Brick Memorial football began practice on Monday this week, and it was a different feeling for Walter Currie than it was a year ago when he was breaking into the position.
FILE PHOTO Brick Memorial High School’s Anthony Piezzo in game action from last year when the Mustangs finished with a 4-6 record under head coach Walter Currie. The team opens its season on Sept. 12 against Toms River East. “Without question, the offseason commitment is drastically improved,” said Currie, a former head coach at Point Pleasant Beach. “It’s not as good as it could be, but it’s a huge improvement. The kids are stronger and faster.”
And Currie said there is more attention to detail, which was a priority going into the offseason last winter.
Brian Staub, who broke into the starting lineup for the last three games last season, said his experience that included victories over Steinert, 30-0, in the NJSIAA consolation playoffs and on Thanksgiving against Brick Township “helped a lot. The coach said that now we need to carry over winning those games to this season.”
“That helped our confidence during the offseason,” Currie said of the strong finish to a 4-6 season.
Eight starters on both sides of the ball are back, and Currie must find replacements for inside linebacker Matt Kampf, off to a college career at Kean, and defensive back Rob Brown. Greg Penta, who started at quarterback most of the season and who Currie said was “was one of our best cover guys on defense toward the end of the season,” also graduated along with kicker Dan Burke, who has gone on to a college career at Monmouth University. Currie said that spot “is up for grabs.” Burke put an exclamation point to his illustrious three years as a varsity starter when his field goal with 1:48 lifted Brick Memorial to a 22-20 victory over Brick Township for its fifth Thanksgiving game victory in the past seven outings. Brick Township leads the series, 18-7-1.
Staub said he likes the triple option offense brought in by Currie, who Staub said is adding a few wrinkles to some plays for this season.
“I love this offense. I’m fast but not that fast, but I’ve gotten faster working out this summer. I love running more than passing, and we run a whole lot with this offense,” said Staub.
But Staub also has been working on his passing, with receivers Anthony Lepore and Matt Heard back. “I want to pass more, because teams will be putting eight and nine [defenders] in the box against us,” Staub said.
Glenn McGinnis also returns to the backfield after missing half of last season with a dislocated shoulder.
The experienced line can push the pressure off, including seniors Bill Brunner and Anthony D’Elia as well as juniors Anthony Spanola and Nick Alvarez. All can rotate on a deep defensive line. Brunner, one of Ocean County’s best shot-putters on the school’s boys track and field team, also can play linebacker, alongside Anthony Piezzo and McGinnis. Will Wowkanyon, a sophomore, and Jared Aksdal, a junior, also are vying for time on the defensive line. Bill Miller, a junior who was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, returns to middle guard.
There is one change to the coaching staff. Vin Dallicardillo stepped down as linebacker coach to take a school administrative position at Shore Regional. Pete Brennan, the defensive coordinator, moves over from defensive line to the vacated linebacker coach position. New assistant coach Ryan Graham is coaching the defensive linemen.
“The key is we need senior leadership, because last year we relied on only a couple of guys,” said Staub, who feels he can help in that area emotionally and also as a proven athlete. Staub played shortstop again this spring for the school’s varsity baseball team that reached the Ocean County Tournament championship game. He also played on the American Legion team that reached the state district tournament and won a game there before forfeiting out of the tournament. The team forfeited when it could not get enough players for the games that, because of rain, had been rescheduled to daytime hours, when many players were working.
“I played pretty good baseball this summer and started out hot [hitting the ball] but cooled off, and defensively, I made only a couple of errors,” said Staub. “High school season was a little bit of a letdown because I had a higher batting average in my sophomore year. But I improved in the field. Hopefully, I’ll get both down for my senior year.”
For now, Staub sounds upbeat about the upcoming season that opens Sept. 12 at Toms River East in a nonconference game. The first scrimmage is Aug. 26 at Clifton.
The Mustangs play in the American Division, where Toms River North and Southern loom strong and cross over for games against Constitution Division foes Colts Neck, Brick Township on Thanksgiving, and Toms River East.