Raff and the Meatballs - MUHS Podcast

For the final episode of the 2025 - 2026 school year, Raff and the Meatballs may have saved the biggest guest for last. Joining the show is Rev. Daniel J. Kennedy, SJ, recently announced as the 12th president of Marquette University High School. Currently serving at University of Detroit Jesuit, Fr. Kennedy brings years of experience in Jesuit education, student leadership, retreats, and ministry....

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , just in time for Mother’s Day , we turn the tables and bring in some very special guests—the moms of hosts Ronnie and Cruz . In this Mom Pod , we get a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like raising Meatballs. From childhood stories and family memories to a few laughs (and maybe a little friendly embarrassment), this episode is a fun and heartfelt rem...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we sit down with Ryan Serfas, a MUHS teacher whose classroom spans physics, astronomy, and choir and somehow still finds time for much more. A graduate of Marquette University and Fordham University, Ryan brings a unique blend of science, philosophy, and faith to his work with students. Beyond the classroom, he directs the MUHS spring musical, leads a national...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we sit down with Ryan Serfas, a MUHS teacher whose classroom spans physics, astronomy, and choir and somehow still finds time for much more. A graduate of Marquette University and Fordham University, Ryan brings a unique blend of science, philosophy, and faith to his work with students. Beyond the classroom, he directs the MUHS spring musical, leads a national...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we welcome Damon Keys , a member of the legendary 1990 undefeated state championship team at MUHS and Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball that same year. A captain and standout for the Marquette Golden Eagles and a Wooden Award nominee, Damon’s story doesn’t stop on the court. After 25 years working at the House of Correction, he now dedicates his time to supporting st...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we welcome Michael Dybicz , a Cleveland Heights native and graduate of St. Ignatius High School , Notre Dame , and Cornell . Now in his 17th year at MUHS , Michael brings the ancient world to life as a Latin teacher , helping students connect language, history, and culture in meaningful ways. Tune in for a conversation that blends classics, teaching, and the e...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we welcome back Rev. Michael J. Marco, SJ for his third appearance on the show —and in his final year at MUHS as the school’s 11th president. A proud Nebraska native and lifelong Huskers fan, Fr. Marco has spent more than 20 years in Jesuit education and has led MUHS since 2016 with a steady commitment to faith, leadership, and community. In this episode, he r...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we welcome Aaron Sims , the longtime play-by-play voice of the Milwaukee Admirals . Originally from Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota , Aaron graduated from Winona State University and has been calling Admirals games since 2005 , bringing the excitement of hockey to fans across Milwaukee and beyond. When he’s not behind the microphone at the rink, Aaron also enjo...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we catch up with Collin Weyer , a 2010 MUHS grad who followed his older brothers to the Hilltop and made his own mark along the way. A three-sport athlete, Collin was part of the 2008 state championship baseball team and the 2009 state championship football team , while also leading freshman and Kairos retreats. After playing baseball at the University of Illi...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we catch up with Erik Schmidt , a 2025 MUHS graduate who has taken his football talents to the next level. After originally committing to the University of Wisconsin, Erik flipped his commitment and is now playing football for the University of Notre Dame , where he competes at the highest level of college athletics. Join us as Erik reflects on his MUHS roots,...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we welcome Vince Kostos , a 17-year veteran at MUHS who has coached just about everything — football, golf, baseball, and soccer — bringing steady leadership to every season. A Loyola University graduate and Chicago native, Vince proudly carries his die-hard loyalty to all things Chicago sports wherever he goes. Tune in as we talk coaching across multiple spor...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we welcome Jay Sorgi , a 1994 MUHS graduate and familiar face to Wisconsin sports fans as a longtime studio anchor for the Green Bay Packers . Jay spent 22 years with WTMJ , covering some of the biggest moments in sports before shifting his focus to a different kind of storytelling. Today, he writes and reports for national Catholic media outlets , bringing th...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we’re joined by Scott Ford , former Milwaukee Admirals player and coach, Brown University graduate , and current assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets . The conversation covers hockey, leadership, and what it really takes to compete and survive at the highest level of the game. From minor-league grind to NHL expectations, Scott shares insight, stories...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we welcome Jim Wilkinson , former MUHS Spanish teacher and current JV baseball coach . A graduate of Lawrence University , Jim brings a mix of classroom wisdom, dugout perspective, and a lifelong love of The Clash to the mic. From teaching verbs to teaching fundamentals, Jim shares stories from his time at MUHS, life around baseball, and the music that’s been...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we sit down with Erik Anderson , a Portland, Oregon native who has been teaching at MUHS since 2014. Erik earned degrees from Marquette University and Washington University in St. Louis , studying English and Theology , and brings that blend of thoughtfulness and creativity into his classroom every day. Outside of teaching, Erik is a true lover of music who pl...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we welcome Trent Raffaelli, class of 2004 — a Hilltopper who was in jazz band, and now spends his days representing voice, print, and on-camera talent in Milwaukee and Chicago. Trent shares how he found his way into the world of talent representation, the stories that come with it, and his next big adventure: a boat trip from the Caribbean to the Chesapeake Ba...

