As summer drew to a close and fall fast approached, Jack O’Connell was unsure quite what his future held.
But, for the former North Andover High star, the goal was crystal clear — to truly be “the man” at quarterback for Stonehill College — and battle tooth-and-nail to leave no doubt.
By the start of September, the battle was won, and the rest of the fall proved a smashing success.
“It meant so much to be the guy out there from start to finish this fall,” said O’Connell. “Ever since I got to Stonehill, my goal was to earn the starting job, so being named the starter from Week 1 was an amazing feeling. Firmly winning the starting role meant, to me, that I showed how much I cared through my intensity, effort, and toughness.”
O’Connell seized control of the starting quarterback job for Stonehill in camp, then delivered one of the best seasons in school history.
He stared all 12 games for the Skyhawks this fall, completing 194 of 318 passes for 1,875 yards and 15 touchdowns. That marked the eighth most passing yards and ninth most passing yard in a single season in the 37-year history of the Stonehill football program.
The redshirt junior now ranks ninth in team history with 2,555 career passing yards and 10th with 23 passing touchdowns in 17 starts over the past two seasons.
O’Connell (North Andover High class of 2022), thought, knew he would have to battle for every inch of time in a quarterback room that included former Methuen High Eagle-Tribune MVP Drew Eason.
“I knew from the start that earning the job this year was going to be a battle, and that’s something I embraced,” said O’Connell. “Even though I had started games before, and was an upperclassman, I really tried to block that out. I felt like I had to prove to my teammates every single day that I deserved to be the starter — from winter workouts all the way through the last game of the season.”
The QB opened the season with two impressive statistical performances, completing 30 of 39 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown against Sacred Heart and throwing for 269 yards and three TDs vs. Lafayette.
O’Connell truly arrived, however, when he found wide receiver Brigham Dunphy for a 34-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and 21 with 1:45 remaining in the game to give Stonehill a 13-10 victory at the University of Maine.
“The win at Maine, and specifically that fourth-and-21 touchdown pass, is probably my favorite moment of my football career to date,” he said. “Throwing that ball right on our sideline and seeing one of my closest friends and a team captain, Brigham, come down with it to give us the lead with under two minutes remaining in the game was unreal.
“That really felt like my breakout game. It was my first win as a starter, which was an incredibly fulfilling and relieving moment. The win, especially against a strong CAA opponent, and doing so in the manner we did gave us a lot of confidence. It was our first win against a CAA opponent in our program history.”
O’Connell then threw for 162 yards and a TD in a win over LIU, added 196 yards and two TDs through the air in a win over Mercyhurst and threw two TDs in a win over Saint Francis, helping Stonehill improve from one win in 2024 to four this season.
Now, he wants even more in his final year of eligibility next fall.
“I’m always going to be more focused on the team and winning games than individual numbers, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t proud of the season I had,” he said. “I hold myself to really high standards, and those expectations push me every day. At the end of the day, my mindset is that if I continue to improve in every area and play at a high level, it puts our team in the best position to win.
“The goal at the beginning of every season is always to win our conference and make the playoffs. I truly believe the program is heading in the right direction. I can’t wait to finish what I started next year.”
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