OT: Morris Catholic football

[newell138]

One of my fellow alumni just made a large donation to the school for a fitness center. Pretty impressive and hopefully this is a boost to the football team. Not good news for the public HS teams in the area. Randolph, Morris Knolls and Hills were always big time programs back in my day

https://www.nj.com/education/2026/03/nj-catholic-high-school-gets-25m-donation-to-build-huge-fitness-center.html

 

[HSfootballCoach07]

That’s actually awesome, it’s always a win when kids are provided with opportunities to better themselves. Morris Catholic is a victim of its location. I don’t think there’s enough local talent to continuously get year in/out to compete at the highest level of NPB. They could sell their soul to devil (lol) and go the route that many Catholic schools occasionally taken without sustained success (STA, SJV, Montclair Immaculate, Mater Dei, etc etc etc). The only school that’s been able stay course and not do things the way the big 6 do/did and the previous schools mention is RBC. Immaculata is going all in - local talent is pretty good along with (according to social media) have been getting transfers in urban areas. Catholic school football isn’t what it once was 20 years ago.

 

[kupuna133]

Enrollment numbers of 345 is not sustainable. Don’t know how they stay open. The magic number used to be 125/grade level.

 

[HSfootballCoach07]

Enrollment numbers of 345 is not sustainable. Don’t know how they stay open. The magic number used to be 125/grade level.

It’s gotten tougher for people to spend $$$ on these schools as well as these schools skyrocketing tuition. My Alma mater has doubled to close to 20k…my state college was that much 20+ years ago.

 

[kupuna133]

It’s gotten tougher for people to spend $$$ on these schools as well as these schools skyrocketing tuition. My Alma mater has doubled to close to 20k…my state college was that much 20+ years ago.

Yea my parochial closed many years ago. We had an enrollment north of those numbers. Can’t imagine being able to keep up with STEM with an enrollment of that size.

 

[newell138]

Enrollment numbers of 345 is not sustainable. Don’t know how they stay open. The magic number used to be 125/grade level.

345 is the total enrollment?!?! When i graduated in 1981 we had about 180-200 kids per class and tuition was $1,000 a year!

 

[kupuna133]

345 is the total enrollment?!?! When i graduated in 1981 we had about 180-200 kids per class and tuition was $1,000 a year!

What the article said. Yea surprised by that number. Remember when my high school closed. We went from 150-160 per class to 110 and diocese said that wasn’t sustainable. That was at the same time that Immaculata, Aquinas, Notre Dame were at 200-300/ class. Now I hear Immaculata and Aquinas are 100-120/class.

 

[Fat Koko]

Hopefully the school survives. Would suck to give $2.5 million for a fitness center and then see the school close.

 

[LETSGORU91]

One of my fellow alumni just made a large donation to the school for a fitness center. Pretty impressive and hopefully this is a boost to the football team. Not good news for the public HS teams in the area. Randolph, Morris Knolls and Hills were always big time programs back in my day

https://www.nj.com/education/2026/03/nj-catholic-high-school-gets-25m-donation-to-build-huge-fitness-center.html

Albano will bring some credibility to Morris Catholic, but save two good seasons semi-recently, they have traditionally have had a bad football program. I'm not so sure Morris County is shaking in their boots because MC got a fitness center.

 

[newell138]

Albano will bring some credibility to Morris Catholic, but save two good seasons semi-recently, they have traditionally have had a bad football program. I'm not so sure Morris County is shaking in their boots because MC got a fitness center.

agreed, going back 40-50 years they have mostly been bad to average over those years.

 

[Section124]

What the article said. Yea surprised by that number. Remember when my high school closed. We went from 150-160 per class to 110 and diocese said that wasn’t sustainable. That was at the same time that Immaculata, Aquinas, Notre Dame were at 200-300/ class. Now I hear Immaculata and Aquinas are 100-120/class.

SJR (Montvale) has pretty much been in the 465 student range for quite some time now. Much higher back in the 80's. They have a lot of big time donors so that helps. I assume there were other factors on why your school was closed.

 

[kupuna133]

SJR (Montvale) has pretty much been in the 465 student range for quite some time now. Much higher back in the 80's. They have a lot of big time donors so that helps. I assume there were other factors on why your school was closed.

Very much so. Won’t get into it. But declining enrollment and a land grab were the 2 of the 3 biggest reasons.

 

[RUAldo]

From what I’ve heard, MoCatholic loses a bunch of of money but the Catholic Church fills the deficit. Back in the 90s they had some powerhouse sports teams especially girls soccer. Football was no joke either.

 

[HSfootballCoach07]

Very much so. Won’t get into it. But declining enrollment and a land grab were the 2 of the 3 biggest reasons.

Marist in Bayonne?

 

[kupuna133]

Marist in Bayonne?

Nope.

 

[newell138]

From what I’ve heard, MoCatholic loses a bunch of of money but the Catholic Church fills the deficit. Back in the 90s they had some powerhouse sports teams especially girls soccer. Football was no joke either.

basketball always pretty good too for boys and girls

 

[tico brown]

Marist in Bayonne?

Marist could’ve stayed open if they (and the city of Bayonne apparently) didn’t piss off the Game of Thrones guy to not give one red cent back to his HS Alma mater.

 

[Fat Koko]

Marist could’ve stayed open if they (and the city of Bayonne apparently) didn’t piss off the Game of Thrones guy to not give one red cent back to his HS Alma mater.

Marist sale involved financial shenanigans, according to a lawsuit.

Bayonne isn't big enough to support its own Catholic school, especially with Saint Peter's Prep and Hudson Catholic nearby.

 

[Bob Chaewsky_rivals]

Not a great academic school and can't compete with other privates in the area - reminds me of Bayley-Ellard right before they went under. Randolph and Morris Knolls aren't worried in the least. They're much better academically and athletically. They have better facilities and they're free. If you're a good student in the immediate area who wants a Catholic education you go up to Pope John or maybe even DePaul in Wayne. If it's just a good private education you want you choose Mo-Beard, Delbarton or Newark Academy over MC.

 

[newell138]

Not a great academic school and can't compete with other privates in the area - reminds me of Bayley-Ellard right before they went under. Randolph and Morris Knolls aren't worried in the least. They're much better academically and athletically. They have better facilities and they're free. If you're a good student in the immediate area who wants a Catholic education you go up to Pope John or maybe even DePaul in Wayne. If it's just a good private education you want you choose Mo-Beard, Delbarton or Newark Academy over MC.

Anyone picking Delbarton or Beard isn’t thinking MC at all. Those 2 are $50k a year, MC is $15k. Light years apart

 

[Bob Chaewsky_rivals]

Anyone picking Delbarton or Beard isn’t thinking MC at all. Those 2 are $50k a year, MC is $15k. Light years apart

I agree with that, but if your numbers are correct then Delbarton is a little more than three times the cost of MC. Three times the cost for 20 times what a Delbarton education will do for your future. Both are overpriced. You have to be very wealthy to afford Dalbarton and out of your mind to pay 15K for MC.