THANKSGIVING CRYSTAL BALL: A Grateful GURU
Published continually since 1994
My friends, THE GURU is thankful.
Thankful for the men that created and shaped this game. Thankful that this beautiful sport has the power to change lives. Thankful that a determined group of teenagers from Jersey City poured their hearts out over the past four months to deliver a magical football season.
Two years ago, the St. Peter’s Prep squad was 1–9, a low point for one of the proudest programs in football-rich New Jersey. But there was light, however dim, at the end of the tunnel, thanks to the leadership of Coach Rich Hansen, an outstanding coaching staff and a roster of kids that never stopped believing in themselves, or one another.
Fast forward to 2025 and that once-feint light was brighter than the Northern Lights. An 8-3 record. The #2 seed in the top group in the playoffs. A long-awaited return to Prep’s rightful place among NJ’s football elite.
How did they do it? Hard work, determination and togetherness, from the biggest stars to the unsung heroes.
There was Logan Graham, the senior defensive back who tragically tore his ACL over the summer yet chose to coach instead of disappearing. Ben Ruiz and Joel Sosa, a duo that helped set the tempo for this team with an offseason of blood, sweat and tears. And many other valiant young men that didn’t experience on-field glory yet still had a significant impact on an exceptional 2025 campaign.
The hardest truth in football is that, after a season ends, the players that comprise a team will never be together as a group again. Seniors graduate, new faces arrive, the depth chart shuffles and, invariably, a different team takes the field the following year. Full of hope, full of promise.
No one knows what the future holds for Marauder football, but I know I’m grateful for this amazing 2025 season. And, if this past year is any indication, the days ahead will be ones to be remembered as well.
As for the big leagues, we’ve got four games over the next two games with nearly all of the combatants in playoff contention. Combined with outsized portions of turkey and stuffing, it should be as tasty as last week’s Eagles’ collapse.
Let’s start with the three Thanksgiving tilts.
At 1 pm on Fox, Green Bay (7-3-1, 3-1-1 away) visits Dee-troit (7-4, 4-1) and I’m going with the hosts, in spite of their inconsistencies. One of these clubs is about to get hotter than FATBACK’s car seat….
…in the Metroplex, take Dallas (5-5-1, 3-1-1 home) against the struggling Chiefs (6-5, 1-4 away) at 4:30 pm on CBS/Paramount+. KC is set to miss the postseason for the first time since 2014 but, on the positive side, RIGHT WING MATT will have free time to devote to some things he’s been neglecting, like brushing his teeth and washing his hair…
…in the 8:20 pm nightcap on NBC/Peacock, I love the surging Ravens (6-5, 3-3 home) to topple the Bengals (3-8, 1-4 away) in Baltimore. Sure, Joe Burrow is back but he’s not likely to help a Cincinnati defense that is last in the league in points and yards allowed…
…finally, on Friday afternoon, I’ll take the Eagles (8-3, 4-1 home) to topple visiting Chicago (8-3, 4-2 away) in a tight one. Methinks last week’s debacle in Dallas is going to be the kick in the pants that Philly needs to go on a run. You can catch the action at 3 pm on Prime Video while guys like TOMMY BIRD are knee deep in Black Friday.
That’s all for now, folks. Enjoy the games and have a Happy Thanksgiving!