The 2004 regular season was capped by a thrilling 25-20 victory over Gonzaga. The game, marked by a half-dozen lead changes, ended with St. John’s on top thanks to a 76-yard fumble recovery by junior safety Stephon Hampton.
The season, though, had several other highlights. Senior Rico McCoy was named an All-American. He later was named captain for the Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio that was televised on NBC. He led SJC in tackles and was the heart of the defense. He was joined by fellow Mush Dubofsky Award winner Kevin Maroney, who led the team in sacks and tackles for loss. In the secondary, senior J.J. Johnson led the team in both interceptions and passes defensed. Johnson, Maroney, and McCoy all received first-team all-conference honors.
On the offensive side, Jay Bluford guided the Cadets, leading the team in both rushing and passing. His favorite target was E.J. Wynn, who was named first-team all-conference at wide receiver. Junior Mike Ward was the other first-team all-conference selection on offense. He was joined by fellow juniors Drew Luongo and Ryan Whyte in helping pave the way for captain Jerel Brown at running back. Kai Blagburn was a standout kicker for the Cadets as he consistently gave the defense good field position and booted five field goals.
The 2004 season began with an exciting 16-13 victory over Calvert Hall when Blagburn nailed a field goal with no time remaining. The Cadets jumped out to a 4-1 start, thanks to wins over Mt. St. Joe’s (35-13), McNamara (33-7), and Paul VI (35-14). Their only loss at that point was to Pennsylvania powerhouse Downingtown East, who finished the year 8-2.
In their first meeting with DeMatha, the Cadets jumped out to a two-touchdown lead but couldn’t hold on. St. John’s rebounded with consecutive wins against Carroll (28-6) and O’Connell (46-7). The 25-20 win over Gonzaga capped a 7-3 regular season. It was Coach Joe Patterson’s first season as the head varsity coach. “I was fortunate to have a great staff and great group of kids to work with,” said Coach Patterson.