2024 Hawks Football Recap

The 2024 St. Joseph’s Prep football season kicked off on a hot, sunny Saturday afternoon in Cleveland. It was a tough start for the Hawks, who lost 35-21 to St. Edward’s in the season opener. The offense struggled and the defense didn’t quite perform as expected. However, once the Hawks returned to Pennsylvania, things began to click. Just one week later, they bounced back with a dominant 44-16 win over Erasmus Hall, showcasing a phenomenal performance across all three phases of the game.

After a bye week, Coach Tim Roken’s squad traveled to Our Lady of Good Counsel in Maryland for a Friday night matchup. They squeaked out a 21-19 victory in what would be their final out-of-state game of the year. Next, the Hawks entered PCL play. Pennsylvania’s top league would once again be highly competitive. Their first PCL matchup, however, was anything but competitive. The Hawks easily dominated Father Judge 42-13 in their PCL opener, highlighted by two Jett Harrison ‘28 touchdowns.

 The next game was the most highly anticipated matchup of the s

eason so far: Prep vs. LaSalle. Upper Dublin High School was packed as the two best teams in the PCL faced off. The atmosphere was electric, with thousands of fans in attendance for this rivalry game. The first half was a defensive battle, with neither team scoring. Then came the second half. LaSalle’s 4-star quarterback Gavin Sidwar ‘26 connected with 4-star wide receiver Joey O’Brien on a deep ball to give the Explorers a 7-0 lead. The Hawks responded with a touchdown pass from Charlie Foulke ‘27 to Jamir Rowe ‘25, tying the game at 7-7. In the fourth quarter, Sidwar threw another touchdown, this time to Nick Swanson ‘25, but Foulke answered with a beautiful strike to Alijah Turner ‘25. After 48 minutes of regulation, the score was tied at 14-14, sending the game into overtime. After three overtime periods, the teams remained tied. In the fourth overtime, LaSalle’s Joey O’Brien ‘26 found Desmond Ortiz ‘25 for the game-winning touchdown. LaSalle moved to 7-0 on the year, while the Hawks dropped to 3-2.

The rest of the regular season wasn’t as dramatic. Isaiah West ‘25, who had been injured in the LaSalle game, was sidelined for the rest of the season, leaving backup Khyan Billups ‘26 to carry the load. Billups stepped up, and the entire Prep offense followed suit. The Hawks went on to defeat Cardinal O’Hara 35-14, beat Roman Catholic 48-20 at Franklin Field, and capped off the regular season with a 48-20 victory over Bonner-Prendie on senior night.

The 6A PCL Championship was a rematch between The Prep and LaSalle, this time at Wissahickon High School, once again in LaSalle's territory. The stadium was sold out, and the student sections were packed. The game began with a bang when Masiia Acrey ‘27 returned the opening kickoff 71 yards, setting up Billups for a touchdown run to give the Hawks a 7-0 lead. LaSalle answered with a touchdown from Sidwar to O’Brien, tying the game at 7 apiece. Then Rameir Hardy made a spectacular play, taking a deep ball to the house for a 14-7 Prep lead. In the second half, Billups continued his dominance, adding another touchdown to put the Hawks up 21-7. LaSalle responded with a touchdown of their own, but the Hawks held firm, and LaSalle’s fourth-down attempt in the closing moments was incomplete. The Hawks secured a 21-14 victory, ending LaSalle’s perfect season and capturing the PCL title. With the win, the Hawks clinched a spot in the 6A District 12 Championship.

In the PIAA 6A District XII Championship, the Hawks put on an impressive performance, dominating Imhotep Charter 42-0. Anthony Sacca ‘25 had a 94-yard pick-six, the offense played its best game of the season, and the defense shut out their opponent for the first time all year. The following week, in a cold, snowy quarterfinal matchup against Parkland at Pennridge High School, the Hawks won 46-7 in a well-rounded display of excellence across all phases of the game. The next week, they faced Downingtown West in the semifinals, securing a 36-7 win and earning their spot in the state championship in Mechanicsburg. The Hawks had never missed a 6A State Championship game, and that streak would not end now.

The final showdown was set: St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic, two all-boy urban prep schools competing for the state title. Since Isaiah West’s injury, Khyan Billups had stepped up all season, and he was just 58 yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards on the year. On the very first play of the game, Billups ran it to the house for an 80-yard touchdown, reaching the milestone. The Hawks were up 7-0. A drive later, Charlie Foulke then connected with Jett Harrison for a touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0. Billups wasn’t finished, as he added another touchdown run to make it 21-0. Pittsburgh Central Catholic responded with a touchdown from Jy’aire Walls, but Billups answered again with his third touchdown of the night, bringing the score to 28-7 at halftime. In the fourth quarter, with just minutes left, senior Will Vokolos ‘25 had his moment, running one in for a touchdown. The Hawks clinched the win, 35-6, capturing their third consecutive state title, the second three-peat in program history. It was the perfect ending to an incredible season, as another championship trophy was brought home to 17th & Girard.