Carmazzi Returns to Jesuit, Marauders Defeat Falcons in Holy Bowl

Dan Carmazzi has been the mainstay of Jesuit High School's varsity football team for years, but after leaving Jesuit to coach local rival Christian Brothers, Carmazzi would simply tell you that he is going back to his roots. 

The former head coach of Jesuit's football team left the program after 35 years of service following the 2011-12 season to become the Athletic Director and assistant head coach for Christian Brothers' football team. Carmazzi said it was a tough decision to make after the many great relationships he made with both the students and staff of Jesuit, but the staff and players at Christian Brothers have been very supportive during the transition process. 

"It's been a really good experience and everyone has welcomed me with open arms, from coach Petrissans and especially the players," Carmazzi said. "I've always wanted to come back to my alma mater, I had a great experience here."

In addition to the Christian Brothers staff, his family also had a big influence on his decision to transition from Jesuit. 

"My wife was a huge influence on my decision to come here," Carmazzi said. "All my brothers went here and all here brothers went here and we were dating in high school at that time. A lot of good memories."

The Christian Brothers players have warmed up to Carmazzi and praised him for his leadership skills. 

“It’s been a great experience, it’s a great addition to our team. He’s really smart and knows what he’s talking about and his energy is great, he provides a lot of enthusiasm to our team,” said Christian Brothers senior quarterback Caden Noon. 

As the offensive coordinator for the team, players are also appreciative of how Carmazzi looks out for the best interests of the team and motivates the team both on and off the field. 

"He gave a great speech one day and motivated us for the big game Saturday," said senior Christian Brothers offensive lineman Vincent Johnson. "He coached Jesuit for 35 years, he's a great coach, a great addition to the team and we couldn't have asked for a better offensive coordinator. He's great to have back."

Christian Brothers head coach George Petrissans said that Carmazzi's experience wisdom has helped his players in certain game time situations.

"When you get a guy who's coached for 35 years and has all kinds of experience, it really helps our players with certain situations that they might not understand he does a great job explaining them and making it more relevant for them," Petrissans said. "He's been terrific with the kids, he's been great and they all really appreciate his knowledge and his experience."

Jesuit's new head coach, Marlon Blanton was previously the varsity head coach of St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School in Vallejo for 14 years. He said he is still in the learning process in terms of his transition into Jesuit. 

"We've only had a short time together, we're still trying to find our timing and rhythm, that's the challenge," Blanton said. 

As for picking up where Carmazzi left off, Blanton said that his main goal is simply to keep the winning tradition going. 

"We're just trying to keep the winning tradition going and the brotherhood and those kinds of philosophies, more so than just simply winning games and playoff games, we're just trying to get the process down," Blanton said. "I just came in to the program so all I've seen of Carmazzi's coaching abilities were on film, but my main goal is to keep the winning tradition going."

Jesuit defeats Christian Brothers 28-23 in Holy Bowl game

On Saturday, the Jesuit Marauders edged out the Christian Brothers Falcons 28-23 in the Holy Bowl game. The Falcons did rally in the fourth quarter; however, Jesuit pressed and went on to a 28-23 victory. It was Jesuit's third Holy Bowl win in a row.