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 2025 season, Jesuit has earned Region titles in 7 of the past 10 seasons. Since 2015, the Tigers are 109-25 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 in the State Semifinal (37-12), and Pensacola Pine Forest in the State Final (35-29 ), finishing the year ranked No. 8 nationally by both MaxPreps and USA Today.

Numerous Tigers annually receive All-State recognition and signing to play major college football.  Recent such players include RB Justin Thurman '25 (Kansas), WR S.J. Green '25 (North Dakota St.), 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/Michigan), WR Jarriett Buie '23 (Iowa), RB Jo Smith '23 (Temple), DB Andre Gilbert '23 (Navy), OL Wesley Shaw '23 (Army West Point), OL Tre'Quan Alexander '22 (Rhode Island), 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. The football  facility was spectacularly refurbished for the 2025 season, with the Chatterton '05 Family Scoreboard, a 16-foot high x 32-foot wide screen made by Nevco, Inc., with a 10mm pixel pitch and 480x960 pixel matrix, creating a dynamic stadium atmosphere, and new turf installed, the cutting-edge RootZone 3D3 Blend 52 field turf by AstroTurf , which is FIFA-rated.

The powerful Blue Tide student fans have helped the Tigers defeat rival Tampa Catholic 24 of the past 25 seasons, including a record-setting 66-35 victory in 2023 that continued a streak of winning every home game vs. TC since the 1990s. Head coach Matt Thompson, won his 100th game at Jesuit in the opening game of 2022 (at the start of his 10th season), and he now has 125 wins in 12 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. 

Announcer John Pedrero '81 is on the livestream call of almost all Jesuit football games on the Jesuit Tigers Sports Network on YouTube, youtube.com/@JesuitTigersSportsNetwork.

2025 COACHING STAFF

VARSITY

Head Coach
MATT THOMPSON, P ’21 – Head Coach

Coordinators
DON MESICK – Offense
DARRELL PALMER – Defense
 
Assistants
DEREK BACHMAN – Tight Ends
BRIAN CALLAHAN ’91, P ’22, ’25 – Defensive Line
CHUCK MCLEOD, P ’22, ’25 – Inside Linebackers
TRISTIAN OWUSU-YAW – Cornerbacks
CAMERON RUFF ’13 – Offensive Line
MARK SANTUCCI – Wide Receivers
ERIC SMITH – Running Backs
PETEY SMITH – Outside Linebackers
TRE WATSON – Safeties
RICHARD WILLIAMS – Video

Livestream Announcer
JOHN PEDRERO '81
youtube.com/@JesuitTigersSportsNetwork

JUNIOR VARSITY

JV Head Coach
Matt Kaiser
mkaiser@jesuittampa.org

2025 JV ROSTER

TEAM PHYSICIAN

Dr. Amir Shirmohammad '93 of Trinity Family Physicians and MyDoc Concierge of Tampa Bay

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

  YEAR  W-L    TITLES     SEASON END

RECORD: 125-34 (31-11 in playoffs)
TITLES: 11 District, 7 Region, 1 State

NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION - TAMPA CHAPTER
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD WINNERS

Since 2021
2024 Zach Quinn, Trent Teeling, Justin Thurman, Tucker Witte
2023 Cyrus Aboud, Gary Givens, Evan Rordam, Willy Suarez, Drew Woodaz
2022 Kyle Boyes, Jarriett Buie, Kevin Doherty, Cayden Fluker, Holton Roberts, Cale Shwedo
2021 Liam Conroy, A.J. Cottrill, Carter French, Wayne Quin, Jonah Tran, Caleb Williams, Wade Woodaz

