The 2023 football season was one that will go down in history for years to come. They came into this season as the underdogs, and as the seniors of 2023 departed from the high school, the Class of 2024 knew it was their time to step up and bring Roxbury the glory they’ve always deserved. This years team was led by the 15 committed, hard-working, and dedicated seniors: Anthony Skawinski, Colin Richter, Jared Irwin, Justin DeRosa, Jahmani Miller, Eli Kali, Ryan Donnelly, Dean Campiglia, Matt Rattay, Christian Mobilio, Josh Rivera, Gunnar Hilsinger, Jadon DeRosa, Matt Collins, and Connor Patton. This special group has been playing together since their beginner days on the Jr. Gaels, Roxbury’s recreational football team. They were an undefeatable force, racking up wins every week, and many would say it was a preview of what was to come for their final season. This year the Gaels reigned down on their competitors for one last year, their work ethic playing a role into their success, even since they were 9 years old.
This team wasn’t the only thing that contributed to Roxbury Football’s success. Coach Ryan Roumes had only become the head coach of Roxbury Football a year earlier, and with his time as Head Coach he has really turned the program around. Coach Roumes explains, “The most important aspect of success is having a team with resilience. Resilience is key. This group of senior boys have lots of experience and know that things are gonna happen but you just gotta keep swinging and fighting.” The student section also played a huge role in the team’s success, showing out every Friday night, from pink out to USA. Friday Night Football was one of the highlights of this school year, with themes that brought the crowd to their feet, and plays that brought other teams to their defeat. With a historical 11-1 record, this season will be one to remember.
Friday August 25th, 2023, the first game of the season, Parsippany High Schools home turf. Roxbury trailed behind Parsippany for the first two quarters with a score of 21-7, however, this couldn’t stop the Gaels. The first touchdown was scored by Colin Ritcher after receiving a 49-yard pass from Anthony Skawinski. This continued until the 4th quarter when Jared Irwin had a 54-yard interception. It was then turned over to Gunnar Hilsinger for an extra-point kick. With seconds left on the running clock, the ball was returned back to the Gaels. Jared Irwin got a 5-yard pass from Colin Richter bringing them to the 10-yard line. Skawinski locked eyes with Ritcher, passed the ball to him, and there he went, bolting down the field scoring the game-winning touchdown. With a score of 22-21, the Gaels took home their first win.
The next 5 Games for the Gaels were triumphant in themselves. The team was consistently averaging about a 7-point win difference against their opponents every Friday night. An exception being Randolph, where on September 8th, our Football Gaels completely blew the Rams out for a final score of 34-0. The teams statistics could speak for themselves, Anthony Skawinski passed 70 yards (#1), 201 rushing yards by Jahmani Miller (#22), 51 receiving yards by Colin Richter (#2), and 14 tackles by Josh Rivera ( #55). With that, they won their 5th game against Warren Hills High School on September 22 with a final score of the game of 14-7. After their 5 consistent wins, it all came down to their next matchup against the Mount Olive Marauders, with a battle to determine who would become the 2024 Conference Champs.
The big game for the Roxbury Gaels came on September 29th, the Marauders home field. Not only were both teams undefeated, but both teams were fueled with energy and excitement, as the crowd awaited to see who would reign victorious as Conference Champs. Speaking with Coach Roumes, “It felt cool because we hadn’t had that type of game in a long time. We hadn’t had a regular game with that much importance in like 7 years. They felt prepared and ready for this extremely important game.” The Gaels prepared to show who truly wanted the title more, and they were ready to work for it.
The energy at the Mount Olive football field was immaculate, with screaming students, excited players, and confident coaches, the feeling was surreal. A chill rushed over the Roxbury crowd In the 1st quarter of the game, Matt Rattay had an 11-yard run touchdown. He returned the Ball to Gunnar Hilsinger, who kicked an extra point for the Gaels. After no action in the 2nd quarter, the Marauders finally earned themselves a touchdown. With time running out and the score tied, the Gaels made the tough decision that Gunnar Hilsinger should attempt a field goal. Like clockwork, in the blink of an eye the score flipped to 10-7, resulting in an eruption of excitement from the Roxbury crowd. Minutes later, the ball made its way down to a Marauders’ hand and with seconds remaining on the clock, they went for the touchdown. Making it only to the 20-yard line, their quarterback threw the ball and the receiver fumbled it. Connor May (#15) picked it up putting the Gaels in 1st down position. “I felt like I had to recover that fumble to secure victory for my team. It was the best feeling ever”, exclaims Connor May. As the clock ticked, a chill ran over both crowds. Moments later, screams could be heard. The crowd cheered, and in that moment, the Roxbury Gaels became the 2024 Conference Champions.
As the season continued on, the team rallied up another 5 wins, first against Chatham, then Morristown, and then Livingston, Colonia, and Irvington. On November 10th, the team played their final game. The team fought long and hard, and the game showed us true school spirit in its entirety. As the game progressed, the intensity on the field grew. Although the ending wasnt we hoped, this season was one that will be remembered for years and years to come.
The team consisted of one freshman, three sophomores, five juniors, and fifteen seniors. As a whole, statistically, the Gaels had 333 carries, 23 rushing touchdowns, 15 passing touchdowns, 15 receiving touchdowns, and 806 tackles. Senior Anthony Shawinski, QB, had a great year, with 93 completions, 1,297 total passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, 105 carries, 510 rushing yards, and 54 passing yards. Senior Jahmani Miller, RB, had 174 carries, 1,097 rushing yards, 134 receiving yardage, 54 receiving yards, and 8 total touchdowns. Senior Colin Richter, WR, had 86 tackles, 54 receiving yards, 50 receptions, 711 receiving yardage, and 86 tackles.
This year was one for the books, with a historical record of 11-1, this team will be remembered as one of the best in Roxbury history.
