For the second year in a row, St. John’s beat Gonzaga and earned a berth in the WCAC playoffs. This time, the Cadets downed the Eagles, 41-16, behind the play of sophomore running back Antwon Bailey (four touchdowns) and junior wide receiver and return specialist DeLonte Armstrong (two touchdowns).
The successful season was made possible by several key players. Captains Drew Luongo, Mike Ward, and Stephon Hampton anchored the team with their consistent play. Both Ward, who led the team in tackles, and Hampton, who led the team in interceptions and rushing yards, were recognized as first-team all-conference players. Ward and Luongo, a three-year starter on varsity, were awarded the Mush Dubofsky Award as the program’s top contributors.
Bailey and Hampton provided a solid punch on offense, rushing for a combined 1,316 yards, a 6.0-yard average per carry, and 13 touchdowns. Bailey and Hampton missed a combined five games due to injury, so juniors Darryl Jones and Phil Bush filled in admirably (518 yards and a 5.5-yard average). The running game was successful due to the efforts of the offensive line that included Ward (6-foot-3, 296 pounds), Luongo (6-foot-3, 266 pounds), senior Ryan Whyte (6-foot-2, 272 pounds—a three-year starter who was also named first-team all-conference), senior Triston Cappel (6-foot-4, 311 pounds), and freshman Peter White (6-foot-5, 298 pounds). Luongo missed four games due to injury, during which time junior Peter Falcone stepped in well.
In the air, junior Josh Johnson threw for 1,235 yards. His primary targets were senior Derek Waddy (357 yards) and Armstrong (276 yards). Junior tight end Tony Tucker proved to be a dual threat as a devastating blocker and sure-handed receiver. Junior Russell Scott and sophomore Anthony Coleman also both came up with clutch catches during the season.
The defense’s strength lay in the secondary of Armstrong (first-team all-conference), Hampton (first-team all-conference), Bailey, and Jones. Armstrong, Hampton, and Bailey missed a combined eight games due to injury, so Waddy, Bush, and senior James Roberts filled in. Senior Ian Glebes, the Michael Crouch Unsung Hero Award winner, was the second-leading tackler on the team from his linebacker position. He was flanked by Coleman and juniors Pat Scorah, Jamil Bussie, and Kevin Ross. On the defensive line, Ward, Tucker (who led the team in sacks), and sophomore Aaron Richardson (who led the team in tackles for loss) were the primary playmakers.
The 2005 season began with a dramatic 13-7 victory over Calvert Hall from Baltimore. The game came down to a goal-line stand on the last play of the game as the defense stuffed the Cardinal quarterback on a play that began just inches from the endzone. St. John’s lost a tough game on the road to Philadelphia powerhouse West Catholic the next week but returned home for another big win against a Baltimore team, Mt. St. Joe’s. Tucker blocked an extra point to push the game into overtime before St. John’s won the game, thanks in part to an acrobatic sideline grab by Scott.
Conference play started off poorly for the Cadets as inexperience (17 out of 22 starting positions from the previous year had moved on) and injuries (five different two-way starters missed significant portions of the season) took their toll. The Cadets entered Week Seven with a do-or-die mentality; they needed to win all of their remaining four games to make the playoffs. The players rose to the occasion, dispatching with McNamara (26-6), O’Connell (27-9), Carroll (39-6), and Gonzaga (41-16) in convincing fashion. In the WCAC semifinals, St. John’s came up short on a fourth-down conversion on a potential game-winning drive against the Good Counsel Falcons.
The team clearly matured greatly during the season and was playing its best games by the end of the year. “I was impressed with the steps the team took during the course of the year,” said second-year Head Coach Joe Patterson. “We started to hit our stride by mid-October. Hopefully we can build upon that for next year.”