A large group of Blue Jays and their families spent an afternoon celebrating Jesuit’s 2014 football state championship at Ernie’s Dockside Oyster Bar & Café in Niceville, Florida. It was the inaugural event for the Emerald Coast alumni chapter (Mobile-Pensacola-Destin).

The Emerald Coast Alumni Chapter gathered at Ernie’s Dockside Oyster Bar and Café on February 28 for their inaugural event.

For this first get-together, the chapter chose to celebrate their alma mater’s recent football state championship. The chapter’s leadership team of Mike Waldo ’70, Ernie Danjean ’82, Dick LaCour ’67, and Brad Bordes ’94 organized the event at Danjean’s restaurant in Niceville, Florida. The incredibly generous and gracious host was all “thumbs up” throughout the party as the alumni and their families enjoyed a bounty of crawfish and other seafood items, all compliments of the former Blue Jay football standout.

Joining the Gulf Coast alumni were several of Danjean’s former classmates and teammates, who traveled from New Orleans to be with the Emerald Coast Jays.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of a framed Jesuit jersey bearing Ernie’s #23 to Ernie by Jesuit football coach Bennie Baptiste ’81 and the defensive captains of this year’s team, Hunter Robert ’15, Robert Lobrano ’15, and Jonathan Giardina ’15. Particularly happy attendees were Lynn Brandin ’61 and Brad Bordes ’94, who respectively took home door prizes of a framed front page of the commemorative edition of The Blue Jay newspaper and a Jesuit football helmet.

Jesuit congratulates the Emerald Coast leadership team, and thanks Ernie for his generosity.