Phil Simms North VS South Classic Preview

Butler football has always been known for offense. Big passing numbers, game-breaking runners and receivers, plenty of points, and lots of victories.

That has always been the Butler way.

That’s before lineman Jason Murray came along – all 6-foot-5 inches, 290-pounds of him.

The Bulldogs have had record-setting quarterbacks and receivers who have grabbed headlines.

Rarely have Butler linemen made a name for themselves in the trenches.

Murray is one of best linemen the Bulldogs have ever produced. That goes back to before coach Jason Luciani came along in the late 1990s and even before longtime assistant Mark Mickens.

“I never really heard of anyone else like him,” Luciani said. “I heard Mark Mickens compare him to others, but not many can compare. Jason is just outstanding.”

If you missed a chance to see him as a Butler player, you’ll get one more opportunity when he suits up for the North in the Phil Simms North-South game at Kean on Sunday.

Other standouts from the Morris-Sussex area who will compete in the game include Morristown lineman Giakoby Hills, Randolph linebacker-running back Jesse Wilfong, Roxbury kicker Gunnar Hilsinger, Morristown-Beard running back Marcello Laracca, Pope John punter Jack Morgese, Vernon lineman Jack Austin, and Jefferson lineman Tim Connolly.

The game will be an introduction to college football for Murray.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “I could definitely see myself holding my own and seeing what I could do and prove that I am the best out there. I want to see how I could make myself better and improve during the game.”

The game is a stepping stone for Murray, who will play at Montclair State along the offensive line.

He has come a long way from the days when he was not permitted to play youth football for Butler-Bloomingdale because he was too big.

“Jason will bring Montclair leadership, competitiveness, and toughness,” Butler coach Jason Luciani said. “He is an outstanding run blocker. He has improved in his pass protection.

He struggled with that early in his career with the quick edge rushers but he’s improved. I see no reason why he won’t contribute at Montclair at some point – if not right away.”

Murray knows all about being an immediate contributor. When he was a freshman at Butler, he held his own as a mere freshman on the varsity with the big boys.

“It felt amazing,” Murray said. “I loved being under the lights. There wasn’t much of a crowd during Covid but there was during the other years on Friday nights. Rival games … they were something else.”

“He realized how strong and big he is,” Luciani said. “He has an edge and he turned himself into one who didn’t take it as seriously and then became a vocal leader. He competed with the seniors as a freshman. We thought, ‘Maybe there is something here.’ “

Hills is another beefy lineman looking to make an impact for the North. He had a brilliant senior year after an injury short-circuited his junior campaign.

“He was determined to come back and make a name for himself,” Colonials coach Casey Flynn said.

Hills spent his senior year making a name for himself, all right.

H8e not only earned the North roster spot, .he earned a full scholarship to Division 1 Temple.

As a junior, a D-1 scholarship wasn’t exactly in the cards. He hobbled off the field against Randolph.

“I was worried about my future,” he said. “I thought, ‘This might be the end.’ But in the back of my mind, I had one more year. I was determined to come back and play every game like it was my last and with a chip on my shoulder.”

During his senior year, Hills was absolutely dominant on both sides of the ball against the likes of Morris County’s best opponents in the Super Football Conference such as West Morris,

Mount Olive, Randolph, Roxbury and Morris Knolls.

He’ll play D-Line in the North-South game Flynn will coach the D-Line for the North) but O-Line at Temple.

“I played at the top of my game as a senior – with a chip on my shoulder,” Hills said. “I wanted to play at the next level. It was all or nothing for me.

“I’m thrilled to be in the North-South game. It’s an honor. I get to represent myself and Morristown. I showed kids that there is potential for them and there is talent at Morristown.”

Defensively he led the Colonials and he had five blocked extra points or field goals.

“I’m excited to see what he does for Temple,” Flynn said. “They liked his size and his length. He can grow and get bigger. He has the ability to put on good healthy weight and perform without losing his abilities, which are being able to strike hard and fast and explode off the ball. He can move laterally when necessary.

“We will miss him tremendously,” Flynn said. “He did a great job with the underclassmen in being able to get them caught up to what we do. Filling the void once he is gone will be tough. There are not too many 6-5 linemen that come through all the time. He was so good with the younger kids. He will definitely be sorely missed.”

Hilsinger, meanwhile, will kick in both the North-South game and the Robeson East-West Classic at Belleville High on June 11.

He has accepted the invitations and will be performing in both of them before he goes off to kick for Division 2 Wingate University (Wingate, NC).

It is rare that a player has been asked to participate in both games.

“It’s an extreme honor,” he said, “to be selected into two New Jersey all-star games.”

