With over 120 youth entries in the men’s youth quads category, the 43rd edition of the Head of the Hooch promises to be the most exciting one yet. After years of photo-finish duels and title swaps in this category, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the fiercest in recent memory. Every year, the Erwin Marine Sales Trophy changes hands by mere fractions of a second. With Woodlands, Miami Rowing Club, and Indianapolis all trading titles since 2021, this race has never known a dynasty; instead, it has been marked by upsets and razor-thin margins.
Belen Jesuit
Belen Jesuit enters the Head of the Hooch as one of the top contenders for the men’s youth quads. They will be looking for redemption after back-to-back silvers in 2023 and 2024, each by less than a second. Buoyed by placing third at the Head of the Charles in the youth coxed quad, finishing an impressive 41 spots ahead of their bow number, they placed the highest of the American entrants. Last year’s result also reveals a strong team – three of the top ten quads belonged to the small programme from Miami. Under longtime coach Yunian Cabrera-Torres, expect Belen Jesuit to row aggressively and seek to close the distance on defending champions Miami Rowing Club.
Miami Rowing Club
The reigning champions, Miami Rowing Club, will not cede their title easily. Miami is all but certain to medal – they haven’t missed the podium since 2018. Their fourth-place finish at Charles in the youth double, 21 spots above their bow number, shows that they’re still a crew to be reckoned with. Guided by former Cuban Olympian Cesar Herrera, expect this crew to be well-drilled and highly motivated. Led by Mateo Montero Johnson, a Spanish international rower and Cornell lightweight rowing commit, this crew will be determined to retain its trophy.
Y Quad Cities
The reigning youth doubles champions from the Head of the Charles, Y Quad Cities, are perennial top-five finishers at Hooch and bring experience and technical excellence to Chattanooga. Expect Graham Matlock, the 2025 national champion in the youth double, to feature in this crew. Known for their high-volume training regimen coupled with excellent boat handling, Y Quad Cities will almost certainly feature in the medal table once again.
Indianapolis Rowing Center
After winning this event in 2023, Indianapolis Rowing Center dropped to fourth last year, 25 seconds off the podium. Don’t count them out, though; they placed fifth at the Youth National Rowing Championships in the youth quad in 2024 and have shown repeated pedigree in the sculling events at Hooch. Their recent results suggest a steady rebuild, focusing on the double instead of the quad last season. Known for producing physically imposing athletes like Ryan Miller (now a freshman at Drexel), the long, strong rhythm of Indianapolis Rowing Centre could put them back into contention. Expect a fierce push to try and reclaim their place among the top crews.
Miami Beach Rowing Club
Miami Beach sits in an interesting position. After achieving silver in 2022, they’ve struggled to keep pace with Miami counterparts Belen Jesuit and Miami Rowing Club. A 14th-place finish at the Head of the Charles in the youth coxed quad suggests upward momentum, but they’ll need to find more speed if they want to close the 35-second gap to Belen. Featuring in this crew is Simon Paley, Brown commit and Canadian Henley U19 eight champion. Expect Miami Beach to go out hard and with purpose, hoping to close on more established crews.
Orlando Area Rowing Society
O.A.R.S. have steadily improved the past few years, with last year’s sixth and eighth place finishes marking progress for their sculling programme. Traditionally stronger in sweep events, they shouldn’t be counted out. The Orlando-based club, with a strong performance, could challenge for the podium as a dark horse.
First Coast Rowing Club
Another Florida team, First Coast, has been quietly rebuilding toward national relevance with an 11th-place finish at Charles in the youth coxed quad. Placing fourth in 2021, this resurgent programme could play spoiler for teams like Miami Beach or Indianapolis. Be on the lookout for the Jacksonville-based programme in the final rankings, and don’t be surprised if they find a way to sneak onto the podium.
Prediction
If there’s one crew determined to claim the title, it’s Belen Jesuit. Their experience and proven speed will be hard to beat. Y Quad Cities will row a strong race for second, and First Coast will deliver a surprise bronze ahead of both Miami Rowing Club and Miami Beach. The race will likely come down to milliseconds for the top spots – as it always does – but Belen looks poised to clinch the prize they’ve been chasing finally.
