By Joseph Staszewski
Vince O’Connor has a special feeling when it comes to quarterback Jack Hurley and it has nothing to do with what he can do on a football field.
The legendary St. Francis Prep coach’s grandson, Dylan King, one of the team’s captains, said that in the cafeteria Hurley will pick up papers that not only fall off his lunch table, but two and three tables away. At a practice last week, backup quarterback William Gluck was talked to by assistant Coach Patrick Keena about playing a little harder.
The 5-foot-9, 150-pound Hurley immediately pulled the junior over and said he should play like he is gunning for his job.
“The kids learn to respect that,” O’Connor said. “That gives him a big dimension of strength as a leader.”
Hurley is just happy to be able to get this opportunity under center after watching from the sidelines last season. He isn’t the fastest on his feet, but O’Connor feels he can throw well enough to get all the Terriers offensive weapons involved. SFP will go back to its traditional belly power running attack after using the spread the last few years.
The speed begins at wide receiver with three-year starters Rhamel Joseph and Kadir Wisdom, and Joey Troina. Junior Justin Guerre, who runs a 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, and Pierangelo Licata are blazers in the backfield. Guerre led the junior varsity to within a point of the title game. Tight end Jason Jovic has preliminary interest from C.W. Post and Rutgers. Steven Wasserfall will be at center and be flanked by King, O’Connor’s grandson and Sean Coffey, who are both close to 300 pounds, at the tackle spots.
“I feel like we’re stronger on everything on offense,” Hurley said. “The speed is a plus, obviously.”
Terrance Stackpole, Kevin Brown and Rob Wright will anchor the linebackers. Shot put star Edward Arzooman is the top returning defensive lineman, the versatile Joseph will start at safety and Michael Whitman will be at one of the corner spots.
This Terriers group is motivated by how last season ended, after moving down from the CHSFL Class AAA. They were kept out of the ‘AA’ playoffs despite a 4-3 record, thanks to a coin toss and three-way tie. The Terriers were upset by Bishop Ford, a team they beat during the regular season, in the Class A final.
“That’s never happening again,” Stackpole said.
It drove the players immediately into St. Francis prep’s new weight-lifting facility, named after O’Connor, immediately after the season ended. They ran and lifted like they had never before.
“As a whole, we kind of surprised the coaches,” Joseph said. “They didn’t know we were going to come out [like that].”
Now they finally get a chance to see how the hard work translates onto the football field and erase the memories of the disappointing finish.
“That coin toss was heartbreaking,” Troina said. “We felt like we had something to prove. That’s what we are coming with, something to prove.”
