SJP in Philadelphia Magazine

[tulla]

St. Joe’s Prep Dominates Pennsylvania Football. When Does Everyone Else Get a Shot?

For the past decade, the North Philly Catholic school has run roughshod over high school football in the state. Now their vanquished foes are crying foul, and are taking the fight to Harrisburg.

www.phillymag.com

 

[bucksftball]

Whatever your thoughts are on the matter, this is by far the best article written on the subject.

Athletic Facilities St. Joseph's Preparatory School

www.sjprep.org

 

[tulla]

I agr

Whatever your thoughts are on the matter, this is by far the best article written on the subject.

Athletic Facilities St. Joseph's Preparatory School

www.sjprep.org

I agree that the Philly Mag article is good. Prep people will have quibbles, e.g. the references to players from Delaware would suggest that SJP has had more than one starter in the last decade from DE, and the way the Howley Foundation donation is discussed might make some think most of those funds are used to cover the tuition costs of football players, which is not the case. But, again, these are quibbles.

Interesting that no mention is made of the other highly successful athletic program at SJP: the crew team. Unlike football, there is an actual national championship competition for crews from Florida to Washington state, and this year--as in many years--the Prep was the best high school crew at the Youth Nationals. What does this have to do with football? Only in relation to the similar ambition and demands required to reach and stay at a certain level.

Also interesting is the comment that the football success has not been tied to increased alumni donations, i.e., donations are up but not because of football. It's certainly true that you usually don't see many alumni at games, but that may have a lot to do with the fact that the Prep's "home field" seems to change every year or two and is sometimes far from where most alumni--and students--live.

 

[bucksftball]

I agr

I agree that the Philly Mag article is good. Prep people will have quibbles, e.g. the references to players from Delaware would suggest that SJP has had more than one starter in the last decade from DE, and the way the Howley Foundation donation is discussed might make some think most of those funds are used to cover the tuition costs of football players, which is not the case. But, again, these are quibbles.

Interesting that no mention is made of the other highly successful athletic program at SJP: the crew team. Unlike football, there is an actual national championship competition for crews from Florida to Washington state, and this year--as in many years--the Prep was the best high school crew at the Youth Nationals. What does this have to do with football? Only in relation to the similar ambition and demands required to reach and stay at a certain level.

Also interesting is the comment that the football success has not been tied to increased alumni donations, i.e., donations are up but not because of football. It's certainly true that you usually don't see many alumni at games, but that may have a lot to do with the fact that the Prep's "home field" seems to change every year or two and is sometimes far from where most alumni--and students--live.

My favorite line was Infante explaining that he didn't "recruit", he "marketed". Just shows the absurdity of the system that both bans the practice and openly allows it to occur. (And obviously not exclusive to SJP, it's the reality at schools all over the state including publics who raid other publics for players.)

 

[HSFB99]

Infante had a go-to line when people brought up the recruiting re: SJP, “I do the same thing everyone else does; I just do it better.”

 

[BradlyPitt]

Infante had a go-to line when people brought up the recruiting re: SJP, “I do the same thing everyone else does; I just do it better.”

why didn't he prove it by going to a public school and doing the same thing?????

 

[paul from philly]

why didn't he prove it by going to a public school and doing the same thing?????

Because he already had the job at St. Joe's. There's that.

 

[2020sports]

wow- i have tried to stay objective- and not "cry that things are unfair" for SJP.

but this thread?? SJP clearly follows very different rules than 95% of other PA schools. "calling it marketing instead of recruiting?" that's ridiculous. It sounds like Brooks "openly recruited" and then Infante "aggressively marketed" over a span of like 20 years? No friggin wonder. Same basic thing. If that was "allowed" in WPIAL, then PCC would likely be "just as big and good as SJP." for those two programs, state titles in the last 10 years- maybe 8 to 0?

The Philly area clearly has not had consistent and strict rules for HS football in the last 10-15 years, maybe longer? I can tell you, having been "in and around" WPIAL HS FB for 30 years, that crap is rare and not "commonly accepted" in the Pgh area.

And Paul? cmon. The reason why Infante did not "go to a public school?" Cuz he had the SJP job? nope. The biggest reasons why he "worked so hard to make the program great" was because he was "dedicated to the great program?" nope.

His reasons, imo, were that he was making SJP "high profile" to further his career. Lots of PA coaches work hard for 20 years, maybe make 15k, in addition to their "day job. " Some lucky ones have a school job- maybe crack 6 figures- make 100k.

Infante went from Temple, to PSU, now Duke. Probably now making SEVEN figures- assistant head coach? Coordinators at P4 now make 1 million. I wonder about the coach now, Roken? Maybe he does the same thing in a couple of years?

