Stuart is ready for 22nd year with WW-PS football

Tom Stuart can still approach each new season with a fresh outlook.

By: Bob Nuse
   Even after 21 years as a head coach football coach at West Windsor-Plainsboro High, Tom Stuart can still approach each new season with a fresh outlook.
   "There are always new schools to play and new coaches to go against," said Stuart, who will begin his 22nd season when WW-P South plays at Allentown on Saturday. "And there are always new players that keep it interesting."
   In his 21 years at WW-P, Stuart has posted a 121-79 record. He’s hoping that this year’s edition of the Pirates can improve on last year’s 4-6 record.
   "It’s always hard to say how we’ll be until we get everybody in the right spot," Stuart said. "We’re going to have to work hard and show that we can develop as a team. We have some good kids up front and I think the offensive and defensive lines will be the strength of the team for us.
   "We’ll have to see how the special teams perform. Replacing someone like (kicker) Ed MacQueen won’t be easy. And we have a couple of guys with experience at quarterback, which should help."
   Brian Watkin, who opened the season as the starter at quarterback before a season-ending injury, is battling with Josh Saliba, who closed the season at quarterback, for the starting job.
   Overall, Stuart plans to rely on a strong core of players in the trenches, led by three-year starter Brendon Morfe.
   "The biggest thing with this group is that they have to play together as a team," Stuart said. "Hopefully we’ll get some good leadership from our seniors. We also have some younger kids that have some experience, so hopefully they’ll come along a little faster than normal.
   "We don’t have that one guy that can carry the team on offense like a Rob Archie from a few years ago. But we have a lot of pretty solid guys. They may not be as flashy, but they’re solid football players."
   After opening at Allentown on Saturday, the Pirates will play their first home night game ever when they host Ewing on Friday, Sept. 14. It will be a historic day for football in West Windsor and Plainsboro.
   "I think everybody is pretty excited about," said Stuart, whose team will play under portable lights brought in for the game. "I think it will be a lot of fun for the kids. Night games are always special, especially in the early fall when the weather is still good.
   "Hopefully we’ll get a lot of people out for the game. Usually night games are a good way of getting people to come out. We’ll see how this one goes and possible in the future we’ll be able to do it more often."
   Stuart hopes his football team will be one that the fans will want to come out and see. He’s optimistic that the combination of senior leadership and young players will make for a solid team.
   "We’ve got a few juniors playing in key positions," said Stuart, whose captains this year are Morfe, Sean Edwards, Ian MacQueen and Chris Lopez. "And we’ve got some seniors who are playing for the first time. They’ll need to gain a little experience. But overall, I think we’ve got a nice group of players."
   For Stuart, welcoming in a new group of players is something he’s gotten used to. After all, in 22 years as a head coach you get to see plenty of new faces.
   "If we play together as a team, I think we’ll be alright," Stuart said. "That’s going to be important for this team."