South football opens CJ IV playoffs Saturday
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
The West Windsor-Plainsboro South football team has been waiting all season for its return to the playoffs.
The wait has been even a bit longer for Sal Sciortino.
As a junior last year, he was a big part of the special teams, but that was his lone role as the Pirates reached the sectional final. This year he has welcomed a bigger role as starting outside linebacker, a wide receiver in the spread offense and back-up tight end, as well as remaining vital to the South special teams.
”He’s probably been one of the kids that’s grown the most for us in the offseason,” said Pirates head coach Todd Smith. “He’s got some of the longest arms and he’s strong. He works hard. He’s a blue collar guy. He doesn’t say much. He never complains. He just always does his job.”
Sciortino’s biggest job will be on the defensive side when the second-seeded Pirates open the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs by hosting No. 7 Middletown North 1 p.m. Saturday.
Montgomery, Princeton and WW-P North will all host consolation games this weekend. Montgomery hosts Manalapan tonight at 7 p.m., while Princeton will host Hamilton Saturday at 1 p.m. and WW-P North will host JFK-Iselin.
WW-P South began the year confident in its high-powered offense. They worried, however, how much the offense would have to carry a rebuilt defense that lost nine starters. Those worries dissipated under a steady stream of performances that helped South go 9-0 in the regular season.
”We have more confidence in the players,” Sciortino said. “We were getting better and better every week. We had so many new starters, we weren’t adjusted to playing with each other and we had to get adjusted to what each other could do. Over the last couple games, we’ve been more connected.”
Sciortino made a big move in the offseason, from the cornerback position he had played in his first three years of high school to outside linebacker.
”Since we lost so many defensive players, we had no one to fill the position,” he said. “I had to step up and fill outside linebacker. Over the past couple years, I’ve improved a lot. I’m bigger than I used to be. Learning the position, with playing the running and passing, it was difficult to adjust to that. But I like it better. You get to hit more.”
Middletown North figures to test the Pirates’ hitting. They are a typical Shore Conference team riding high after making the playoffs with a triple-overtime win over Brick Township last week.
”They’re a very run-dominant team,” Smith said. “They fly off the ball. They do what they do well. They have an outstanding fullback and tailback, and if you let them out, they’re going to do well. They’re a solid Shore Conference team. They’re going to line up and punch you in the face and make sure you play four quarters of football.”
Sciortino is ready. He isn’t sure if his career will extend beyond this year in college so he’s determined to make the most of his final run toward a title.
”I’m going to go as hard as I can,” he said. “I’m getting fired up. I’m trying to do as well as I can in practice to get prepared for the game.”
Added Smith: “This is a special senior class. They won’t get ahead of themselves. They understand what it takes to get there. They know how to stay on task and what we have to accomplish.”
Sciortino will see most of his action on defense and special teams. He continues to play on all of the Pirates special team units, which have been an important part of South’s success.
”I don’t take it as a play off,” he said. “I take it 100 percent. We don’t take special teams off. We don’t take that lightly.”
Sciortino helped the Pirates on special teams last year as well. This year, his role has increased and gets its biggest test of the season against a strong running attack from Middletown North.
”We have to not let them score and get our offense on the field as much as possible,” Sciortino said. “I think we’re ready on defense to stop them.”
It’s a newfound confidence that all the Pirates share as they enter the state playoffs. They have faith in both sides of the ball as they open what they hope will be a long run to a banner finish.
”Our defense early on had struggles, but over the last four games our defense has really improved,” Smith said. “We’re really shutting teams down. When our starters are in, we’re making plays and causing turnovers. Against Princeton High, they kept giving us good field position. I think the defense is clicking now and the offense has been clicking all year. But it’s not enough to think you can. You have to go out and do it.”

