Led by a couple of veteran running backs and a defense that has a reputation for shutting down opposing offenses, the Jackson High School football team is looking to repeat as both Shore Conference and South Jersey Group IV champions.
The Jaguars start their quest for another championship season at 1 p.m. Saturday at Brick Township High School. Last year, Jackson defeated Brick twice en route to a perfect 12-0 campaign, which included a 21-14 victory over Shawnee High School in the state title game.
Second-year coach Reggie Lawrence believes the Jags’ season opener will be an early test.
"They’re always a tough opponent," Lawrence said. "They are traditionally a solid program. They are very well coached and sound in the fundamentals of the game. We’ll need to be ready to go up against them. We can’t come out and be inconsistent. I’m sure the fact that we knocked them off twice last season is being used as motivation for them."
Leading the Jackson offense are senior running backs Nick Castellano and Joe Serratelli. Castellano put forth an incredible junior season last year, rushing for 1,426 yards on 162 carries, and scoring 17 touchdowns. That’s an average of 9.6 yards per carry. In addition, he played a big part of the Jags’ defense from his linebacker position.
Serratelli, meanwhile, collected a total of 750 yards on the ground and scored five TDs. Serratelli spent a good portion of the season sidelined with an ankle injury.
Both players possess good speed and quickness and figure to be two of the top rushers in the Shore Conference.
"Both Nick and Joe are playing well for us," Lawrence said. "We need them to stay healthy and show leadership."
Castellano and Serratelli will be matched with a new quarterback this season. Gone is signal caller Gary Edwards, who is playing at the University of Maine. Edwards was an explosive weapon for the Jags last season. Castellano admits the Jags will miss the talent of Edwards, but feels the Jags have enough experienced players to carry Jackson to another title.
"We’ve lost a couple of key guys but we have other players who have been stepping up," Castellano said. "We still have a very good team."
Nick Anzalone and Josh Coppinger are engaged in a heated battle for the starting quarterback spot. As of Monday, Lawrence would not commit to either player as the starter for Saturday’s contest.
"Both players have shown us some positive things," Lawrence said. "We are still evaluating who we will go with as the starter. We still have a week of practice ahead of us."
Serratelli says there is something special about this Jackson team. Most of the players have been playing together since Pop Warner. As members of the freshman team, this group posted a 10-0 mark. Many were part of Jackson’s 9-2 squad two years ago, and last year the Jags established themselves as one of the premier teams in the state.
"Winning is a part of our mentality," Serratelli said. "We’ve been winning championships since the Pop Warner days. We don’t know how to lose. We’ve been working hard in the preseason and the attitude among the team is positive. We know how to be relaxed and focused on what we need to accomplish."
Other key returnees for Jackson include seniors Ray Brown (guard/defensive line), Rich Wilton (safety) and kicker Mike Cortese.
Newcomer senior Calvin Vaughan, a transfer from Rahway, figures to add more punch to an already potent offense. Vaughan, a wideout, impressed Jackson coaches in the preseason with his work ethic.
"He adds another dimension to our offense," Lawrence said. "I feel he has the ability to help us. We’ll be looking to throw the ball a little more this season."
Lawrence doesn’t like to draw comparisons between this year’s club and last year’s championship team.
"This year is a different team," Lawrence said. "We have lost some key players to graduation. We are still a very good football team. The attitude and desire to work hard is still there. We need to take it one week at a time."