Joe Hofmann
All week long, Mount Olive football coach Brian O’Connor spoke to his Marauders until he was blue in the face.
Over and over. And over.
His message: If you play the way you are capable of, you can beat anyone.
Last Friday night, the kids got the message.
Mount Olive wound up capturing a wild 35-28 victory over red-hot West Morris.
Out: Silly penalties. Missed assignments. Dumb football.
In: Explosiveness. Blocking. Tackling.
Mount Olive resembled the 2023 squad that won a sectional championship.
Oh, the Marauders were far from perfect against West Morris, but who’s gonna quibble after beating the mighty Wolfpack?
The conclusion couldn’t be mistaken:
The Marauders are back!
Be warned, North Group 4!
Mount Olive will host Newark Central Friday night and, if things shake out, would travel to top-seeded Morris Knolls, which clobbered O’Connor’s team three weeks ago, 27-7.
But that seems like light years ago now.
These are the new Marauders – thanks to O’Connor’s week-long pleading last week.
For three weeks, Mount Olive was in a fog, beginning with losing a 31-6 shocker at Chatham in late September.
Ever since that afternoon, there were too many on-field lapses and that’s what prompted O’Connor to become part-time preacher last week.
“The whole week, we preached all about the little things that make big things happen,” O’Connor said. “We needed four quarters. That is what we talked about all week. We had a great week of practice. The kids woke up. I told them, ‘No one is picking you guys to win this game. I don’t care who we play, if we play like we are able no one can beat us.’”
One of the leaders against West Morris was QB Jake Asbury, who was masterful at running the Read-Pass Option. He rushed 7 times for 59 yards and scored touchdown runs of 36 and 6 yards, the second of which gave his team a 21-7 lead in the second quarter.
But West Morris battled back and tied the game at 28 in the third quarter.
No problem. The Marauders defense had an interception on a faked punt and wound up scoring on a gadget play when Lincoln Youtz caught a 19-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter from Frank Gallo to put the team ahead for good, 35-28.
Another mainstay for the offense was the running of powerful Tyler Cumming, who was 22 for 143, running behind a line that was shuffled slightly recently when the coaches switched James Rizzo from right guard to right tackle and moved Richie Vanatta from right tackle to right guard two weeks ago.
“The O-Line is definitely starting to gel,” O’Connor said. “They seem to be handling their new positions better.”
Those two join a line that features left tackle James Giammanco, left guard Jonah Decker and center Connor Smith.
The line and running game were overpowering last week in a loss to formidable Wayne Valley, when the Marauders were mired in their mistake-filled slump. The team went on a 27-7 surge but had fallen behind, 14-0, with less than three minutes gone in the first quarter.
That outburst showed what kind of team Mount Olive can be. And with the playoffs looming, that’s a great place to be in.
“Cumming has been running well,” O’Connor said. “We missed him because he had a hand injury but he is now running angry and showing great leadership. He hit a couple of big runs, he’s moving the pile, and he is a tough guy to bring down.”
And now that they have found themselves, so are the Marauders.
Hot hand
Basketball players can get the hot hand when they find a certain rhythm and make shot after shot, seemingly with their eyes closed.
They’re in the zone.
Is any area football player hotter than Lenape Valley’s Kevin Giusti lately?
Check out the run he has been on:
- On Oct. 5 against Sussex Tech, he was 22 for 289 rushing with 2 TDs in a 28-16 win.
- On Oct. 18 against Hacketstown, he was 40 for 351 with five TDs in a wild 53-32 win.
- Friday night against Wallkill Valley, he had 28 carries for 255 yards and three TDs.
Giusti and the Patriots Wing T have been thriving with a solid O-Line, that includes sophomore Danny Santana and senior Chris Zander at tackle. Junior Chase Grant and senior Jack Kopich are the guards, and senior Jack Phelps is the center. Junior Ben Sumski is the tight end.
“We are just starting to play better,” coach Wade Pickett said. “The offensive line play has definitely gotten a lot better and honestly, they are starting to figure it out. We graduated quite a few seniors last year, especially on the offensive line. We only had one returning starter and we had to move him from center to tackle (Zander).”
Valued assistants
Butler has always had the reputation of being a spread team because the Bulldogs were the first Morris County school to open up their offense and go to the Run and Shoot during their run of four straight sectional titles from 1994-97 under Bob Jones.
This year’s group won the NJIC playoffs over high-flying Glen Rock last week with a rugged defense, guided by defensive coordinator Sean Centinaro, a four-year starter at the school who starred on the Bulldogs last sectional championship in 2018. Centinaro was the school’s valedictorian at the 2019 graduation.
“He installed the gameplan for Glen Rock and the kids did exactly what he told them to do,” coach Jason Luciani said. “To see Sean jump from great player to coach is gratifying to me. It was amazing. I was as happy with that as anything else. He is a smart dude who teaches math and he is just as good a teacher as he is a coach.”
Another valuable assistant on the younger side is special teams coordinator Tim Mickens, the son of longtime Butler assistant Mark Mickens. Butler’s special teams helped the team win the NJIC.
