Football

Jesuit football has a great tradition of success, with State Championships in 1968 and 2021 and a State runner-up finish in 1992. Entering the 2023 season, Jesuit has earned 5 straight Region titles and 7 of the past 8. Since 2015, the Tigers are 92-18 overall, including the 15-0 State Championship campaign in 2021 in which Jesuit defeated national powerhouse Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas 24-21, Miami Northwestern 37-12 in the State Semifinal, and Pensacola Pine Forest 35-29 in the State Final, finishing the year ranked No. 8 nationally by both MaxPreps and USA Today.

This success on the field has resulted in numerous Tigers annually receiving All-State recognition and signing to play major college football.  Recent such players include LB/S Troy Bowles '23 (University of Georgia), WR Jarriett Buie '23 (Iowa), RB Jo Smith '23 (Temple), LB A.J. Cottrill '22 (Florida State), WR Junior Vandeross '22 (Toledo), LB/S Wade Woodaz '22 (Clemson), WR Jaydn Girard '22 (Wake Forest), and S Caleb Williams '22 (Furman). Other Tigers currently playing college football include Jonathan Odom '20 (Florida), Connor McLaughlin '20 (Stanford), Trevor Mayberry '20 (Stanford), and Anthony Nelson '18 (Duke).

Jesuit's football teams – Varsity, JV, and Freshman squads – play in the shadow of the majestic Jesuit Bell Tower before large, raucous crowds on Alumni Field at Corral Memorial Stadium. The powerful Blue Tide student fans have helped the Tigers defeat rival Tampa Catholic 22 of the past 23 seasons, including every home game vs. TC since the 1990s. In the opening game win of the 2022 season over Wharton, head coach Matt Thompson, who was starting his 10th season at Jesuit, won his 100th game.

Many Jesuit alumni have played in the NFL, including current players Dane Belton '19 (New York Giants) and Malik Davis '17 (Dallas Cowboys). Davis is one of the greatest prep players in Hillsborough County history, and he completed his Jesuit career as the county's all-time leader in rushing (7,029 yards) and touchdowns (84) before playing for the University of Florida. Other Jesuit alumni to play in the NFL include Jay Feely '94, who was one of three finalists for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2014; Anthony Allen '06, who earned a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013; and Garrison Sanborn '03, who played 11 NFL seasons from 2009-19, including two in Tampa with the Buccaneers. See below the 2023 Jesuit football schedules, rosters, and more.

