No team on the North Shore (no, not even Gloucester) has been to the Super Bowl as many times as St. John’s Prep.
The Danvers parochial school is making its 12th appearance in a state championship football game this Saturday against rival Xaverian at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, with kickoff scheduled for 6:15 p.m. That’s the most of any local program since the Super Bowl era began in 1972.
Head coach Brian St. Pierre has now guided the Eagles to five Super Bowls in the last eight seasons, also a dynastic all-time best (Ed Nizwantowski took Peabody to five bowls in a 12-year span and Paul Ingram took Gloucester to four in five years, winning three times).
Three different head coaches have helmed the Eagles to the big game: Fred Glatz, Jim O’Leary and St. Pierre. That’s second only to Swampscott locally, with Stan Bondelevitch (1972), Bill Bush (1996-97), Steve Dembowski (2002-03, 2007) and Bob Serino (2019, ‘21) having done so.
While Eagles fans gear up for Saturday night’s showdown with the X-men, here’s a look at the previous 11 Prep trips to the biggest stage in Massachusetts high school football.
1982: ST. JOHN’S PREP 7, WHITMAN-HANSON 0
The school’s first official Super Bowl title capped an undefeated 9-0-1 season and was the second of coach Fred Glatz’s two state titles. His son, David, a tremendous end who went on to play at Wesleyan, scored the game’s only touchdown, and his younger son Bobby, a junior, had a drive-killing interception to help the Eagles preserve the shutout.
1991: BROCKTON 13, ST. JOHN’S PREP 7
The Eagles, led by future Harvard running back Kevin Dwan, had upset a Brockton team that was ranked No. 3 nationally a few months earlier, but lost the rematch with legend Armond Colombo’s team near the height of its prowess. St. John’s Prep was also mourning the death of junior linebacker Chip Schruender, and the way his players and coaches bonded together in the face of that tragedy remains one of coach Jim O’Leary’s proudest moments.
Dwan ran for 131 yards in the game, remarkably the 20th 100-yard effort of his high school career.
1993: PEABODY 36, ST. JOHN’S PREP 0
An injury to future Syracuse star and Miami Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad in pregame warmups didn’t help St. John’s Prep, which had blown out Xaverian on Thanksgiving to set up this All-North Shore Super Bowl. Turnovers, including an interception returned for a TD as one of Scott Marcoulier’s three scores, helped the Tanners win a runaway at Boston University’s Nickerson Field.
1997: S,T. JOHN’S PREP 25, NEW BEDFORD 0
Arguably the best team in North Shore football history left no doubt in blitzing the Whalers for head coach Jim O’Leary’s first Super Bowl crown to cap an 11-0 season. Brian Lentz ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns while catching another TD from current head coach Brian St. Pierre. The Eagles dominated the line of scrimmage and outgained New Bedford 356-196.
2002: EVERETT 13, ST. JOHN’S PREP 7
One of the most physical, hard-hitting Super Bowls in state history between regionally ranked clubs turned on its head when Everett’s Frank Nuzzo took a goal line interception 97 yards to the house late in the third quarter. The Eagles nearly tied it in the final minute but fumbled into the end zone with the Crimson Tide recovering, one of three costly turnovers for SJP.
One of only five squads in St. John’s Prep football history to start a season 11-0 (including this year), the ‘02 Eagles were a ferocious bunch led by Nick Borsetti, Jon Loyte and Jon Goff up front. Gatorade Player of the Year Matt Antonelli was lighting with the ball under his arm and Pete Frates, Steve Van Note and Chris Zardas were other standouts.
2010: EVERETT 31, ST. JOHN’S PREP 7
Tyler Coppola, who had a record 2,172 rushing yards on the year, scored from 49 yards away to give the Eagles a short lived lead in their first-ever Super Bowl game played at Gillette Stadium. Everett QB Jonathan DiBiaso broke the then-state TD passing record, though, passing Swampscott’s Kyle Beatrice along the way, and the Crimson Tide rolled to victory.
2012: ST. JOHN’S PREP 48, BROCKTON 28
Two special teams scores — a blocked punt and a kickoff return by Gerald Kahari — helped the Eagles build a 42-12 halftime lead in a rout at Bentley University. Touchdown grabs by Johnny Thomas and Alex Moore were among the many highlights for the Eagles as they capped off an 11-1 season and the school’s third-ever Super Bowl title. This was the highest scoring Division 1 Super Bowl of all-time at the time it was played.
Lucas Bavaro, James Fagan and Tucker Mathers were among the hard-hitters on the rugged St. John’s Prep defense.
2018: ST JOHN’S PREP 40, CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 22
The Prep’s first state title under coach Brian St. Pierre came in a game of runs. St. John’s raced out to a 19-0 lead only to see CM rally to go ahead, 22-19, in the third quarter.
Wes Rockett, who had 189 yards on six catches, made a circus grab in the end zone to give the Eagles the lead back. St. John’s Prep then left no doubt when Aise Pream (155 rushing yards) scored, and Rockett added another TD catch from QB Matt Crowley in the late stages to finally defeat the legendary John DiBiaso on the other sideline in the state title game.
2019: ST. JOHN’S PREP 21, CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 14
Back at Gillette Stadium for a rematch one year later, the Eagles became the first club in Prep program history to go back-to-back as state champions. A couple of early touchdowns by James Guy set the tone and QB Matt Crowley, the first Eagle signal caller to win two Super Bowls, threw a TD to Matt Duchemin for the winning points. Duchemin also had two interceptions on the day, and Anthony Fagan and Collin Taylor helped lead a ferocious defensive effort.
Then-freshman Joenel Aguero made a key catch on a scoring drive, and Santi Quiceno recovered a late CM onside kick.
2022: ST. JOHN’S PREP 13, SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL 0
In the pouring rain and a windstorm, St. John’s Prep proved that football is a three-phase game by using its special teams and one of the most star-studded defenses in school history to shut down the powerful Golden Eagles, who came in averaging over 51 points per game behind current Virginia Tech quarterback Pop Watson.
Current University of Georgia star Joenel Aguero had something to say about that, as did the superior punting game of St. John’s Prep that constantly put Springfield in miserable field position.
Carson Browne carried the ball a Herculean 38 times for 131 yards and a putaway third quarter touchdown, and Aguero hauled in the game’s initial score on a 10-yard catch. The Eagles finished 11-2 and were led by other standouts like Jesse Ofurie, Mason McSweeney, Mikey Nabbout and Stephon Patrick.
2023: XAVERIAN 31, ST. JOHN’S PREP 25
In the first state football title game between these rivals, the Eagles had a late Hail Mary chance but couldn’t convert. The Hawks got a break when St. John’s wasn’t awarded an early 2-point try that looked good and pulled away with 10 fourth quarter points.
Still, St. John’s Prep never went away as Deacon Robillard threw touchdown passes to Merrick Barlow and Gael Garcia, Jimmy Nardone scored on a short rush and Cam LaGrassa carried for 107 rushing yards.