Marist junior wide receiver JJ Nash knew there was some pressure on his shoulders the second he arrived on campus.
After all, his dad, Jeremy, is a 2006 alum and one of the all-time greats in the basketball program.
But JJ wasn’t looking to be his dad. He was just looking to be himself.
Nash had a 9-yard receiving touchdown and four catches for 33 yards overall on Oct. 9 as Marist defeated host St. Laurence 28-14 in a Catholic League crossover.
“My dad had a lot of success at Marist,” JJ Nash said. “I’m here to build my own path and try to succeed in my own way. He was an amazing player.”
Junior Jake Fleming threw for 196 yards and three touchdowns on 20-for-26 passing with junior Chase Tylka (six catches, 84 yards, TD), sophomore Conor Fleming (five catches, 39 yards, TD) and senior Nick Mayoski (three catches, 37 yards) also contributing in the passing game.
Senior Conor Hunt had 77 rushing yards and a touchdown, a 42-yard score that put Marist up 28-6 late in the third quarter.
Nash, a 6-2 wide receiver in his first varsity season, has developed into a big-time target on an almost entirely new offensive unit.
He also had two receiving TDs in a Week 4 loss at Mount Carmel.
“I’ve been playing with Jake since freshman year,” Nash said. “We’ve built some amazing chemistry every year since going uphill. Our connection has grown every year.”
Nash is still relatively new to his position. He grew up playing quarterback and only moved to receiver as a freshman.
“I’ve played more quarterback but my dad helped with being a receiver on offense,” Nash said. “I started playing as a freshman and that’s been my passion ever since. It’s been amazing.”
Jeremy Nash is Marist’s third all-time leading scorer in basketball. He went on to star collegiately at Northwestern.
JJ is also a standout basketball player. He was a late season call-up to the varsity as a sophomore as the team eventually won the Class 4A state championship.
Marist (5-3) wraps the regular season Week 9 against Pulaski Road rival Brother Rice.
“Our coaches put together an amazing game plan each week,” Nash said. “Everyone does their role, does their job and we can have a lot of success.”
Coach Mike Fitzgerald said he likes what he’s seen from Nash all fall.
“JJ is a tremendous athlete with great range, good speed and can stretch you down the field,” Fitzgerald said. “He can catch the ball in critical situations. It helps being a multi-sport athlete. There is no substitute for competition.”
Seniors Tommy Hosty and Brendan Killen and junior Jonathan Fields had an interception apiece for Marist.
Junior Keynan Morgan led St. Laurence (2-6) with 11 carries for 55 yards and touchdown of 10 and 15 yards.