It’s been a few years since the Archbishop Carroll varsity football team ceased playing home games at Joseph McNichol Stadium on the school’s campus.
Because of poor field conditions, player safety concerns, and a lack of proper lighting for night games, the team has become one of the nomads of high school football in the region, looking for a new home field week by week throughout the season.
In 2022 and 2023, the Pats rented the historic Conshohocken “A” Field for nearly all home games. Carroll compiled a record of 1-8 at the “A” Field through two seasons of calling the park home as the club transitioned through a tough rebuild.
“We don’t really think about it all too much,” said freshman quarterback Jay Boyd about playing games off campus. “My whole focus is always just going into the game and getting the win, making sure my family is there and making them proud – all that. We never focus too much on where we’re playing, but when it’s always changing up like this, it can be difficult.”
As workouts for the 2024 season are underway and the season’s schedule has been released, the team is still working on a home field for most of the campaign.
Two of the team’s five home games do have a location, however. The Week 3 out-of-conference rematch with Simon-Gratz Charter will take place 6 p.m. Sept. 6 at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Montgomery County. The Pats will be right back at Wissahickon for Week 10, the final game of the season against West Catholic. That contest will be 7 p.m. October 25.
As for the three remaining home games — Week 1 against William Tennant at 7 p.m. August 23, Week 4 against Archbishop Wood on September 13, and Week 9 against Conwell-Egan on October 18, Carroll is still without a home. The hope is to make a return to the “A” Field for at least two of the games, while the possibility remains to continue with home games at Wissahickon.
Fans and students may have something to look forward to in the future, as talks among the brass suggest a return to McNichol may not be too far out of the way, barring a few roadblocks.
“We talk about it all the time,” said Carroll Athletic Director Tom Quintois. “There is a strong will and want from both me and Dr. Scott and Mr. Gennaro to play home games at Carroll. That’s what you do. There are just a lot of factors that play into that right now and you have to let the leadership figure all that out.”
For now, the Pats will continue to have to find alternative ways to fit home games in. Though with a promising young team that looks to compete in the Philadelphia Catholic League and beyond this coming season, wherever the Patriots are in 2024, fans likely will be out in full force supporting them.