2023 JUNIOR VARSITY SCHEDULE DATE TIME OPPONENT LOCATION 9-7 7:00 Sarasota Jesuit 9-14 7:00 Clearwater C.C. Clearwater C.C. 9-21 6:00 Manatee Manatee 9-27 7:00 Blue-White Game Jesuit 10-4 7:30 Lakeland Jesuit 10-12 7:00 Lake Gibson Lake Gibson 10-18 7:30 TC Jesuit   VARSITY HEAD COACH - MATT THOMPSON  11th season at Jesuit in 2023 108-27 overall, 28-9 State playoffs 1 State Title (2021) 7 Region Titles/State Semifinals 9 District Titles United States Marine Corps 1986-91 University of South Florida Class of '95 mthompson@jesuittampa.org, (813) 877-5344, ext. 613                 2023 VARSITY ROSTER # First Last Class POS HT WT                   0 Antray Lee SO DB 5'11" 155                   1 Zion LaBarbera JR WR 5'5" 145                   2 Justin Thurman JR RB 5'11" 185                   3 Willy Suarez SR WR 5'10" 185                   4 Drew Woodaz SR SS 6'2" 185                   4 5 Carlo SJ Thompson Green FR JR WR WR 5'7'' 6'0" 140 180                   6 Trent Teeling JR WR 5'10" 160                   7 Gary Givens SR WR 6'1" 182                   8 Max Hunt JR TE 6'5" 190                   9 Mikey Vernon FR DB 5'8" 145                   10 Trip Boyle SR DB 6'2" 185                   11 Will  Griffin SO QB 6'3" 225                   12 Hezekiah Davis FR RB 5'10" 165                   13 Bryson Goodwin SR WR 6'2" 180                   14 Cole Ballesteros SO LB 6'1" 185                   15 Donovan Kolbe JR DB 6'2" 195                   16 Sammy Themar FR QB                       17 Peter Pesansky SR DL 6'3" 280                   18 Nick Thompson JR DB 5'10" 150                   19 Kaleb Smith SO WR 5'9" 155                   20 Smith Sanders SO RB 5'7" 160                                                   22 Cyrus Aboud SR ILB 5'11" 210                   23 Kaden Henderson FR LB 6-2 190Carlo                   24 Mike Brown SR LB 5'10" 180                   25 Zach Quinn JR LB 6'0" 185                   26 Cam Housey FR DB                       27 Gabe Themar SR LB 6'0" 205                   28 Matthew Mangiacco SR DB 5'11" 150                   29 William Kinsey JR RB 5'7" 180                   30 Tyler McLeod JR LB 5'10" 185                   31                               32 Blake Mitchell JR DB 6'2" 155                   33 Connor Dooly SR ILB 6'3" 208                   34 Marco Tini SO LB 5'7" 165                   35 Parker Caskey JR DB 5'8" 150                   36                               37 Tripp Keller FR DB 6'2" 170                   40 Dylan Callahan SR LB 5'9" 180                   43 Macho Menendez FR FB 6'0" 180                   44 Colton Haywood FR LB 5'9" 160                   45 Camden Haywood JR LB 6'0" 185                   47 Alex Nocco JR DL 5'11" 185                   50 Wyatt Allender SO OL 5'11" 220                   51 Gavin Blanchard JR OL 6'3" 300                   52 Hunter Hoss JR OL 5'11" 185                   53                               54 Thayne Swenson SO OL 6'1" 230                   55 Jameson Thurber SO OL 6'1" 255                   56 Luke Battaglia SO LB 6'1" 177                   58 Brian Rodriguez JR DL 5'10" 203                   60 Griffin More SR OL 6'0" 260                   61 Austin Allen SO OL                       62                               63                               64 Ray Cuevas SR OL 5'10" 240                   65 Robbie Taylor FR OL 5'10" 190                   66 Brock Stepp FR OL 5'11" 200                   67 Julian Alonso SR OL 5'10" 220                   68 Robert Bogle SO OL 6'2" 270                   70 Lucca Norton SO OL 6'4" 280                   71 Evan Rordam SR OL 6'4" 280                   72 Graham Risdon SO OL 6'2" 190                   74                               75                               77 Anthony Orsillo JR OL 5'11" 245                   80 Anthony Iacono SR K 5'5" 130                   81 Weston McCarthy SO K 5'9" 145                   83 Jac  Sansone SO WR 5'11" 160                   84 Andrew  Changsut JR WR 5'11'' 170                   87 William Wright SO WR 5'7" 135                   88 Anthony Rametta SO DL 6'3" 240                   89                               90 Frank Orsillo JR DL 6'1" 195                   94 Tucker Witte JR DL 6'2" 250                   96                               97 Pierce Luttrell SR DL 6'2" 250                   98                               99 Tyler Harper FR DL 6'2" 180

2023 JV ROSTER - COMING SOON

2023 COACHING STAFF

VARSITY

MATT THOMPSON, P ’21 – Head Varsity Football Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
DARRELL PALMER – Defensive Coordinator/DBs
DON MESICK – Offensive Coordinator/QBs 
DEREK BACHMAN – Running Backs
BRIAN CALLAHAN ’91, P ’22, ’25 – Defensive Line
JEFF CARLSON – Assistant QBs Coach
JEFF GARNER – Kickers/Punters/Long Snappers/Holders
GARY GIVENS, P ’24 – Director of Strength & Conditioning/DBs
DENNY HAYWOOD, P ’25, ’27 – Outside Linebackers
SEAN LOVE – Offensive Line
CHUCK MCLEOD, P ’22, ’25 – Inside Linebackers
TRISTIAN OWUSU-YAW – Defensive Backs
CAMERON RUFF ’13 – Offensive Line
JOHN TELFER – Outside Linebackers

JUNIOR VARSITY

MATT KAISER - Head JV Football Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
JOE DeLUCIA, P ’25 – Defensive Coordinator/ILBs
BOB RODDENBERRY ’80 – Offensive Coordinator/QBs
KYLE CRAMER – Offensive Line/Defensive Line
WESLEY FORDE – Defensive Backs
GREG HARLOW ’69, P ’10 – Offensive Line
DENIS LOPEZ, P ’21, ’22, ’23 – Outside Linebackers
BOB PICCIRILLI ’69, P ’07 – Wide Receivers
ROB TAYLOR, P ’27 – Defensive Line