St. Thomas Aquinas seniors pose for a photo on Senior Night (Source: @stahstrojans on Twitter)
St. Joseph of Hammonton nearly closed.
The Diocese of Camden gave up on it, but its students, parents, faculty, administration and alumni didn’t. Revived in the fall of 2020 in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, they didn’t miss a beat, athletically or academically, and now operate independently.
That’s the kind of mindset St. Thomas Aquinas will face when the 6th-seeded Trojans (9-0) take on third-seed St. Joe’s-Hammonton (7-2).
But Aquinas has a never-give-up atttitude, too. In their third year under head coach Brian Meeney, they have built a program.
This year, it hit paydirt with a 9-0 regular season (including one forfeit) and seven shutouts, the second highest total ever in a season for a team from Middlesex County, a feat accomplished by just a handful of teams.
They’ve only allowed nine point all season, that coming in a 12-9 mud-caked victory over Delaware Valley in their regular season finale.
Click below to heard head coach Brian Meeney discuss the season, and preview their opening round matchup with the Wildcats: