SPECIAL TEAM PREVIEW: St Thomas More School, CT. “Football”
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St. Thomas More School is a college-preparatory school in Oakdale, Connecticut, United States. The school serves grades 8–12 and postgraduate courses. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Team Overview: A program that…
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Continue ReadingSt. Thomas More School is a college-preparatory school in Oakdale, Connecticut, United States. The school serves grades 8–12 and postgraduate courses. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools.
Team Overview: A program that is bringing in major talented recruits from across the country all while focusing on becoming a National Independent Program. This program is St. Thomas More in Connecticut and the Head Coach is Ernest Anderson. Coach Anderson has been with the program since 2017. He was the defensive coordinator prior to being appointed Head Coach in 2021. He is also a former alumnus of the program.
TEAM HISTORY: The program is regulated under an independent status of the NEASAC. In 2019, the program accomplished what no others had done in 48 games over five years. The team beat Choate Rosemary Hall which was a top-ranked program within the NEASAC at the time. This accomplishment lead to Head Coach at the time Jason Manson, wanting to bring the program to a national level outside of New England. In 2020, Coach Manson brought his vision to begin playing a national schedule outside of NEASAC to maximize exposure for his players. However, he was limited to finding national teams to play at the time due to Covid restrictions. In 2021, Coach Anderson took over the program as Head Coach. This happened as a result of Coach Manson departing to take a position at University of Iowa. The position being the Klein Family Director of Player Development for the Iowa football program. The plan and foundation instilled by Coach Manson in 2020, was and still is, being carried out by Coach Anderson today.
2021 Season Results: In 2021 St. Thomas More played two nationally top-ranked national teams. The first was IMG academy team ranked as the #1 team in the country at the time. St. Thomas More lost the game 24-17. Despite the loss, the program showed it belonged and could compete on a national level. The team also played St Francis Academy from Baltimore, Maryland which was ranked as the #4 team in the country, and loss a tough battle 28-7.
2022 Outlook & Schedule: To continue the vision of being Nationally Independent, the St Thomas More team will play a very competitive schedule in 2022. This will include scheduling two currently ranked teams once again IMG Academy and St Francis Academy. They will also face a few College team JV units to boost the competition level.
Date | Opponet | Location | Time | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|
9/4/22 | Salve Regina JV | Salve Regina | 1:00PM | Win 35-15 |
9/11/22 | Nichols College JV | Nichols College | 12:00PM | Win 49-0 |
9/18/22 | Univ. of New Haven JV | Univ. of New Haven | 2:00PM | Loss 44-47 |
9/24/22 | Navy Prep | Navy Prep | 12:00PM | |
10/2/22 | Western New England College JV | Western New England College | 1:00PM | |
10/7/22 | IMG Academy | IMG Academy | 7:00PM | |
10/14/22 | Endicott College JV | Endicott College | 7:00PM | |
10/22/22 | RICC | Montville High School | 2:30PM | |
10/29/22 | New York Military Academy | Montville High School | 1:30PM | |
11/4/22 | St. Frances Academy | TBD | 7:00PM |
Toughest Losses to Graduation: The 2021 team had a total of 18 players move on to play college football. A few of the most common known names are Logan Forbes (WR) Michigan; Brian Allen Jr (DE) Iowa; Noah Clifford (T) Boston College; Ben Murawski (T) Univ of Connecticut; Evan Faiella (TE) Brown
Players to watch in 2022:
“Mupoyi” is a D1 national recruit holding multiple offers including power 5 offers. He has elite quickness for his size and very disruptive on run schemes. He is an edge guy who can get it done continuously. Standing 6’6″ 240lbs, he keeps a very low pad level when firing off the ball and uses his hands aggressively to get to where he wants to go. Plays fast and has a motor that doesn’t stop. He holds multiple D1 offers including power 5 schools.
“Tracy” is a D1 national recruit who recently committed to Penn State after a slew of D1 offers. Tracey has versatility and athleticism and appears to be headed to Penn State to play defensive back. A defensive back with outstanding speed and great ball skills. Tracy is a New York native, who is doing a post grad year with the St. Thomas More. He has some friends at Penn State that helped him with his decision.
“Hudson” is a 5’11; 176lbs Defensive back who has elite speed that just pops on film. We believe he has been clocked at 4.32 -40yrd which includes a powerful vertical jumping ability at 43.7. He easily defines being explosive. He has 17 D1 offers and pulled the trigger to attend UConn next season. He is a physical player that flies around on defense with a chip on his shoulder. He does extremely well in press-man coverage making it difficult for the WR to get separation. He is a leader on the field and was selected as one of the team captains for the 2022 season.
On film, “Owen” has a large frame that shows flexibility. He has plenty of potential to continue developing. He looks to be technically sound and has good use of hand placement during blocks. He shows that he always blocks to the whistle and can dominate the point of attack. He has recently committed to Div 1 Fordham after a load of D1 offers
Highlights
Has great size and strength. Shows a good sense of toughness and vision. Does very well in pass blocking with good hand placement. His foot work is quick and he can be seen finishing his blocks with force that takes defender to the ground. Shows good reflexes and does a very good job with run blocking drive step. Has committed to Univ of Main.
A very large frame at 6’8″ 300 pounds and actually leaner than expected. He uses his size very well. Growth potential is visible. He possess the potential capabilities to play at the speed required in college football. A fierce competitor who enjoys going against elite defenders. His feet are quick and he is athletic. Holds multiple D1 offers and has not committed.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/11613823/Marleo-Neolien/about
He has the ability to take over a game defensively. He is active and causes havoc all around the field. Was observed knocking blockers down and ball-carriers backward and/or off their feet. He is instinctive and plays downhill in the run game. Has the speed required to play LB at D1. He is not committed yet but has offers from Stonehill and Brown. More interest will come during and after this season. HUDL: https://www.hudl.com/profile/11735277/Mahkai-Wilson
Highlights
A sure fire recruit who defines being physical. His run support awareness is elite. Plays with a whole game physicality that is special. Loose hips, speed and flexibility are the key traits that stand out when viewing his film. He has multiple D1 offers including power 5. A solid recruit that many schools will trying to bring in. https://www.hudl.com/profile/18107673/Jamal-Hood/highlights
He checks many boxes in the DB evaluation list. He’s very explosive and can be identified as a run-and-hit linebacker with a nose for the football who works hard and loves the game. He is a national recruit with multiple power 5 offers while despite being slightly undersized. His athleticism is of a very high level that stands out. We are hearing he is still uncommitted and will see a slew of schools coming to visit him during and after the season.
“Ferguson” brings good value to the slot position. He is extremely quick and his hands are reliable. He can also run precise routes. He shows elite acceleration after the catch. He can plant his foot and get up field quickly. He can do this all while making defenders miss with quick jab step cutting ability. He recently committed to Old Dominion after a slew of D1 offers.
Highlights
Additional Players to know:
‘24 WR 6’4 180 Sage Clawges Sage Clawges 6'4" | 190 lbs | WR St. Thomas More | 2024 NewE – Offers from: UConn, Brown
‘25 DE 6’5 240 Adam Shovlin Adam Shovlin 6'5" | 250 lbs | DL St. Thomas More | 2025 State NewE – Offers from: Bc/VT/Wisconsin/Duke/UConn/Umass
PROGRAM INTEREST: The school football “Team Mission” is to provide the highest level of training and competition for student athletes from around the world seeking to play competitive football in college and university. Their vision is to develop student athletes with skills, discipline, resilience, and sportsmanship who are prepared for the next level and for life. Any recruit interested in learning more or becoming a part of their program can begin by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom of the page.