2025 Rivalry Game Honorees
The annual Great American Rivalry Series football match-up between Jesuit and Holy Cross is soon to be underway. To honor those certain players and alumni who have made the game the venerable tradition that it is for over 100 years, Jesuit will be recognizing two alumni and two current students.
Alumni Honorees
2025 Distinguished Military Alumnus—Lieutenant Colonel Jared Brupbacher, Jr., USAF Retired, Jesuit ’97
Lieutenant Colonel Jared Brupbacher, Jr., USAF Retired, Jesuit ’97 received his commission from the United States Air Force Officer Training School in August 2003. He served his career in Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) as an MC-130P Combat Shadow and special operations forces weapons officer, senior navigator, and evaluator at multiple globally stationed and deployed special operations squadrons and groups, accumulating over 2,100 flight hours. Lt Col Brupbacher completed multiple combat tours, including Operations Enduring Freedom-Philippines, Iraqi Freedom, Odyssey Dawn, and Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan, where he served as deployed weapons officer, lead navigator, and operations director, flying over 400 combat hours.
Following his in-residence studies at the Air Command and Staff College and the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Lt Col Brupbacher served at Headquarters Air Force in the premier operational-strategy think tank, CHECKMATE. After his Pentagon tour, he was selected as Director of Operations for the 371st Special Operations Combat Training Squadron, Vice Commandant, and then Commandant of the USAF Special Operations School (USAFSOS), leading over 200 personnel to advance AFSOC’s leadership, command, and operational readiness initiatives. Upon completing his command at USAFSOS, Lt Col Brupbacher was chosen to lead AFSOC’s Strategy and Strategic Messaging team—COCHRAN GROUP—and later served as Deputy Director and Special Projects Lead for the Commander’s Action Group until his retirement in December 2023.
Continuing his service, Lt Col Brupbacher now works as a civil servant for the USAF’s Air Combat Command as an Electronic Warfare Subject Matter Expert, advising on operational design and planning, while supporting global education, training, and joint force development activities.
2025 Legend of the Game—Marchant Kenney ’93
During his high school career, Marchant Kenney ’93 earned his first start in the playoffs against Neville during the 1990 season and quickly became the full-time starter for the next two years. As team captain in 1992, he led the Jesuit Blue Jays to a dominant 45-0 victory over Holy Cross, marking Jesuit football’s 500th win, while holding Holy Cross to just 74 total yards. Marchant’s outstanding defensive play earned him a place on the Clarion Herald’s 1990s All-Decade Catholic League 1st Team, along with honors including All-State 1st Team linebacker, Catholic League Defensive MVP in 1992, and 1st Team Catholic League linebacker in both 1991 and 1992. He was also named an All-Orleans 1st Team linebacker in 1992 and earned Cox Cable Player of the Week honors versus Brother Martin that same year.
Marchant went on to play at the University of Southern Mississippi, where after redshirting in 1993, he became a four-year starter at middle linebacker. He was named 1st Team All-Conference USA in both 1996 and 1997, was a Butkus Award candidate, and served as team captain in his senior season. In 1996, he was runner-up for the Conerly Trophy, awarded to the best college football player in Mississippi. Kenney was part of some of the program’s biggest victories, including wins over LSU in 1994 and Georgia in 1996, and capped his collegiate career with a commanding 41-7 victory against Pitt in the 1997 Liberty Bowl. After going undrafted in the NFL, he signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals in 1998 and played the 1999 season with NFL Europe’s Scottish Claymores.
A member of the Hope Ignites, formerly Boys Hope, community during his youth at Carrollton and Banks, Marchant credits Jesuit and Sister Francis—a Boys Hope houseparent from 1983-2000—with guiding him onto the right path. When asked about the influence Sister Francis had on his life, Marchant shared, “She poured her heart and soul into me, she didn’t want me to fall. When nobody was there for me, she was. I had a rock, and it was Sister Francis.” Inspired by their influence, Kenney has been a motivational speaker at numerous Hope Inspires events over the years.
Marchant now resides in Lafayette, Louisiana, with his wife Angela and his two children, Max and Grace. He currently works as a Surgery Sales Manager with Siemens and has provided color commentary on ESPN Plus for Southern Miss football games.
Student-Athlete Honorees
2025 Great American Rivalry Student-Athlete Award—William H. Berry
Jesuit’s 2025 Scholar-Athlete is defensive end and defensive tackle Will Berry with a 4.62 GPA. In addition to being a three-year letterman in football, wrestling, and track and field, he is an active member of several honor societies, including Mu Alpha Theta, the National Honor Society, and the Classics Society. Will recently achieved a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, is a commended National Merit Scholar, and is an AP Scholar Award recipient. He serves on the executive board of Hams for Fams, is a counselor for the Krewe de Camp summer program, which supports children with developmental disabilities, and assists with Jesuit’s Pre-Freshman Retreat and Pilgrimage as a junior counselor. Will plans to pursue a degree in Sports Medicine at Princeton University, where he has accepted an offer to play football. He is the son of Byron and Ana Berry. He will receive a scholarship from the Great American Rivalry Series.
2025 Royal Honda Community Service Award—Coleman T. Puneky
Cole Puneky has demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service throughout his time at Jesuit. He participated in the Courts for Kids project in Panama and serves on the Junior Leadership Committee for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where his team raised over $115,000 last year. Cole volunteers monthly at Grace at the Greenlight and helped organize a backpack drive for St. Michael’s Special School. Outside of school, he balances his responsibilities as operations manager for a local garage door company and running his own lawn care business. He is the son of Blake and Allison Puneky. Cole’s dedication to service and leadership makes him a deserving recipient of the Royal Honda Community Service Award.