jump. Overseeing the runners this year
are Coach Ignacio Febles and his son,
Coach George Febles — still a member of
the Social Studies Department and Track
program today — and Coach Brian Carney,
future Prep principal and vice president.
2000s
165) September 11, 2001: Two Prep
alumni prove themselves “men for
others” in an extraordinary way. Sean
Tallon, Class of 1992, a member of NYFD
167) Fall 2007: Daniel Fiorito, Class of
2008, steps onto Mentors Court with a
spongy stress ball in hand and the
immortal game of shmolleyvall, now
commonly called shmolley, is born.
Among its first players are seniors Daniel
Brusco, Michael Alvino and Peter
LaMacchia. School history remembers
Fiorito as “The Father of Shmolley.”
Ladder Company 10, is among the first
firefighters to respond to the terrorist
attacks in Lower Manhattan. Putting
aside his own safety, he reaches the 31st
floor of the North Tower on foot. He does
not make it out when the order to
evacuate is given. On the same day,
Robert Coll, Class of 1984, a financial
executive with EuroBrokers, is last seen
on the 80th floor of the South Tower
staying behind to assist a stranger in
respiratory distress. A surviving colleague
described him as a hero, as did several
local newspapers in the days that
followed. Tallon and Coll are among the
162) April 23, 1997: Prep physics
teacher, Mr. John Haag, Class of 1984,
oversees a schoolwide bridge-building
contest. The team of George Hicks and
Peter Kirkpatrick, both Class of 1999, win
the engineering competition with a
balsam-wood construction that remains
structurally sound under a weight load of
6.2 kilograms.
18 alumni and members of the extended
Prep family lost on this day.
163) October 6, 1995: St. John Paul II
visits St. Joseph's seminary in Yonkers,
New York. Future member of the Prep
Religious Studies Department, Nelson
Ritter, Class of 1996, is in attendance.
cancelled on account of a surprise U2
concert at Rose Hill.
169) June 14, 2009: Flag Day: Capping
164) April 15, 1999: The Asian Club
hosts Pan-Asian Day at the Prep. The day
includes food from several Asian cultures,
martial arts and origami exhibits, and a
presentation by a guest speaker
representing Students for a Free Tibet.
The club's executive board for the
1998-1999 school year includes seniors
Joseph Brandon, Jeremy Chin, Michael Ibe,
Swami Pillai, Regan Ymaly and Raymond
Yu. Moderating the Asian Club throughout
the '90s is Mrs. Barbara Reynolds, devoted
member of the Religious Studies
Department from 1981 to 2002.
168) March 6, 2009: Classes are
166) September 2005: In the wake of
the devastation of Hurricane Katrina,
Fordham Prep welcomes Kanwal Matharu
from New Orleans Jesuit High School for
the first half of his freshman year.
off a 20-9 season, the Fordham Prep
Varsity Baseball squad takes the CHSAA
title defeating Stepinac 9-4 and 5-3 in a
City Championship doubleheader. Pitcher
and future member of the Prep Religious
Studies Department, Ryan Fedak, Class of
2009, earns the save in Game 1 and the
win in Game 2. Head coach of the
championship team is Mr. Steven Pettus,
member of the Social Studies Department
and heir to Mr. Bruce Bott's 18-year
tenure as Dean of Students. Pettus’
assistant coaches are Assistant Dean
Patrick Deane, Class of 1988, and Mr.
Robert McLaughlin, longtime Prep athletic
director and physical education teacher.
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