So did do-everything senior P.J. Coffey, one of the best all-around players the Bulldogs have had in quite awhile and one of the best players in Morris County.
“He’s a lockdown corner, first of all,” Luciani said. “It is impossible to catch a ball with him on you. And when you do, he tackles you on the spot. He embraces a challenge and destroys blocks.
“He’s a great running back, an outstanding receiver, and a phenomenal quarterback.
On top of all of that, on special teams … he was 3-for-3 on extra points against Glen Rock. He kicks off, punts, returns kicks and catches punts. He is everywhere, a weapon in all three phases of the game. That’s what makes him the most special. His ability to play in all three phases is just amazing.”
Cortland State, the reigning national D-3 champion, has been recruiting him, as has TCNJ and Pace. He will also visit Delaware and Rhode Island.
Coffey is a likely 1,000-point scorer in basketball and is Butler’s starting shortstop, but is destined to suit up with a helmet and shoulder pads next fall.
“I am focused on football in college,” he told me.
Playoff lookahead
Here is a look at the playoff pairings with some thoughts.
North 1, Group 1
(8) Weehawken at (1) Butler
(5) Pompton Lakes at (4) Glen Ridge
(6) Lenape Valley at (3) Mountain Lakes
(7) Park Ridge at (2) New Milford
North 2, Group 1
(8) Wallkill Valley at (1) Cedar Grove
(5) Belvidere at (4) Verona
(6) Wood-Ridge at (3) Hasbrouck Heights
(7) Boonton at (2) New Providence
Thoughts: Mountain Lakes is the two-time defending champion and the 2023 state Group I champion. The Herd are rebuilding and nowhere near last year’s level but have what it takes to advance a couple of rounds. North 1 should go to Butler, but the Herd won’t go down quietly. And neither should Lenape with red-hot running back Kevin Giusti (see above). These three local schools have played a lot of big playoff games down through the years.
Boonton will travel to New Providence, which is coached by Chet Parlavecchio, the former standout at Delbarton and son of Chet, one of North Jersey’s all-time best coaches.
There were a couple of Mountain Lakes teams down through the years that I thought could have won Group II, III, or IV (2008 comes to mind). In that same vein, Cedar Grove, I’m told, is good enough to win Group III this year.
North 1, Group 2
(8) Lakeland at (1) Westwood
(5) Shabazz at (4) Caldwell
(6) Madison at (3) Pequannock
(7) Rutherford at (2) Bernards
North 2, Group 2
(8) Waldwick at (1) Glen Rock
(5) Becton at (4) High Point
(6) Lyndhurst at (3) Ramsey
(7) Newton at (2) Hanover Park
Thoughts: Hanover has an excellent shot to win the first sectional title since the great 1990 team. The Hornets are playing at a high level and Group II’s other heavyweights (Westwood, Shabazz, Caldwell, Bernards) are all in the other bracket.
High Point can put points up in a hurry and can make it to the final, but I don’t know if the Wildcats can keep pace with Hanover.
No one wants to face well-coached Newton at any point in a one-game scenario, which is why Hanover coach Dan Fulton is a little nervous this week..
In the upper bracket, I’m intrigued by the Madison-Pequannock rematch. The Dodgers have come a long way this year and beat the Golden Panthers recently. Beating an evenly-matched team twice is a tall order. Madison coach Chris Kubik has guided the program to five sectional championships and knows how to win in the playoffs.
North 1, Group 3
(8) West Milford at (1) Pascack Valley
(5) Sparta at (4) Montville
(6) Snyder at (3) Passaic Valley
(7) River Dell at (2) Mendham
North 2, Group 3
(8) Weequahic at (1) Old Tappan
(5) Summit at (4) Cranford
(6) Wayne Hills at (3) West Morris
(7) Dwight Morrow at (2) West Essex
Thoughts: Group III is loaded with locals and this is a fascinating group.
In North 1, a Sparta-at-Mendham final (quite possible) would be a total contrast in styles with the passing team (Sparta) taking on the running team (Mendham).
Montville seems to have hit the skids. Can the Mustangs rebound against Sparta? In Week 0, they went up to Sparta and routed the Spartans, 33-9. This game bears watching. Montville was pushed around in recent losses to West Morris and Mendham.
In North 2, likely semifinal foes West Morris and West Essex have forged quite a rivalry over the last few years and it could possibly be revisited. West Essex won the Group III state semifinal over the Wolfpack last year (21-20) after West Morris broke out to a 14-0 early lead. West Morris had won three straight matchups over West Essex during a stretch from 2021-2022, two of the games coming in sectional finals in Long Valley.
The Wolfpack, the three-time defending champion, could return to Old Tappan, where they won the section in dramatic fashion last year.
In addition, there is a chance that West Morris could face two others it beat last year on the way to the sectional championship in Pascack Valley and Sparta.
North 1, Group 4
(8) Nutley at (1) Phillipsburg
(5) Chatham at (4) Wayne Valley
(6) Westfield at (3) Northern Highlands
(7) Watchung Hills at (2) Woodbridge
North 2, Group 4
(8) Colonia at (1) Morris Knolls
(5) Newark Central at (4) Mount Olive
(6) Randolph at (3) Ramapo
(7) Rahway at (2) Ridge
Thoughts: Knolls has been playing brilliantly all year and Mount Olive seems to have hit its stride. The probable semifinal game should be a great one. This doesn’t seem to be one of Ramapo’s better teams and Randolph has a shot. Ridge is loaded.
