8/21/2011 - Are You Ready For Some Football?
Jefferson coach Joe Mattessich sounding like a drill sergeant during a tacking drill. Chuck Tepper of Vernon going hi-tech (at least for him) working a mini-camera filming practices.
Bill Percey shouting words of encouragement as his High Point Wildcats complete a grueling conditioning drill on a cow pasture disguised as a football field. New Newton coach Jim Rabbitt calmly watching his Braves warm up as he contemplates his inaugural season.
Ah, yes, the sights and sounds of the opening week of football practice where sweat and dreams of grandeur are the order of the day.
A time of the year when every team is undefeated, and if you are lucky, everyone is healthy. A time to see if all the work in the offseason has paid off. A time to see who will emerge to win a starting spot.
In a nutshell, the best time of the year for football coaches.
As always, Mugs Media will air its preseason Sports Beat football special in a week on Service Electric Cable Television Channel 10. Jerry Morelli and I hit all the camps and got all the early-season scoops on the teams as we prepare for the 2011 season.
I gotta tell you folks, watching these practices bring back a lot of old memories, some good, some not so good. I can tell you I don’t miss running around in full pads when it is almost 90 degrees, but I do miss the fun of playing.
And I love all the energy and enthusiasm the players and coaches show in the first week. No one is burnt out yet or dejected by a rough season. It is pure unadulterated optimism, and I love it.
Talking to the kids at Jefferson, you can see they want to turn around the Falcons 4-6 record of a year ago. A season in which the Falcons were in every game except for a big loss to Pope John.
Jefferson will count on sophomore quarterback JR Reese and senior running back Steve Strumolo to lead the way.
Up in Vernon, the Vikings want to build off their 4-2 finish of a year ago when the Vikings finished the season 4-6. They will have to do it without All-State QB Matt Soltes who is playing at East Stroudsburg, but with 20 seniors and a big and experienced line, don’t count out the Vikings this season.
In Wantage, the Wildcats of High Point have a chip on their shoulder and are out to prove that last season’s outstanding 8-3 mark and trip to the states for the first time since 2001 wasn’t a fluke.
Yes, they know a great senior class graduated in June, but these Wildcats want to make a name for themselves and prove that the Wildcats are a program, not just one great class.
And Percey, who would never publicly admit it because he is too class of an act, I’m sure wants to make a name for himself in his first head coaching job in football.
Jim Delaney, who took the Montville job after his teaching position was cut due to budget constraints in the spring, laid a terrific foundation for Percey to build on. It should be a very interesting year up in Wantage.
Jim Rabbitt over in Newton has the job he always hoped he would get. After serving as an assistant to Pete Contaldi in the early 2000s, Rabbitt takes over for Tom Brennan and he will employ the run-oriented Delaware Wing-T after several seasons of Brennan’s run-and-shoot.
Rabbitt has decent numbers, but like he told me, he loves coaching Newton kids and what they lack in numbers they make up for with hustle and a hard-nosed sensibility second to none.
But the biggest storyline of the season comes out of Sparta, and I don’t mean the Spartans.
Pope John will begin the Brian Carlson Era this fall. After 40-plus years of amazing success and 373 wins, Vic Paternostro will not be roaming the sidelines for the Lions. His departure has been well documented, so we won’t rehash it.
But how Carlson does will be on the forefront of every discussion when it comes to Sussex County football. People ask me all the time how do I think he will do?
My answer is easy, let’s wait and see. I know it sounds like a copout, but it really isn’t. The Lions have great talent coming back and Carlson has been to a few rodeos in his time and knows the game of football.
His enthusiasm is refreshing and I think the spread attack will help the Lions in that they have speed all over the field. But mind you, I have always said that PJ was one of those rare breeds, a quick-strike offense built around the run.
Yes, the Lions could grind out long drives, but for 40-plus years, Paternostro always had a tailback who could take it to the house from anywhere on the field at anytime. So the Lions may throw more this year, but we will see if it results in more points. My guess is it could be a wash.
And it doesn’t matter how many points the Lions score if they don’t play defense. Defense has always been the name of the game at PJ so we will see if that continues.
So brace yourselves. Scrimmages have started and teams are champing on the bit. I can’t wait for opening night.
ODDS AND ENDS…I ran into John Gardner, High Point’s outstanding wrestling coach and he told me the Wildcats have dropped to Group 2 this year for wrestling. You could hear the cries of sorrow from West Essex to Lenape Valley all the way down to Long Branch and Buena.
The Wildcats have competed in Group 3 since 1986, winning 20 section crowns (they won the North 1, Group 2 title in 1984) and two state titles including last year.
Talk about perfect timing. After graduating the greatest senior class in the modern era of high school wrestling (and what is the modern era Mike Weilamann?) the Wildcats have a chance to continue their winning ways in Group 2.
High Point won’t have to deal with South Plainfield or Timber Creek, two of the top teams in the state, which reside in Group 3. And in North 1, Group 3, Roxbury looked to be the favorite even if High Point was still in the section.
So the young, talented, but unproven Wildcats have a much better chance, in my view, to succeed in Group 2 as High Point comes back to the pack talent-wise.
In field hockey news, Kittatinny, a longtime staple in North 1, Group 2 has dropped to Group 1 this season. Group 1 has some tough teams, but the Cougars will not have to compete in the meat-grinder that is North 1, Group 2 which features state-power West Essex, Newton, Wallkill Valley, Pope John and Hackettstown.
The other news out of field hockey is that players must wear goggles, like in lacrosse, this season. I think it is a good idea because it is based in player safety and if you noticed last season, many players donned facemasks on corner penalties due to safety concerns.
With more schools playing on turf the speed of the ball has increased dramatically and I think it will be good for the game but it will take some time getting used to.
Finally, the entire staff at Mugs Media sends its heartfelt condolences to the Wise family in Vernon after Bob, passed away unexpectedly. Bob taught at the high school for 20 years and more recently was a site director and Vernon AD Bill Edelman’s right-hand man.
I didn’t know Bob that well, but what I knew of him was that he was a gentleman to us when we visited and a true professional. He couldn’t have been nicer to us and our best wishes and prayers go out to his family and everyone at Vernon Township High School.
That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.
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