JEFF HUNTLEY Dominick Lepore, the new head football coach at Freehold Township High School, works with some of his players during a recent practice.
DDominick Lepore takes over a Freehold Township football team that changed its image under Gene Blanco. In the last couple of years the Patriots became a much tougher team as they concentrated on defense. The result has been a much more competitive team.
Lepore, who was the defensive coordinator, is again looking to the defense to set the trend.
"We’re still going to play a 4-3 and be aggressive going to the ball," explained Lepore. "Our front seven is very good. It’s the best since I’ve been here. We’re athletic and we have size and strength."
Heading the front seven in Division I is prospect Matt Summonte. The 6-3, 245-pound defensive end dominates play.
"Matt has size and quickness," noted Lepore. "He’s very aggressive to the ball and is a very physical player."
Junior Mike Castellano, also a returning starter, lines up on the other side as a defensive end. He is 6-2, 235, giving the Pat line strong bookends.
In the middle of the line the Pats have Aaron Winik, a 270-pounder back.
Another returning linebacker is Cole Williams-Ficcara. The three-year starter is the vocal leader of the defense. Williams-Ficcara quite simply has a nose for the football and makes plays.
The linebacking corps is bolstered by the return of the athletic Rabie Kwara.
While the Patriots have experience in their front seven, the secondary is completely new. The team graduated all four starters. Danny Clayton, a junior, will start at free safety. The other positions are still being determined.
The big question mark for the Pats in 2000 is offense.
"It’s no secret that we haven’t been able to do the things we want to do," said Lepore. "We haven’t scored and that’s my first concern."
Much of the team’s success will ride on the play of the offensive line where Freehold Township has four returning starters, guards Winik and John Bihuniak, and tackles Gerard England and Michael Mirabelli, who is the only junior of the group. Junior Bill Dotzel will start at center.
This line has good size, led by the 270-pound Winik.
"It’s an athletic group that can pull and trap, but it can move people off the line as well," Lepore remarked. "We want to control the ball with our running game and move the chains. It all starts in the trenches, that is one of our strong points."
Williams-Ficcara and Kwara will return as starters in the split-back backfield. Each brings something different to the offense. Williams-Ficcara is more of a north and south runner who puts his head down and gets the tough yardage, while the speedier Kwara is a more elusive runner.
Sophomore Sirad Summerlin and Jon Posten will be spelling them.
Township’s quarterback will be Lepore’s younger brother, junior Paul Lepore. It’s not unusual for fathers to coach their sons, but it’s not that often that older brother is coaching younger brother.
"It’s a little tough," noted the older Lepore. "On the field it’s player/coach and we both know that. We have a good relationship on and off the field. I can talk to him.
"Paul has football savvy," added the Pats’ coach. "He has a good feel for the game."
While the Pats will be looking to move the chains and control the ball behind their offensive line this fall, the younger Lepore does bring the passing element to the offense. It won’t be one-dimensional. Lorenzo Isidoro and Clayton are the wide receivers, and Christopher Konecny will start at tight end. Isidoro and Clayton have good hands and are the possession receivers the Pats are looking for.
Freehold Township will be playing in the American Division this fall. The Pats will kick off the Lepore era on Saturday afternoon in Marlboro against the Mustangs.

