Football Team Saw A Steep Learning Curve
With a new head coach, a new program and a whole bunch of underclassmen, it’s probably not much of a surprise that the St. Joe’s football team saw its share of struggles in the unique 2021 spring season.
Especially since the Marauders play in the Monsignor Martin Athletic Association large school division that also features defending state champion Canisius and powerhouse St. Francis, a 1-3 record wasn’t a shock.
The lone win came against MMAA small school Bishop Timon, and St. Joe’s also missed two more games because of a Covid-19 pause. The record didn’t look great on paper and the Marauders were outscored 181-65, but coach Mike Corona said the experience was invaluable to his young squad.
“We treated it like spring football, so everyone got to play and everyone was learning,” Corona said. “The biggest thing was not so much the results but ‘are you improving every week?’ So from that standpoint, we were great. Obviously, we had only eight seniors out there and it’s tough to compete in a tough league like ours when you don’t have that many physically developed players.”
Individually, junior Naseem Zeigler rushed for 433 yards and five touchdowns, while sophomore quarterback Aaron Jentz threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another. Senior Jack Carey was the leading receiver with 132 yards and a pair of scores.
Zeigler earned All-Catholic honors, as did fellow junior Will Rahill and seniors Jack Carey, Sean Carey, Nick Valentino and Will Brinson.
“Our young guys got to play and they’re starting to understand what it’s like to work and learn about all the things that come together to make a varsity team,” Corona said. “So from that standpoint, I was very happy. We have about 65 returning players in the fall and we also have a large recruiting class coming in. In terms of numbers, it’s starting to look the way it’s supposed to.”
Volleyball Team Falls in MMAA Finals
With a talented and experienced squad, the St. Joe’s volleyball team had championship aspirations in 2021. Unfortunately, the Marauders ran into a pair of obstacles – one familiar and one not – as they fell just short of that goal.
The first was a 10-day mandatory break because there were cases of Covid-19 on the team, although the Marauders still forged a 5-3 record in the MMAA. They recovered in time for the playoffs, but that’s when they ran into the second obstacle in the championship – arch-rival Canisius, which won the title for the eighth straight year.
Kyle Chmiel '22 led the Marauders with 15 kills in the finals and Zach Reinhart '22 added 10 kills.
“I am proud of our team – they played hard right to the end,” St. Joe’s coach Mark Anzalone said. “We did everything we could to get back to full strength and get ready for the playoff run. Canisius played its best match of the season, and I have to give them credit for a great performance. I am happy our team had an opportunity to play, and most of the guys got back in time for the finals.”
Photo by Andrew Miller '85