Eric Keppeler '85
Sports Writter
If football is won and lost in the trenches, then the St. Joe’s Marauders ought to be in pretty good shape this fall.
Heading into the 2025 campaign, the team boasts 10 linemen that are at least 6 feet tall and 250 pounds – and head coach Mike Corona couldn’t be happier.
“This is the biggest offensive line we’ve had in the five years that I’ve been here,” Corona said. “These guys are all big – they’re lifting heavily and they’re sprinting. We’re in incredible shape. I expect that not only are they going to be big, but they can also go through the whole game.”
Corona, who was last year’s Monsignor Martin Athletic Association Coach of the Year, will be looking to help his team improve on last season’s 6-4 record – which was highlighted by a dramatic overtime playoff win against St. Francis before they fell to Canisius in the MMAA championship game.
The 23-20 playoff semifinal win over St. Francis was the program’s first since an 18-13 win over St. Francis in 2017.
“That was really important to show the younger kids that, yes, you can do it,” Corona said. “And once they see that you can do it, it becomes much easier to push the rock up the hill. Now they don’t go out there hoping to win, they expect to win.”
The Marauders graduated 30 seniors from last year’s team, but they been able to admirably fill those holes with players from a junior varsity squad that lost one game last year and a freshman team that only lost two.
Corona also welcomes back a pair of All-Catholic linebackers in seniors David Amukah and Stone Rozak. Amukah is 6-3, 225 pounds and will also run the football, while the 6-4, 245-pound Rozak will also play tight end.
Other returning seniors include big linemen Ben Foglia and Cole Reilly; running back Davion Becker; and punter Eli Robinson, who this year expanded his skill set and will play receiver and defensive back.
The junior class is where most of the linemen reside, and that group of giants includes Max Dispenza, Wyatt Giarla, Lukas Bollman, DarMaine Ubilies and Malcolm Ransom.
Other key juniors include running back Owen Kicinski; linebacker Damone Harden; and Brendan Keil – who steps into the signal calling role after starting as quarterback for last year’s JV team.
Sophomore Carter Petri – who’s also a standout soccer player – gives the offense another weapon as a kicker with good range and accuracy.
Camrhyn Chinn, who transferred in from Lockport, will see time at receiver and defensive back.
In all, the Marauders count 55 athletes on this year’s roster.
“Even our special teams is deep,” Corona said. “In the past, I’ve had holes that I had to work around, but not this time. Everybody’s bought in and they treat each other with respect. They show up and they do the work. This is exactly the kind of culture that I hoped to build when I got here five years ago.”
