Combining a powerful running game with an occasional spread offense, the Freehold Pop Warner Giants Midget football won a state championship this fall.
The Giants won the New Jersey Shore Pop Warner Division 2 championship, beating Lakewood in the finals and then beating Carteret to capture the Eastern Regional New Jersey State Championship.
The Giants are 10-1 on the season and have outscored their opponents by a 294- 51 margin.
Head coach Mark Meleo said he couldn’t “single out any individuals. It was a team effort.”
He noted that the Giants’ motto for the year was F.A.M.I.L.Y., which stands for “Forget about me, I love you.”
The Freehold Midget Team is led by captains Dominic Meleo, Kevin Doherty, Garrett Chestnut and Derek Victor. The other Midget team members are Edward Bracey III, Nicholas Caracappa, Frank Caruti, Garrett Chestnut, Anthony D’Amato, Nicholas Densieski, Kevin Doherty, Qua’Jon Everett, Ryan Fiolek, Christopher Harrigan, Jonathan Helff, Jason Kauffman, Justin Kauffman, Alec Larsen, Charles Lau, Robert Lidondici, Savion Macon, Eric Malpica, Christopher Manginelli, Dominic Meleo, Kyle Melone, William Patten, Artyom Shipilov, Kenneth Tomkovich, and Derek Victor.
Mark Meleo’s assistant coaches are John Doherty, Dean Ferdinandi, Rob Densieski and Zach Lotti. The Game Day assistant is Anthony Densieski, and the Team Mom is Amy Ferdinandi.
The Giants were scheduled to play in the Eastern Regional semifinals on Nov. 23 against the New York state champion Southside Cyclones.
Midget ages are 12-, 13- and 14- yearolds with weight between 105-170 pounds, and 15-year-olds between 105-140 pounds.