Rich Gronda, ’59
Football
It is difficult to imagine anyone who epitomizes Prep athletics more than Rich Gronda. As a player, parent and fan, his passion for all things maroon and white are well documented. It began in the fall of 1955 when he joined a Prep football program under coaches Cochrane and Zucconi. Following an outstanding performance on the freshman team, Rich started at offensive and defensive tackle for the varsity as a sophomore—an extremely rare occurrence at the time. As a junior he was named First Team AllCounty and First Team All-Metropolitan following an 8-1 season, with the only loss coming on a last-minute touchdown by Memorial in front of 25,000 fans at Roosevelt Stadium. Then came senior year, during which his team went undefeated while outscoring opponents 337-26 and ranking third in the nation. (The victories included a 20-0 win over nationallyranked St. Joe’s of Philadelphia.) That year, Rich was named First Team All-State, All-Metropolitan and All-County and was voted to the Sporting News All-American team. Always the consummate team player, he is quick to point out that his ’58 teammates included eight players who received scholarships to Division One schools. Unfortunately, Rich’s career was cut short by injuries sustained while at Villanova. A two-term member of Prep’s board of trustees, Rich retired as president/CEO of Farrell Lines in 2000, and throughout his career he has been a constant presence at numerous Prep athletic events. He was especially pleased to be able to watch his sons Doug, ’86, Rick, ’89 and Dan, ’90 continue the tradition of excellence in football, as well as excelling in wrestling.
Jerry Halligan
(Posthumous)
Basketball Coach
Excerpted from his bio in the 1995 “Legends of Prep” program Jerry Halligan was named the varsity basketball coach at St. Peter’s Prep in 1955, and in his first year he led the Marauders to a Hudson County championship. It would be the start of a career that would rank him among the school’s true legends. His teams went on to win city, county, and state titles, and it seemingly became a regular event to win the Jesuit Tournament, outplaying Prep’s Jesuit school rivals in the New York Province. His teams also played in independent tournaments, highlighted by winning the Eastern States Catholic Invitational Tournament (ESCIT) in 1961. The ESCIT was the most prestigious tournament of its time, bringing together many of the best teams on the east coast. That 1961 team also won the Hudson County title, defeating previously unbeaten Demarest (Hoboken) by a 75-40 margin. Coach Halligan’s career at St. Peter’s spanned twenty-eight seasons and ended with an appearance in the 1984 state championship game. During those three decades, he guided the Marauders to 450 victories, ranking him among the most successful coaches in the state’s basketball history. In 1995, Jerry was inducted into the second class of “Legends of Prep”—a fitting tribute for a man who dedicated his life to his players.