St. John the Baptist's football Maurice Scott, Kevin Peters impress in loss to St. Francis Prep
Kevin Peters of St. John the Baptist stretches the ball over the goal line in fourth quarter of CHSFL game against St. Francis Prep on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
With 18 new starters, St. John the Baptist football coach Philip Alba expected the Cougars to have some growing pains early this year.
He also knew the Cougars’ offense would be explosive.
Quarterback Maurice Scott and receiver Kevin Peters lit up St. John the Baptist’s home turf in the Cougars’ 41-27 loss to St. Francis Prep in a CHSFL opener Saturday afternoon.
Scott completed 15 of 22 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns and added nine carries for 131 yards and a TD, and Peters caught nine passes for 94 yards and two scores.
The Cougars’ offense put on a show without starting running back Kalen Percer-Hogue, who Alba expects to have a significant impact.
“We were very explosive without Kalen,” Alba said. “I thought the offense did a great job today. Not perfect, it’s Week 0, but I know the offense is going to score a lot of points this year.”
On the fifth play of game, Scott found tight end Jordan Redding, who muscled his way through a couple of defenders before bursting down the sideline for a 53-yard touchdown.
Scott opened the Cougars’ second drive by rolling to his left and uncorking a longball to Jahmad Jackson in the middle of the field for a 47-yard connection. Peters capped the six-play, 73-yard drive with a 13-yard TD catch to give the Cougars a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.
Redding is a junior who hasn’t played football since he was in eighth grade and Jackson is a sophomore.
“I love to see the younger guys doing big things,” said Scott, a senior. “I know that, even when I’m gone, they’re gonna continue to do big things and lead the team.”
Trailing by seven to start the second half, Scott kept the ball on a read option and dashed down the middle of the field for a 78-yard TD. Leonardo Vera tacked on the PAT to tie the score at 21 with 8:18 left in the third quarter.
The Cougars found themselves trailing 15 seconds later, as Sean Ibert returned the ensuing kickoff 74 yards for a TD. Ibert also caught seven passes for 95 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing TD.
He caught a 26-yard TD pass from Jack Leary to give the Terriers’ a 35-21 lead with 1:54 left in the third. Leary completed 15 of 18 passes for 194 yards and three TDs and added a rushing score.
“They’re a strong run team and their offensive line gets after it,” Alba said. “When you have to load the box, which we did, you’re giving the receivers 1-on-1s with defensive backs and good receivers like (Ibert) are gonna do what they’re supposed to do.”
Peters took a screen pass 7 yards for a TD to cut the deficit to 35-27 in the fourth.
Ibert’s 1-yard rushing TD capped a 14-play, 82-yard drive that spanned nearly seven minutes and left 1:17 on the clock.
The Cougars, who went 4-4 in the 2023 regular season before winning the state CHSFL Class AA-I title, know there is no reason to panic.
“Perfection is impossible and I think all of our players understand that,” Peters said. “That just makes us work for the perfection. None of us come out here and say, ‘I’m fine with being mediocre.’ We all come out here and chase that perfection . . . Instead of losing by 14, let’s go win by 15.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
