Someone mentioned to me the other day that St. Joe's Prep maybe playing some of their home games at Widener. Thought that was odd but remembered they aren't exactly enamored with their current deal at PW. Anyone hear this rumor? If true just think on any given Friday and Saturday night in the fall you could see West Catholic and St. Joes play in Chester.
St. Joe's home games
- Thread starter IAdelco
- Start date
Smart move by Prep-lots of Delaware County kids on their roster, easy to access from here in Chester County, easy to get to from over the bridge. I'm sure finances dictated this but it can only help them.
Just hope he doesn't get any DTown kids!!!!
Just hope he doesn't get any DTown kids!!!!
Right Huck. How many years was it seeing O'Hara-Carroll, me just missing you. Anyway, it's a nice venue.
I honestly feel the Prep will lose a lot of fan base attendance from Bucks/NE Philly but most likely an increase from Chester/Delaware Counties with this change. Access from the turnpike has always been an advantage getting to and from PW.
Will the Prep still have some home Saturday day games with the new venue?
Will the Prep still have some home Saturday day games with the new venue?
Lets be honest, SJP get better support from it's fans than most schools in PCL but it's not nearly what it use to be. Moving to Widener will keep some away!
Just wondering when you think support/attendance was better? I'd say it was from around 2000 to around around 2006, though at least a couple of the Thanksgiving games against Malvern at Villanova drew a big crowd. And of course all the LaSalle games have drawn well.
All the changes in the league probably haven't helped. O'Hara used to be a big game for a while. The Wood game was developing into a real rivalry--games for four straight years--but then it was dropped (not, I understand, by the Prep). Some years Roman and Judge were good games--with SJP losing some--but in the last few years they haven't been competitive (except for this past year's Judge game).
Playing a couple of games out of the area every year may be a good idea in some respects, but it doesn't help with attendance. Is it also the case that the players are increasingly less likely to come from grade schools where lots of other students go to the Prep? This may reduce the sense of connectedness students in general feel with the students on the team. I wouldn't necessarily be critical of this phenomenon--if it's the case--since it may reflect demographic changes, especially in relation to which kids are seriously into playing football, that are unfolding with a kind of inevitability.
Widener will at least be easier for most Prep supporters in Jersey--as well as for lots in Delco.
CYO,
According to published reports from their CEO, Chick-Fil-A has been unable to secure a vending location at the newly formed Food Court that will be unveiled just for SJP home games at Widener Univ.
SJP Board of Trustees have decided that an upgrade in the culinary offerings would serve the Prep fan base in a more appropriate manner. Therefore some of the Phila. area restaurants have partnered with SJP to offer this unique satellite operation. They include Vetri, Lacroix, Capital Grille, Moshulu, Davio's and Ocean Prime.
Accompanying the Food Court will be the highly anticipated merchandise outlet shops, to be run by the "Mothers of SJP Football Club". For a current listing, please refer to the "Shops of Bal Harbour" store directory. They will conveniently open 2 hours prior to kick-off and will close 90 minutes following the conclusion of Prep games.
Plenty of wonderful times ahead for the Prep Football program..