This week, Raff and the Meatballs welcome Dr. Mike Stauder, a 1995 MUHS graduate whose path has taken him from the halls of Milwaukee to the forefront of cancer treatment. After earning degrees from the University of Chicago and the Wisconsin School of Medicine, Dr. Stauder now serves as a professor in the Department of Breast Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, one of the...

This week, Raff and the Meatballs catch up with Riley Nowakowski, a 2020 MUHS graduate whose football journey is straight out of a movie. Riley went to the University of Wisconsin as a preferred walk-on, fought his way onto the field, earned a scholarship, and is now suiting up for the #1–ranked Indiana Hoosiers. From Hilltopper pride to Big Ten intensity, Riley shares what it takes to bet on your...

This week on Raff and the Meatballs , we sit down with two MUHS icons, Greg Meuler and Larry Siewert - educators who shaped generations of Hilltoppers. Greg spent more than 40 years in Catholic education, nearly three decades at MUHS, and comes from a family with MUHS roots deeper than the school’s foundation. Larry, class of ’59, returned to MUHS as a teacher and eventually became the school’s fi...

This week, Raff and the Meatballs sit down with Joe Coplan, a 2014 MUHS graduate who has come full circle to serve the Hilltopper community in big ways. Joe is in his first year as an Assistant Dean of Students, after previously working in Learning Services, and he stays busy on the sidelines as a volleyball coach, basketball coach, and club volleyball coach. As a student at MUHS, Joe helped bring...

This week, Raff and the Meatballs welcome Tom Mussoline, who has quietly become one of the key creative forces behind the MUHS media scene. A graduate of Hazleton High School, Bloomsburg University, and holder of a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from Cardinal Stritch University, Tom is now in his fourth year at Marquette University High School. He serves as the Academic Technology Coord...

This week, Raff and the Meatballs welcome George Papa Christou , a man who brings heart, humor and a whole lot of wisdom to everything he does. A Brookfield East grad with degrees in Criminal Justice and Theology from Marquette University , George now serves as the Lead Chaplain for the Milwaukee Police Department and coaches MUHS football . With three Hilltopper sons, Jimmy, Greg and Andrew, he’s...

This week, Raff and the Meatballs welcome Tim Williams, a 1986 MUHS graduate who knows a thing or two about winning. Tim was part of state championship teams in both football and track before heading to the University of Michigan, where he played for the Rose Bowl–winning Wolverines and earned Academic All–Big Ten honors three years in a row. Today, Tim serves as the Vice President of Inclusion at...

This week, Raff and the Meatballs catch up with John Kopriva , class of 2011 , a Hilltopper who did it all: football, basketball, track , and a state title or two for good measure. After starring at George Washington University (and somehow majoring in chemistry without exploding anything), John traded in his jersey for a white coat. Now finishing his medical training with the Cleveland Browns , h...

This week, Raff and the Meatballs sit down with Jim Schneider , who’s been teaching AP U.S. History at MUHS for 18 years. A proud graduate of Marquette University and St. Ignatius Cleveland , Jim has shaped countless Hilltoppers’ understanding of America’s past. But when he’s not diving into the Revolution or the Civil War, he’s calling plays for one of MUHS’s most cherished traditions: the annual...