Tommy Hatton and St. Joseph Regional will look to score a big victory on Saturday against St. Edward.
Photo by Vin Carchietta
When the final buzzer sounded on St. Joseph Regional's 31-18 road victory over McDonogh last Friday night, it was a huge relief for first-year head coach Augie Hoffmann.
He had just notched his first career victory.
"It was kinda looming over me, over us," he said. "I felt great to get it Week One and get it out of the way. Now we're settled in."
The long-time assistant for
St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) took over for 300-game winner Tony Karcich in the offseason. Karcich remains the school's athletic director.
Along with offensive coordinator Rob Stern, Karcich, Hoffmann and the Green Knights' staff worked together during the offseason to line up the team's schedule, which in recent years has increasingly featured out-of-state teams.
One team that came up early in the process was a school St. Joseph Regional had been in touch with a year before:
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio).
St. Joseph Regional agreed to travel to Cleveland, where they'll take on the Northeast Ohio powerhouse on Saturday afternoon.
"(They're a) great program, obviously nationally-recognized year-in and year-out," Hoffmann said.
This year, St. Edward is a particularly stiff test. The Eagles enter Saturday's game as the No. 2 team nationally in the
MaxPreps Top 25 Composite.
Brett Kean, St. Edward
Photo by Scott Mapes
St. Joseph Regional is a clear underdog against a team that has averaged nearly 43 points per game this season.
Quarterback
Brett Kean, a returning starter from a year ago, jumps out on tape, according to Hoffmann.
"I think the command that the quarterback has of the offense, that's clear," he said. "They do a real nice job of throwing the ball around."
He compared their approach to the game to that of St. Joseph's Regional's Thanksgiving rival, Don Bosco Prep.
"This is what they do. You know what Don Bosco does. St. Edward is the same way," he said. "They believe in their front. They run to the ball. They have a nice system that works for them."
Hoffmann's own team is somewhat green at certain positions, after graduating a senior class that helped execute one of the finest seasons in school history.
However, all of the talk and hype surrounding last year's team has proven to be motivation for this year's squad.
"I think the kids are sick of hearing about it," Hoffmann said, "We've had great teams here in the past. You're always held to the standard of the year before. I really think they're tired of hearing about last year's team."
The 2014 St. Joseph Regional team took a big step toward carving out its own identity in its
victory over McDonogh (Md.)
In that game, junior
John Giles-Harris rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns while new quarterback
Jack Walsh completed 8 of 15 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown.
The defense swarmed McDonogh, accounting for five sacks and two blocked punts. It will need that caliber of effort if St. Joseph Regional is to beat St. Edward on the road.
Working in St. Joseph Regional's favor is New Jersey's success in interstate competition, something which the Green Knights have contributed to greatly,
posting an 11-1 record since 2004, with the lone loss coming on the road, 14-10, against Our Lady of Good Counsel of the Washington (D.C.) Catholic Athletic Conference.
St. Edward has also excelled in interstate competition, posting a 23-2 record since 2004. One of its losses
did come to Don Bosco Prep. Hoffmann said he's pulled that game tape from the archives to study it.
"I've been watching everything I can get my hands on," he said.
Fans can watch the game, one of the
Top 10 Games of the Week,
on livestream or follow the
play-by-play in real-time on Qwixcore.
