Timon Tigers Finding Sense Of Stability

The football program at Bishop Timon-St. Jude brings with it a sense of pride. 

No matter the size of the team, both in number and stature, there is something to be said about wearing the classic tiger paw on your helmet with the word “Timon” across the front of your jersey. It represents a small community that just so happens to be part of a bigger city. 

After its fair share of ups and downs, the school is seeing a state of stability that hasn’t been there for quite some time. And that’s, in part, thanks to Athletic Director and head football coach Joe Licata.

It’s year three for Licata after taking over a program seemingly left in disarray when the old administration, led by former AD Charlie Comerford, resigned from the school. After being tasked as a 24-year old to rebuild an athletics program, Licata has created an environment that he believes can have success both on and off the field, and he’s looking to see his program continue the progress he saw a year ago when they won their first games in the new era of Tigers football.

“We’re more organized and we’re more ready,” Licata said. “Just in general being a positive presence in the school I think has helped.”

It’s not just Licata that senses things changing for the better for the green and gold. The players are noticing it, too.

“People are coming back,” Sr. linebacker Brandon Laury said. “There’s more students, more people at the games.”

Lineman Luke McMahon, who’s been with the program since the transition occurred, admitted that the first couple years were tough. Luckily, he said, the school made the right choice when they brought on Licata to right the ship.

“He brings a lot of energy and passion to the program,” McMahon said. “He wants to win and make not just the team better, but make the school better.”

Of course, the team — and community — is going through the year with heavy hearts after the tragic death of their friend, brother, and teammate Paul Humphrey over the summer. Licata says that the team has really used each other as support in order to move forward.

“At first, obviously, they didn’t know how to react; I didn’t know how to react; the community didn’t know how to react,” he said. “It took a lot, and when I called everyone to let them know we’d be in the auditorium at the school, a hundred people showed up.”

He added that the team will honor Humphrey throughout the season by having a different player each game wear the number two jersey that Humphrey proudly wore.

While playing to honor Humphrey is motivation enough for the Tigers — they are using the motto “2gether” as their rally for the year –, there’s also the feeling that the program is ready to return to being competitive within the Monsignor Martin Athletic Association (MMAA). 

“Guys have bought in,”  said Licata with a smile as he looked over at his team on the field. “We have five seniors starting on the [offensive] line which is awesome. Guys that stuck it out as freshman and sophomores are juniors and seniors now, and they want to turn it around.”

That competitive feeling trickles down from the coaching staff right to the players, none more-so than Jr. quarterback Jaden Jennings.

“We’re going to be number one. I believe that,” Jennings proclaimed. “We’re going to be the guys this year to do it.”

The team is nearly triple in size from Licata’s first year where only 18 players made up the roster. With nearly 50 players donning the green and gold this season, it allows the coaching staff to utilize full lineups in practice rather than having to himself take on the role of scout-team quarterback or even fill-in linebacker just to get an accurate look at his players. More importantly, it offers Licata depth that he hasn’t had before during his tenure, allowing him to keep his players fresh on the field.

“It’s going to help us practice, and I think that’s what people may not understand,” he said. “When you only have 18 kids, you may have enough to start a game, but you don’t have a full 22 to practice. Our practices are a lot more crisp and a lot more competitive, and I expect us to be better because of our practices.

“We can compete.”