It is also a kind of reward for his incredible drive and work ethic.

“It is a credit to how he works as a kid,” Roxbury coach Ryan Roumes said. “He was always asking if he could go on the field and kick. He loves it and practices and grinds and proved himself this past year as a senior. He definitely earned it.”

Hilsinger began his career as a kicker on the soccer field. About seven years ago, he used his right leg as a weapon – but it was on enemy goalies. But the sport was not the right fit. Referees constantly red carded him because of his over-aggressiveness.

So he went out for football.

That turned out to be for Roxbury’s benefit. He was one of the best kickers and punters in all of Morris County as a senior.

Hilsinger booted three field goals in four tries. His clutch 30-yard fourth-quarter field goal over Mount Olive was the difference in the Gaels 10-7 victory on Sept. 29 that helped Roxbury win the NJSFC-Liberty White championship.

Hilsinger, a solid two-way lineman for the Gaels, was also a standout punter as well and was named first-team all-league.

His placekicking helped key the Gaels wild 15-12 comeback victory over Irvington in the sectional semifinals. After a Roxbury touchdown, he blasted the 8ensuing kickoff directly at an Irvington up-back. The ball ricocheted back to Hilsinger, who recovered the ball.

“Throughout the entire season, Gunnar was someone we could rely on for a bunch of different things, like kicking field goals, for one thing,” Roumes said. “His touchback percent was phenomenal on kickoffs, and he flipped the field with punts. The first Mount Olive game was a defensive struggle and he flipped the field the entire game with his punts and he kicked the winning field goal. He had quite a game that night.”

Hilsinger will use both all-star games as a tuneup for Wingate. He is the third straight Roxbury placekicker to go on and play at the college level. Two years ago, Luke Schabel went to Incarnate Word (Texas) but is now kicking for Monmouth. Joe Fragale went to kick at Alvernia in Pennsylvania.

Hilsinger said he was interested in Mississippi State, Saint Anselm’s, and Colgate.

“I chose Wingate because they have a great program with proven success, they have a great coaching staff and previous success with specialists,” he said, referring to Ethan Evan of the L.A. Rams.

“He went around looking for the best spot to go kick,” Roumes said. “’I want to go kick in college, let’s go find the best spot.’ So he did his research and he got some money to go to Wingate.”

Wilfong will play college football at Kean, so playing in the North-South game will be his first exposure to the school’s field in Union.

“It’s an honor,” Wilfong said. “At first, I didn’t know if I’d get invited to any all-star games. But then I was invited. I’ll be playing against the best kids in the state. I’m just thrilled to be a part of it.”

Former Rams coach Will Nahan is just as thrilled. Nahan is now the defensive coordinator at High Point and himself a Kean grad.

“I love Jesse, he is one of my guys,” Nahan said. “I’ve known him since he was in the fourth grade. He came through our youth program and came to our clinics. He has really developed as a player.”

Wilfong will use the North-South game as a stepping stone to college. He cannot wait for June 7, which is two days before the game and when Wilfong and his college-bound teammates will get accustomed to college dorm life. Players report to Kean and begin practicing two-a-days and stay overnight (Friday and Saturday nights) in the dorms.

“I can’t wait,” Wilfong said. “I did some research on the game. It goes back quite a way. I didn’t know much about it but I saw the list of names who played in the game. There was so much talent over the years.”

Nahan knows Wilfong will be in good hands at Kean.

“Seeing him play that night will be a special moment for me,” Nahan said. “To see him play where I played, in a prestigious game, is very fulfilling for me as a coach.”

Wilfong is projected to play linebacker in the game. At Randolph, he showed himself to be a threat in whatever role Nahan gave him – on and off the field.

“He was a great vocal leader and team captain who played varsity as a sophomore and was a two-year starter for me,” Nahan said. “He was a tremendous teammate. He has a tremendous intensity for the game because he has a love and a passion for it. He is the kind of guy who, after someone else makes a big play, he’ll go crazy for them. He has such passion and energy and that is infectious. I’ve seen it so many times from him. Just a natural born leader.

“With regards to his running style, he will not go down when the first guy hits him,” Nahan said. “He’ll drag defenders. He made a lot of big plays at linebacker. He is very instinctive. He’ll get into the backfield and beat the O-Line over and over. He also has great chase-down ability from sideline to sideline.

“College at any level is a whole different ballgame but that staff at Kean will develop him. He’ll get the opportunity to make an impact early.”

Wilfong will bring all those qualities to Kean – for the all-star game and beyond.

“It’s thrilling and awesome,” Wilfong said.