1968 - 2020
1968 Frank Massari; 1969 Greg Harlow; 1973 Phil Porter; 1974 Mike Wolf; 1975 Mark McGee; 1978 Domenic Reina; 1979 Todd Kocourek, David Retherford; 1982 David Long; 1983 Greg Harper; 1984 Max Polo; 1985 Todd Timmerman; 1986 Jose Jozik; 1987 Derrick Biao; 1989 Steve Seone David Vaughan; 1990 Greg Godsey; 1991 Nate Tyrrell; 1992 Troy Kent, Andre Kirwan; 1993 Tony Bianchi, Dave Meurer, Court Wolbe; 1994 Jay Feely, Kirk Willett; 1995 Joey Camero, Jason Delgado; 1996 Joe Girgenti; 1997 George Godsey; 1998 Chuck Leonard, Ariel Rodriguez, David Wasielewski; 1999 Matt Britten, Jason Doyle, Gary Godsey, Mike Martin, Bryan Ramm; 2000 John Davidson, Nick Jones; 2001 Xavier Beitia, Eric Conway, Nick Gilman, Mike Muniz; 2002 David Ochotorena, Chris Sullivan; 2003 Dylan McCrory, Garrett Rivas, Shane Robinson, Anthony Severino; 2004 Daniel Holder, Davey May, A.J. Smith; 2005 Chris Chatterton, Brant McKown; 2006 Nicholas Plasencia; 2007 Kevin Valenti; 2008 John Plasencia; 2009 Michael Lamoureux; 2010 Robbie Amor; 2011 Bryce Walker; 2012 Max Chillura, Matt McDonald; 2015 Brendon Wamsley, Clark Bulleit; 2016 Michael Swenson; 2018 Jaden Pask; 2019 Connor McLaughlin, Raleigh Oxendine, Spencer Williams

JESUIT FOOTBALL RECORDS

INDIVIDUAL
Most TD Scored (career) - 84 - Malik Davis ’17 (2013-16)
Most TD Scored (season) - 33 - Malik Davis ’17 (2016)
Most TD Scored (game) - 6 - Will Glover ’99 (1997)
Most Rushing Yards (career) - 7,029 - Malik Davis ’17 (2013-16)
Most Rushing Yards (season) - 2,469 - Malik Davis ’17 (2016)
Most Rushing Yards (game) - 357 - Malik Davis ’17 (2015 vs. TC)
Most TD Passes (career) - 76 - Will Griffin ’26 (2022-24)
Most TD Passes (season) - 35 - Joe Pesansky ’21 (2020)
Most TD Passes (game) - 7 - Will Griffin ’26 (2023 vs. TC)
Most Passing Yards (career) - 7,270 - Will Griffin ’26 (2022-24)
Most Passing Yards (season) - 3,404 - Will Griffin ’26 (2023)
Most Passing Yards (game) - 479 - Gary Godsey ’99 (1998 vs. Monsignor Pace)
Most TD Receptions (career) - 24 - Jaydn Girard ’22 (2019-2021)
Most TD Receptions (season) - 13 - Willy Suarez ’24 (2023), Curtis Suchan ’68 (1967) 
Most Receptions (season) - 76 - Andre Kirwan ’92 (1991)
Most Receptions (game) - 16 - Will Glover ’99 (1998 vs. Monsignor Pace)
Most Receiving Yards (game) - 242 - Junior Vandeross ’22 (2020 vs. Orlando Jones)
Most Receiving Yards (season) - 1,232 - Willy Suarez ’24 (2023)
Most Receiving Yards (career) - 1,967- Junior Vandeross ’22 (2018-2021)
Most All-Purpose Yards (game) - 414 - Kevin Valenti ’07 (2006 vs. St. Petersburg Catholic)
Best Punt Return Average (season) - 28.3 - Travell Harris ’17 (2016)
Best Kickoff Return Average (season) - 42.5 - Willy Suarez ’24 (2023)
Most Tackles (career) - 520 - A.J. Cottrill ’22 (2019-2021)
Most Tackles (season) - 208 - A.J. Cottrill ’22 (2020)
Most Tackles (game) - 25 - Zach Quinn ’25 (2023 vs. Pinellas Park)
Most Interceptions (Season) - 9 - Evalio Harrell Jr. ’03 (2002)
Most Interceptions (Game) - 4 - Evalio Harrell Jr. ’03 (2002)
Most Fumble Recoveries (Season) - 7 - Kent Corral ’69, David Vaughan ’89, Mike McLaughlin ’91, Court Wolbe ’93
Most Field Goals (Season) - 14 - Jay Feely ’94 (1992)
Longest Field Goal - 53 yds - David Wasielewski ’98 (1997)

TEAM
Fewest Yards Allowed (Game)  -  9  -  Sept. 4, 2015 vs. Trinity Catholic
Most Points Scored (Game)  -  77  -  Oct. 8, 2010 vs. Lennard
Most Shutouts (Season)  -  7  -  2021
Most Consecutive Wins vs. Opponent  -  22  -  vs. TC (2000 -2021)
Most Wins (Season)  -  15  -  2021
State Championships: 1968 (HC Bill Minahan), 2021 (HC Matt Thompson)
Head Coach Wins  -  132  -  Bill Minahan (1966-85, 132-78), Dominick Ciao (1986-2002, 132-60)