National High School Football | Triple Threat Sportscast

Written by Travis “Triple Threat Tray” Hunter

There are easier ways to open a football season.

St. Joseph’s Prep chose the bright lights.

The Philadelphia powerhouse traveled south to Tennessee for its first game of the 2026 season and walked into one of the toughest environments it could have selected.

Waiting for the Hawks was Brentwood Academy — ranked No. 22 nationally and No. 2 in Tennessee by MaxPreps.

St. Joseph’s Prep walked out with a 31-23 road victory.

Game 1.

On the road.

Against one of Tennessee’s best teams.

That is a statement.

St. Joseph’s Prep Settles In

There were early moments where St. Joseph’s Prep looked like a team playing its first game of the season.

That was understandable.

Brentwood Academy had already played twice, while St. Joseph’s Prep was taking its first live snaps of 2026.

But once the Hawks settled in, everything changed.

St. Joseph’s Prep exploded offensively and carried a 28-16 lead into halftime.

At the center of it was junior quarterback Max Rogers, making his first varsity start for the Hawks.

Rogers showed poise beyond his experience level, completing 11 of 15 passes for approximately 200 yards.

He also quickly established a connection with one of the premier receivers in high school football — Ohio State commit Jett Harrison.

And Harrison made his young quarterback’s job much easier.

Max Rogers and Jett Harrison Make an Immediate Connection

Harrison was electric.

The junior receiver finished with:

5 receptions

171 receiving yards

2 touchdowns

Four of those receptions, 155 yards and both touchdowns came in the first half.

His touchdown receptions covered 80 and 27 yards.

For Rogers, having a weapon like Harrison gave St. Joseph’s Prep an explosive answer whenever the Hawks needed one.

For Brentwood Academy, Harrison became a problem that had to be accounted for on every snap.

And for anyone watching nationally, the Rogers-to-Harrison connection provided an early glimpse of what this St. Joseph’s Prep offense could become as the season develops.

The Hawks Have Playmakers Everywhere

Harrison was the offensive headline, but this St. Joseph’s Prep roster has talent on both sides of the football.

Senior linebacker Brandon Lockley is one of the leaders of the defense.

The Oregon commit gives St. Joseph’s Prep size, physicality and experience in the middle of the field.

In the secondary, senior defensive back Masiia Acrey gives the Hawks another Power Four prospect.

Acrey is committed to Syracuse and provides St. Joseph’s Prep with another high-level defender on the back end.

Those defenders became especially important when Brentwood Academy began making its push after halftime.

Brentwood Academy Fights Back

Brentwood Academy did not go quietly.

The Eagles cut St. Joseph’s Prep’s lead to 28-23 in the third quarter when quarterback Crews Jenkins connected with Judah Lancaster for an 18-yard touchdown.

That changed the energy of the game.

Brentwood Academy also had another major weapon in senior running back Larry Sanders II, a talented back who gives the Eagles power, balance and explosiveness out of the backfield.

Then came the sequence that helped define the night.

Brentwood Academy drove all the way to the St. Joseph’s Prep 1-yard line with an opportunity to take the lead.

One yard.

One possession.

A chance to completely change the game.

Championship Defense at the Goal Line

With the game hanging in the balance, Brentwood Academy turned to its running game and Sanders near the goal line.

St. Joseph’s Prep refused to move.

The Hawks defense stuffed Sanders and the Brentwood Academy offense, keeping the Eagles out of the end zone and forcing a turnover on downs at the 1-yard line.

That stop told you plenty about St. Joseph’s Prep.

The Hawks had already shown speed.

They had already shown explosive offense.

But with Brentwood Academy one yard away from taking control of the game, St. Joseph’s Prep showed toughness.

That was championship football.

Tim Roken and the St. Joseph’s Prep Standard

For head coach Tim Roken, nights like this are part of the standard that has been built at St. Joseph’s Prep.

Roken has been connected to the program since 2010.

He became offensive coordinator in 2011 and helped the Hawks win multiple state championships before eventually taking over as head coach in 2019.

His first season leading the program ended with a 12-2 record, a PIAA Class 6A state championship and a Top-20 national finish.

Since then, St. Joseph’s Prep has continued operating as one of the premier programs in Pennsylvania.

The Hawks won state championships in:

• 2016
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024

Seven championships in nine seasons.

Roken did not simply inherit a championship program.

He helped build it.

He has been part of the culture, the development and the expectations surrounding St. Joseph’s Prep for more than a decade.

Friday night looked like another example of that standard.

A Road Crowd That Traveled

St. Joseph’s Prep also brought some Philadelphia energy to Tennessee.

The Hawks’ fans traveled well and made their presence felt in Brentwood despite the long trip from Pennsylvania.

That matters.

This was not a neutral-site showcase.

This was a true road game against the No. 2 team in Tennessee.

St. Joseph’s Prep brought both its football team and its support into enemy territory.

And the Hawks handled the environment.

Why the Win Matters Nationally

St. Joseph’s Prep entered the matchup around No. 33 nationally in MaxPreps and No. 1 in Pennsylvania.

Their opponent?

No. 22 nationally.

No. 2 in Tennessee.

Brentwood Academy had also won seven consecutive home games entering Friday night.

St. Joseph’s Prep ended that streak.

That makes the significance of the victory pretty simple.

The Hawks did not schedule an easy opener.

They traveled hundreds of miles.

They played a nationally ranked opponent.

Their quarterback was making his first varsity start.

Brentwood Academy fought back to within five points.

The Hawks faced a goal-line situation with the game hanging in the balance.

And they still found a way to win.

St. Joseph’s Prep 31, Brentwood Academy 23

That is the final score.

But the circumstances surrounding the victory are what make it important.

Game 1.

On the road.

Against No. 22 in the country.

Against No. 2 in Tennessee.

And St. Joseph’s Prep walked away with the win.

Bright Lights Ahead

The road does not get easier.

St. Joseph’s Prep travels next to face Bergen Catholic of New Jersey on September 12, another nationally respected program.

But the Hawks enter that matchup with momentum.

They have a young quarterback in Max Rogers who just earned a major road victory in his first varsity start.

They have one of the nation’s premier receivers in Jett Harrison.

They have high-level defensive talent in Brandon Lockley and Masiia Acrey.

They have a championship-tested head coach in Tim Roken.

And they have a program that already knows what championship football looks like.

Friday night did not guarantee anything about where this season will end.

But it provided a strong first answer about where St. Joseph’s Prep may be headed.

Game 1.

On the road.

No. 22 in the country.

No. 2 in Tennessee.

31-23.

The history tells you who St. Joseph’s Prep has been.

Friday night told you the Hawks might be ready to write another chapter.

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Written by Travis “Triple Threat Tray” Hunter
Triple Threat Sportscast

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