 

[tulla]

wow- i have tried to stay objective- and not "cry that things are unfair" for SJP.

but this thread?? SJP clearly follows very different rules than 95% of other PA schools. "calling it marketing instead of recruiting?" that's ridiculous. It sounds like Brooks "openly recruited" and then Infante "aggressively marketed" over a span of like 20 years? No friggin wonder. Same basic thing. If that was "allowed" in WPIAL, then PCC would likely be "just as big and good as SJP." for those two programs, state titles in the last 10 years- maybe 8 to 0?

The Philly area clearly has not had consistent and strict rules for HS football in the last 10-15 years, maybe longer? I can tell you, having been "in and around" WPIAL HS FB for 30 years, that crap is rare and not "commonly accepted" in the Pgh area.

And Paul? cmon. The reason why Infante did not "go to a public school?" Cuz he had the SJP job? nope. The biggest reasons why he "worked so hard to make the program great" was because he was "dedicated to the great program?" nope.

His reasons, imo, were that he was making SJP "high profile" to further his career. Lots of PA coaches work hard for 20 years, maybe make 15k, in addition to their "day job. " Some lucky ones have a school job- maybe crack 6 figures- make 100k.

Infante went from Temple, to PSU, now Duke. Probably now making SEVEN figures- assistant head coach? Coordinators at P4 now make 1 million. I wonder about the coach now, Roken? Maybe he does the same thing in a couple of years?

You seem to think that going from SJP to Temple to PSU, etc. was a kind of automatic process. When Infante started at the Prep, the program was in disarray. The big-name players almost all left when brooks left and the first year with Infante they were 4-7. As for his career since, at each school he gets evaluated and each move comes with a risk. Nobody put a gun to anyone's head at PSU and told them to hire Infante. And I would bet just about anything that Infante is not making seven figures. If Duke's defense plays badly this year--or they bring in a new hc--Infante could be gone

As for Roken, this will be his 15th year coaching at SJP--his sixth as head coach. If it was all about advancing his career, he'd have been gone by now.

Yes, there are some big differences between SJP's program and that of most schools. But you should recognize that with SJP's advantages come several risks. It's a bit of a high-wire act. Lots of kids come to the school expecting they'll be starters, maybe that they'll be featured on ESPN, but that may not happen for many. Also, every year they lose players, some very talented ones, because of the academic demands. Being consistently good doesn't come automatically.

The idea that PCC could easily do the same if only the WPIAL were less strict is fanciful.

 

[2020sports]

You seem to think that going from SJP to Temple to PSU, etc. was a kind of automatic process. When Infante started at the Prep, the program was in disarray. The big-name players almost all left when brooks left and the first year with Infante they were 4-7. As for his career since, at each school he gets evaluated and each move comes with a risk. Nobody put a gun to anyone's head at PSU and told them to hire Infante. And I would bet just about anything that Infante is not making seven figures. If Duke's defense plays badly this year--or they bring in a new hc--Infante could be gone

As for Roken, this will be his 15th year coaching at SJP--his sixth as head coach. If it was all about advancing his career, he'd have been gone by now.

Yes, there are some big differences between SJP's program and that of most schools. But you should recognize that with SJP's advantages come several risks. It's a bit of a high-wire act. Lots of kids come to the school expecting they'll be starters, maybe that they'll be featured on ESPN, but that may not happen for many. Also, every year they lose players, some very talented ones, because of the academic demands. Being consistently good doesn't come automatically.

The idea that PCC could easily do the same if only the WPIAL were less strict is fanciful.

never said it would be "easy" for PCC to do what SJP has done. but maybe just as, or almost as good. I'm pretty sure most would agree that in Pa, PCC is the "most similar" to prep, but the result in the last 10-15 is so much different. Even for North Allegheny, they have tremendous resources, good program, and got crushed by prep, it just makes no sense. Part of the reason is wpial is much more strict than the Philly area- another reason is having different rules for private/non-boundary. As i have said before- im not sure the answer is to have seperate playoffs- maybe the answer is to have rules be more consistent from "district to district"

idk

 

[tulla]

never said it would be "easy" for PCC to do what SJP has done. but maybe just as, or almost as good. I'm pretty sure most would agree that in Pa, PCC is the "most similar" to prep, but the result in the last 10-15 is so much different. Even for North Allegheny, they have tremendous resources, good program, and got crushed by prep, it just makes no sense. Part of the reason is wpial is much more strict than the Philly area- another reason is having different rules for private/non-boundary. As i have said before- im not sure the answer is to have seperate playoffs- maybe the answer is to have rules be more consistent from "district to district"

idk

Scranton Prep and then LaSalle are the schools most similar to SJP.