Coach Terry Ursin and sidelined Blue Jays enjoy the spring game in front of a large Blue Jay crowd.

Rising senior Robert McMahon played the spring game at quarterback after playing wide receiver last season.

Rising senior Noah Varnado is a returning starter at wide receiver. He and quarterback Robert McMahon connected for a 40-yard catch that led to a touchdown.

On Thursday afternoon at Pan American Stadium, Jesuit checked the spring football game off its 2018 schedule. A chance for players to show improvements from their off-season workouts, the spring game drew another large crowd of both coaches and fans who came to get a glimpse of the rising prospects.

View the Photo Gallery from the 2018 Spring Football Game!

Just like last year, the conditions were ideal for a great game of Jesuit football. Also similar from the 2017 spring game, Jesuit faced De La Salle, who reached the Division II state championship game last fall.

The Jays took on the Cavaliers in two running-time halves of football that showed what any team would be experiencing at this point in their training. While there is a long way to go before players and fans enjoy the luxury of week-to-week Blue Jay football, the team will use the remaining time wisely, asserted Jesuit’s head football coach Mark Songy.

“It’s a great opportunity,” said head coach Mark Songy after the game. “I was very pleased with how we improved from the start of spring football through the finish. We got some good work with De La Salle. I really liked what I saw, and I’m excited to have an opportunity to see what this team can do.”

The spring game gave Blue Jay fans an opportunity to preview the new style of offense under the leadership of Jesuit’s skilled coaches. If you add up the experience of every coach, Songy noted, the Blue Jay staff has over 200 years of experience coaching prep football on the sideline.

Defensive coordinator Troy Baglio said everything he looked for in a spring game, both offensively and defensively, was put on display. “We got a chance to see almost every player in action,” Baglio said, “…and we also saw a bunch of guys fight hard for a spot on the varsity team.” Baglio added that the team improved from last year’s spring game because players have had more exposure to understanding the playbook and executing the system.

Offensively, the spring game saw two different Jesuit quarterbacks, Grant Jordan and Robert McMahon, score running touchdowns. Defensively, key tackles were made by many returning starters, at the line of scrimmage and downfield. Perry Ganci (defensive line) and Cameron Helm (safety) look to help the defense with tackling up front and covering the back line, respectively.