It was a season full of battles and adversity for the varsity football team. However, the Bucs were able to win the 2024 MAPL championship, after recording an undefeated league record and ending their season with a 42-7 victory over the Peddie Falcons on November 9.
Notable performances verse Peddie include JuJu Anderson ’25, who had two sacks, one tackle, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble. Additionally on the defensive side of the ball, Richard O’Day ’26 led the team with five tackles, followed by senior captain Carson Bowman ’25 and Nate Bush ’25. Nate ended the season as the team leader in tackles, followed by Carson in second with 44 and MJ Scialla ’25 with 41.
Offensively, Andrew Pearce ’26 had an impressive four rushing touchdowns on 148 rushing yards. Mikey Antonelli ’26 added 31 rushing yards. Quarterback Merritt Fisher ’25 went 6-12 with 44 passing yards. Mayan Muchugia ’26 had two receptions totaling 20 receiving yards.
The team finished undefeated in the MAPL, including a 14-12 win over Pennington, 40-34 win over Hill and the 42-7 win over Peddie.
Throughout the season, there were many players that contributed significantly to the team. Captains Kaleb Nelson ’25 and Joe Alnwick ’25 displayed leadership during the season. Kaleb was also a top wide receiver for the Bucs, totaling six touchdowns and 426 total receiving yards. Joe was a presence on the offensive and defensive lines.
“I couldn't be prouder of a group of guys and the way they competed this season,” said Greg Bowman, Blair’s head football coach. “This team showed tremendous resilience throughout the season, stuck to the process and continued to work each week to be the best they could be. I am so happy for everyone involved with our program, especially the eleven seniors that get to go out as champions!”