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 2024 season, Jesuit has earned Region titles in 7 of the past 9 seasons. Since 2015, the Tigers are 102-21 overall, including the 15-0 State Championship campaign in 2021 in which Jesuit defeated Top 10 nationally ranked 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 DB Drew Woodaz '24 (Clemson ), DL Peter Pesansky '24 (North Carolina), WR Willy Suarez '24 (Florida State), WR Bryson Goodwin '24 (Temple), LB Troy Bowles '23 (Georgia), WR Jarriett Buie '23 (Iowa), RB Jo Smith '23 (Temple), DB Andre Gilbert '23 (Navy), OL Wesley Shaw '23 (Army West Point), LB A.J. Cottrill '22 (Florida State), WR Junior Vandeross '22 (Toledo), LB Wade Woodaz '22 (Clemson), WR Jaydn Girard '22 (Wake Forest), DB Caleb Williams '22 (Furman), LB Brett Gerena '20 (Army West Point), OL Connor McLaughlin '20 (Stanford), and OL Trevor Mayberry '20 (Stanford).

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 23 of the past 24 seasons, including a record-setting 66-35 victory in 2023 that continued a streak of winning 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 that evening, won his 100th game. He now has 118 wins in 11 seasons.

Many Jesuit alumni have played in the NFL, including current players Dane Belton '19 (New York Giants) and Malik Davis '17 (Dallas Cowboys). Davis ranks among the prep players in Hillsborough County history 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.

2024 COACHING STAFF

VARSITY

MATT THOMPSON, P ’21 – Head Coach
DARRELL PALMER – Defensive Coordinator
DON MESICK – Offensive Coordinator 
DEREK BACHMAN – Running Backs
BRIAN CALLAHAN ’91, P ’22, ’25 – Defensive Tackles
JEFF GARNER – Special Teams
GARY GIVENS, P ’24, 28 – Wide Receivers
CHUCK MCLEOD, P ’22, ’25 – Defensive Ends
ANTHONY NELSON ’18 – Defensive Line
TRISTIAN OWUSU-YAW – Cornerbacks
REY RIVEROS ’16 – Quarterbacks
CAMERON RUFF ’13 – Offensive Line
PETEY SMITH – Linebackers
PHIL SMITH ’08 –Tight Ends
JOHN TELFER – Defensive Analyst
TRE WATSON – Safeties

JV HEAD COACH
Matt Kaiser

2024 JV ROSTER

VARSITY HEAD COACH MATT THOMPSON
Year-by-Year at Jesuit

  YEAR  W-L    TITLES     SEASON END

RECORD: 118-30 (30-10 in playoffs)
TITLES: 10 District, 7 Region, 1 State