By: Sean Moylan
During this Christmas season Florence offered us its version of the Three Wise Men Joe Frappolli, Nick Lubrano and Steve Ordog.
If you want to know why Frappolli is the best football coach in Burlington County and maybe New Jersey (sorry Don Bosco and Bergen Catholic, but who knows what Coach Frappolli would do with 11 or 12 huge D-1 players), you need to know about the attention he pays to detail.
Coming off the field after his Flashes’ 35-7 Group I Championship victory against New Providence on Saturday, he made sure to greet a student who was transferring back to Florence. Coach Frapp opens doors where others close them.
The 10 offensive plays he and his staff added for Saturday’s triumph left New Providence’s defense back on its heels guessing about all of the many mysteries of the Wing-T. On Saturday Florence’s offensive line (Joe Fitzpatrick, Joe Havens, Ryan Arroyo, Andrew Cipriano, Ray Montgomery, James Chambers and company) were asked to do things no other Group I line in New Jersey can do and they did them. That’s a credit to great coaching.
Moreover, Florence defensive coordinator Nick Lubrano devised a defensive scheme for the championship game which played to Florence’s strengths (speed, tenacity and endurance) and New Providence’s weaknesses (stamina and depth at the skill positions).
"We have a five-minute period every defensive practice where we strip the ball," noted Lubrano.
Jeff Erlston, Florence’s all-star defensive lineman, had two such strips which led to Pat Montalto fumble recoveries.
Lubrano also came up with a way for his defense to stop the Pioneers’ great runnerJim Muench.
"Every game that we’ve watched he (Muench) starts out like a ball of fire and then the second half he wears down," said Lubrano. "We figured if we could just hang in there (we’d stop him) . . . He’s tough, there’s no doubt about it, but we’ve played against a lot of tough (backs)."
Florence’s defense swarmed the ball carrier and the quarterback. The Flashes’ speed on defense enabled them to give away very little runners and receivers alike were covered and so was Pioneers’ star quarterback Brandon Doyle, who left the game after a Ryan Lee sack.
"As soon as that quarterback went out, they couldn’t really throw the ball and they didn’t have the speed to go to the outside. We just started blitzing in the middle with the younger quarterback in there, I think he was a little gun shy," noted Lubrano. "Our kids are so tough inside with Spahn (Joe Spahn) and Mo (Calhoun). They said ‘coach let’s just put the heat on inside’ and that’s what we did."
While other football programs often treat special teams as something one puts together the last few days of mini camp, Florence special teams coach Steve Ordog has turned special teams into an art form.
One would be hard-pressed to find many games where Ordog’s special teams have not helped in a Florence victory.
Time after time, Jones booted kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks, and Ordog helped to set up all of those plays. Ryan Lee also got off great punts. However, the play of the game Abree Jones’ second-quarter blocked punt was really the byproduct of both Lubrano and Ordog’s teachings.
"It’s harder (to win) the second time. This year we had a lot of distractions at times. We had some injuries. At the same time we had a veteran team and we always seemed to pick each other up when there was adversity. Just like today’s (Saturday) game, we felt fine, we didn’t panic and we got the block punt and that seemed to turn the game around," said Ordog of the championship.
While Ordog has coached at Florence for 28 years, the last six have been special because he’s had either one or both of his boys, Steve and Matt, with him during those years.
His sons were so bright it was always like having a second coach on the field.
"It was nice to have them on the team. I’d like to think they added something to this team. I’m going to miss seeing them play," said Ordog.
We’re all going to miss Florence’s departing seniors.
Calhoun, Matt Ingham, Ordog, Lee, Taylor Lovejoy, Bobby Render, Zach Rinaldi, Dave Havens, Dan Woolston (a starter who got hurt late in the season), Brett Burg, Joe Havens, Joe Fitzpatrick, Andrew Cipriano, Montalto, James Chambers, Ray Montgomery, Ryan Arroyo and Jeff Erlston were all big parts of this team.
Next year, Spahn and Abree Jones will lead Chris Foehr, Shaquan Virgil, Robby Hutchinson, Anthony Cardone, Malcolm Jenkins, Kyle Shafer, Steve Giambrone, Kevin Reeder, John Golab, Dahvis Blakney, Irving Perkins, Kevin Watts, Gary Carugno, Rodney Chambers, Dave Arzola, Fred Loran, Jeff Perro, Josh Scassero and others into battle.
No one had a more dedicated assistant coaching staff than Florence. Don "Nemo" Nemeth, Joe Frappolli Jr., Aaron Bordas, Ross O’Neill, Dan Hegarty, John Frappolli, Fred Dunphy and Tony Luyber all know as much about football as many head coaches out there.
Audrey Tannenbaum is a great trainer and Mary Ellen Kessler is the best athletic director’s secretary there is.
On Florence’s game program Coach Frapp is quoted as saying, "You will always be a part of the Pit…and the Pit will always be a part of you."
Truer words have never been spoken.

