It’s fair to say St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute is one of western New York’s most storied programs.
Since the Marauders have taken the gridiron in 1919, they’ve won 22 Monsignor Martin championships while producing four individual league-record holders and three Connolly Cup winners.
Wednesday night the school on Kenmore Avenue added to their prestige as Tyler Doty became the first Marauder to win the Trench Trophy, an award given to the area’s top senior lineman.
“This whole year I’ve been thinking about this,” Doty said. “It’s a dream come true to have the Trench Trophy. Anybody can be as good as they want to be with hard work.”
Tyler Doty of @SJCIfootball wins the 2018 @TrenchTrophy @SJCIAthletics @SJCI @MarauderRowdies pic.twitter.com/ZVBHSuBicG — Francis Boeck (@FrancisBoeck) December 6, 2018
Doty, who is committed to play for the University at Buffalo, received the honor at the Trench Trophy banquet at the Lancaster Elks Lodge on Wednesday.
“This is a big deal for Tyler Doty, his family and St. Joe’s,” St. Joe’s coach Derek Landri said afterward. “I don’t think anybody has worked harder than him. He’s always done all the right things. He’s an all-day guy. I’m privileged to be his coach.”
Standing at 6′ 5″ and 296 pounds Doty was a force on the line for St. Joe’s, who finished 5-5 this past season. The senior paved the way as the Marauders accumulated over 3,400 yards of offense including 2,600 yards on the ground. Doty, who faced a lot of double teams on defense, came up with 10 tackles and two sacks.
“He’s the complete package,” said Cal Phillips, a Trench Trophy scout. “He played to the whistle. You would see him making plays down the field. He’s like 6′ 5″ and running down the field looking to block a safety. That was every play whether they were up or down. You don’t see that.”
The other finalists for the award were Jake Argo (Starpoint), Andrew Bernard (Randolph-Frewsburg), Stephen Boyd Jr. (Cardinal O’Hara), Greg Braswell (South Park), David Gaca (Lancaster), Nick Hamme (West Seneca East), Jihad Loynes (Bennett), George Newcomb (West Seneca West), Joe Powers (Lewiston-Porter), Trevor Smith (Pioneer) and Jordan Smouse (Clymer/Sherman/Panama).