
preps had 3 QBs in the last 9 years. all 4 year students at the school, all 3 year starters. my money is on the next prep QB being cut from the same.
Right Tulla, Im not a Prep guy ,but like good football . I went to the Erie Cathedral prep /CB West classic state finals years ago when ECP had many Division 1 players and I assume some were recruited. West battled them evenly winning the first and losing the second . I never heard a word about unfair advantages from people back then. West was well coached and had a solid group of players that battled against superior odds.
As someone else likes to say, here's the deal:
The big push for the PCL to join the PIAA came after 2003 when just about everyone was lamenting that SJP and North Penn, both with great teams that year, didn't play each other. Lots of NP supporters said no one could really say how good SJP was because they didn't have to go through the long and arduous PIAA playoffs in November and December.
After the PCL joined the PIAA, LaSalle played in the then 4A classification for five straight years and won one state title. It made it to Hershey one other time. When SJP first went to Hershey they were big underdogs to PCC and in fact were losing 10-7 at the half. They won 35-10. The next year there were very tight wins over Parkland and PR. In 2015 LaSalle won the PCL Red title. In 2016, the Prep barely got by North Penn; the score of the championship game against PCC may suggest a blowout, but it was 7-0 with a minute left in the half. PR beat the Prep quite decisively in 2017.
Since then the Prep has won four of five state championship games by wide margins against teams from District 3. The only championship game it lost was to a District 7 team (ML). With one exception, the games against D11 and D1 teams have been blowouts.
I mention all this to make a few larger points:
1) It's not the case that 4A and then 6A have not been competitive since the PCL joined the PIAA or since the Prep began its run;
2) It is the case that D11, D7, and D1--at least in relation to the largest school classification--have been down quite a bit for most of the last six or seven years. Maybe you could say that SJP has had something to do with the decline in D1 but not in D11 or D7.
3) SJP has been steadily building a stronger program for over 25 years--with a two-year hiccup after Brooks, some key players, and some staff left. Much of the success is based on a very good coaching staff that has been in place, for the most part, for over a decade. Lots of other "big picture " changes--especially in relation to college recruitment, ESPN, the success of some SJP grads in college and the NFL, etc.--are driving more kids/families towards SJP. SJP itself hasn't changed anything essential about the way they run the program, e.g., they've always had a lot of players from Jersey, but it seems more kids from the edges of the Philly area and even beyond are willing to make long commutes to and from SJP each day.
Many things could change the picture: a few coaches could leave or retire; other schools in the area (LaSalle, Roman, IMHOTEP, Northeast, Malvern or another INTER-AC school, Paul VI, Bishop Eustace, or Big Picture Academy (?) in Jersey, etc.) could significantly improve their programs (as some are already trying to do), or something serious could happen internally (there was an academic cheating scandal involving some football players almost 20 years ago that had a real impact). One thing I'd bet on: the situation won't be nearly the same five years from now.
Could but they choose not to spend their money on the football team or may not have the money. Not all schools are willing to fly their team across the country, pay for their hotels so the team can play on ESPN. Plus they might not get the same donations from alumni or for the football program. The closest thing in Pa that I see to sjp football team is Imhotep's basketball team. I believe they play in the city of palms classic in Florida every year and play I a national schedule where the players way is paid for. Theres reasons top talent from NJ and Philly are going to prep. I don't mind them competing in the piaa playoffs but the prep guys on this board act like prep has the same advantages as every other school in pa.
well you seem to think not having a home field is a huge disadvantage that somehow evens the playing field for the rest of Pa
many complained but ECP didn't dominate for a decade and counting, that probably lessened the complaints
Not having an onsite practice field and a home field for games is more than a minor disadvantage but I never said it was huge or that it offset the advantage of not having boundaries.
There are lots of schools in SE PA that don't have boundaries--all the PCL and Inter-AC schools, and the other Catholic schools--and all the PPL schools have the whole city to draw from. So it can't be that not having boundaries is the main reason SJP is much stronger than those other schools in SE PA. It's not money either.
I’m asking do they have the opportunity to do as sjp or any private ? Like someone mentioned it’s up to the school to invest their money where they would like. Roman invested in basketball for years and we’re now beginning to put those funds into football. Could all schools do it at SJP’s level ? Of course not. Do I believe more could if they invest in their program properly? Absolutely
It's worth keeping in mind that nobody who goes to a public school pays a penny for tuition, books, transportation, etc. Even the relatively few students who get "full rides" at SJP and other private schools have to pay quite a bit for non-tuition expenses. And if a family is rich, even if the son is a great football player, they pay substantial tuition. If you think Jon Runyon went to the Prep for free, you're deluded.
As an alum of Roman and someone who is privy to the inside operation of the school, I can assure you the school is NOT investing in the football program. There is a TON of work being done by the members of the program, staff, coaches and other significant members who work in the school. But the school itself isn’t making it a point to invest in the program.
tulla- public schools families pay property taxes, activity fees, some equipment, it's not all "free" and there is NEVER a full-ride for taxes!
ALL families pay property taxes; no public school families pay tuition or pay for books or transportation.
Put it another way: families whose children go to public schools and who pay property taxes pay no more than families whose children go to private schools.
Investing isn’t always monetary. I believe there’s plenty of schools with money but scheduling, recruiting, parent participation is far better now than when my sons attended. Roman’s presence in the city is levels above the Murphy’s era.
Good point. My opinion is that both can be true. I coach youth football in the city and there is a buzz around Roman Catholic with all the kids and parents. I’m told next years schedule will test the willingness of the school to take the next step.