Neiffer fills role on line

South senior moves to center

By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
   Andrew Neiffer has always enjoyed playing on the defensive side of the ball.
   Now, he’s also getting a chance to see how the other half lives.
   Neiffer, a senior for the West Windsor-Plainsboro South football team, has moved into a new role as the Pirates starting center. For a player who was always looking for a place to play on offense, being in the middle of everything has been a lot of fun.
   ”I was a fullback last year on offense, but I didn’t really play much,” Neiffer said. “I started to learn center at the end of last year. Coach (Todd) Smith told me I would be playing there this year. I didn’t mind because I felt like if it gave me a chance to play more on offense that would be good. Will O’Brien has really helped me out and taught me a lot about playing on the line.”
   It’s not often that a player who has never played the position before steps in as a starter at center during his senior year. But the South coaching staff saw something in Neiffer that led them to believe he was the right man for the job.
   ”The big thing we like to do is find athletic kids that can play center,” said Smith, whose team will put its 3-0 record on the line at Hamilton in a 2:30 p.m. start on Saturday. “We want them to have the speed to get to the linebacker, but also be strong enough to block linemen. Andrew fits that mold.
   ”We’ve always been trying to find an offensive position for him. We tried tight end and fullback because he has speed and is solid. This year we felt like he was the right person for the spot we had open at center. Once he got the shotgun snap down he’s done a great job.”
   Neiffer was a starter at defensive end last year and still plays that same position for the Pirates this year. But now he’s added the center position that Sean Porter played so well last year.
   This is the second straight year that the Pirates have needed to replace most of their offensive line from the year before. O’Brien is the only returning starter in the group.
   ”Sean played the same positions last year that I am playing this year, so I was able to learn a little bit from him,” Neiffer said. “Coach Smith asked me about playing center because he thought I was pretty fast and in our scheme you need to block the linebackers a lot. He felt like I was quick enough to do that.
   ”The past two years we’ve had to replace four starters on the offensive line. Coach Smith does a great job coaching the offensive line and finding people to plug into the different spots when the starters graduate.”
   It hasn’t taken Neiffer long to adjust to his role on offense. The Pirates have been prolific on offense the last few years, but this year they’ve taken their offensive production to another level. In three games, South has scored 141 points, an average of 47 points a game.
   ”It’s great because you know that on any play, Connor (Farrell), Jeff (Riemann) or Dave (Twamley) can turn a play into points,” Neiffer said. “You always have a chance to score.”
   Neiffer hasn’t forgotten his role on defense either. He’s in his second year as a starter at defensive end.
   ”He started to get time on defense as a sophomore,” Smith said. “And then last year it was a no-brainer. He’s an important cog in the machine and he does a real good job. The focus now is on him becoming more of a team leader and he has done that this year.”
   He’s hoping to lead the Pirates into the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Last year, WW-P South reached the Central Jersey Group IV title game. This year he’d like to go a step further. Beyond that, he’s not sure about his football future.
   ”I’ve talked to a few coaches, but I am still not sure,” Neiffer said. “It depends on where I go to college. Wherever I go it will be for academics, not because I can play football there.”
   He’s already shown he can play football at WW-P South, where he’s now making an impact on both sides of the ball.