Chatham is very much in the mix against Wayne Valley.
North 1, Group 5
(8) Passaic at (1) Ridgewood
(5) Irvington at (4) East Orange
(6) Montclair at (3) Piscataway
(7) Linden at (2) West Orange
North 2, Group 5
(8) Newark East Side at (1) Union City
(5) Bayonne at (4) Bridgewater-Raritan
(6) Plainfield at (3) Passaic Tech
(7) Morristown at (2) Elizabeth
Thoughts: Elizabeth barely beat Morristown in the regular season (26-24) on Oct. 10. The Colonials have been playing excellent football of late but haven’t posted a breakthrough victory yet. This could well be the one.
Question: If Passaic Tech draws athletes from all over Passaic County (they do), should they be allowed to compete against schools that simply draw from their towns?
Down Memory Lane
The state football playoffs kick off Friday. The NJSIAA has corrected many of the flaws that had once existed. I don’t know of many people who have problems with the current alignment (If you do, drop me a line and I’ll write a story if you have a better proposal!).
But I do have a question, and it got me thinking: If you look at the won-loss records of the 16 qualifiers in each section … why are some teams with inferior records seeded ahead of others?
Not all teams play the same schedules, of course, and some schools are in more demanding leagues, so they’ll earn more in their power rating. But is that fair? Teams play who they play and not much can be done about that.
That’s why, many, many years ago, Wallkill Valley AD Mike Van Zile had a problem with the entire power-point structure and came up with what became known as the Van Zile Plan.
Van Zile had some valid arguments and campaigned around the state trying to sell his plan, almost like he was a politician.
Back in the day, the Sussex County Interscholastic League, where his school was a member, was a terrific league in almost every way. There were local rivalries galore. Every game mattered because of the rivalries.
But there were a couple of problems:
1. Pope John generally blew everyone out of the water.
2. Vernon, being a Group IV school back then, had trouble accumulating power points in football.
3. Group III schools High Point and Sparta had power point issues because they were beating mostly Group II schools.
Let’s take Vernon’s case. The Vikings needed to go (at least) 6-2 in order to accumulate the power points to get in. The state used to take the top four teams in each group before expanding it to the top eight. Several times, Vernon was left out in the cold because they didn’t have enough power points.
But how could they, if they were in a Group II league?
That’s one of the reasons why Van Zile hatched his plan, which would have completely blown up the SCIL. He believed in placing football teams together solely according to Group size around the entire state. So several Group 2’s from the SCIL would be grouped together, but then there would be square-peg-in-round-hole schools such as High Point being placed with say … Bergenfield. High Point, as I recall, was not pleased (as well they should not have been).
Eliminating rivalries and insane travel were two of the big problems with the Van Zile Plan. Where would you rather go play if you were HIgh Point or Sparta: Wallkill or Dumont?
Van Zile kept most SCIL schools together because it was mostly a Group II league (Hopatcong, Jefferson, Kittatinny, Lenape Valley, Newton and Wallkill).
Van Zile countered High Point’s travel argument by saying that the Wildcats didn’t seem to mind traveling all over creation during wrestling season.
The SCIL also looked into merging with the Colonial Hills and Northern Hills Conferences. I vaguely recall the Iron Hills Conference getting involved (this all came about around 25 years ago).
His plan had merits. You played ONLY schools of your size. The regular season basically seeded the playoffs.
Here is how the Van Zile Plan would have affected Group 1 this year:
Group A Group B
Boonton Butler
North Warren Mountain Lakes
Belvidere New Providence
Lenape Valley Verona
Wallkill Valley Brearley
Kinnelon Glen Ridge
Kittatinny Whippany Park
Hopatcong Roselle Park
Group C Group D
Park Ridge New Milford
Secaucus Hasbrouck Heights
Bogota Cedar Grove
North Arlington Wood-Ridge
Wallington Weehawken
Dunellen Saddle Brook
Hawthorne Pompton Lakes
Some points about Van Zile’s plan if we were to apply it to Group I this year:
1. There would be crossover games that would not affect a team’s divisional record.
2. The top two teams by record in each league qualify for the playoffs.
3. In this scenario, Boonton would host Mountain Lakes, North Warren would travel to Butler, Park Ridge would play at Hasbrouck Heights, and New Milford would entertain Secaucus.
4. Winners would advance. A vs. B, C vs. D. Home fields would rotate each year.
I remember going in with an open mind and being 50-50 with all of this when it was kicked around.
But then someone said, “Van Zile doesn’t like Sussex County, so he wants to blow up the whole state!” That resonated with me.
A few years later, the NJAC became a pretty good alternative. The Super Football Conference is ok as it stands.
Again, if someone has a new proposal, send it to me (through this website).
Know this: Re-doing everything to make everything perfect is impossible. This is all like Whack-A-Mole. If you re-do everything for the sake of one problem, another problem pops up.
