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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 VARSITY SCHEDULE

DATE TIME OPPONENT LOCATION
8-18 7:00 Jones (preseason)

Orlando

8-25 7:30 Wharton Jesuit
9-1 7:00 Treasure Coast Port St. Lucie
9-8 7:30 Miami Columbus Jesuit
9-22 7:30 Armwood Jesuit
9-29 7:30 Leto Leto
10-6 7:30 Bishop Verot Jesuit
10-13 7:30 Gaither (Homecoming) Jesuit
10-20 7:30 Tampa Bay Tech Tampa Bay Tech
10-27 7:30 Hillsborough Jesuit
11-3 7:30 Tampa Catholic Jesuit

 

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