About The Program and Coach Stone

Blair Academy is entering its 115th year of football and will be working to build on the great tradition of successful teams. The program has a history of tough, hard-nosed teams that have competed at the highest level, and today’s teams are no exception.

Blair competes in the Mid Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) - which consists of Lawrenceville, Hill, Peddie, Hun and Mercersburg - and with an outstanding group of non-conference schools that has included: Wyoming Seminary (PA), Western Reserve (OH), Worcester Academy (MA), Northfield Mt. Hermon (MA), and St. Albans (DC). We play a nine-game schedule along with two scrimmages. Blair also has a JV team that consists of mostly sophomores and freshmen, and they compete in an eight-game season and play on Mondays.

Blair culminates its season every year with a game vs. the Peddie School from Hightstown, NJ. The game between Blair and its arch rival is the longest standing rivalry in the state of New Jersey, reaching its 100th game in 2003 with Blair winning 28-7. Blair leads the longtime series 50-47-5. We also play for the Big Three Trophy, a three-way competition between Lawrenceville, Peddie and Blair.

The program’s philosophy is built around two mottos: Commitment to Excellence and Never Be Satisfied. The teams develop by mastering the fundamentals of the game of football and paying attention to the smallest details. Taking pride in its physical style of play on both offense and defense has been a key to our success. Coach Stone (who became the head coach in 1994) likes to refer to his players as “IRONMEN,” since every player learns to play on both sides of the ball as well as on special teams. Moreover, they must be prepared to play an entire game with little rest.

Throughout the past 12 years under the direction of Jim Stone, the Buccaneers have been one of the most successful prep school programs in the Northeast. His teams have put together a record of 72-30, which consists of two undefeated teams, six New Jersey Prep “A” Championships and four Mid Atlantic Prep Championships. Stone’s teams have been known for their explosive wishbone offense that has averaged over 300 yards rushing per game in eight of the last 12 seasons; yet, they also understand that it is defense that wins championships, and Blair uses multiple 50 and 40 defensive attacks to stop its opponents.

Coach Stone believes success comes from having good athletes who are willing to do what it takes to achieve the team goal - players who sacrifice individual attention or accolades for the good of the unit. Blair has been fortunate to have several great players who were committed to winning and working together as one to accomplish the team’s goals. In Coach Stone’s tenure, Blair has sent 80 of its players on to play at the collegiate level at schools that include: Harvard, North Carolina, UPenn, Dartmouth, Columbia, Rutgers, Colgate, Bucknell, Lehigh, Lafayette, West Point, US Naval Academy, Williams, Trinity, Middlebury, Bates, Univ. of Colorado, Univ. of Arizona, Univ. of Rhode Island, Northeastern, Hofstra and Union. In addition, 50 Blair football players have been named first Team All-MAPL in the past eight years, and Blair has had five MAPL Offensive Players of the Year and two Defensive Players of the Year.

Coach Stone makes his home in Blairstown on campus with his wife Rachel (Blair’s Dean of Faculty) and their two sons, Cullen and Kip.

To get more information on Blair Football, call Coach Stone at (908) 362-6121 x. 5651 or email him at stonej@blair.edu.

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