Allentown football players adjusting to new positions

By WAYNE WITKOWSKI Correspondent

 Behind a wall of blockers, Allentown High School’s Jake Alessi, middle, heads up the field to pick up yardage against Middletown High School North during the Aug. 28 scrimmage in Middletown. Behind a wall of blockers, Allentown High School’s Jake Alessi, middle, heads up the field to pick up yardage against Middletown High School North during the Aug. 28 scrimmage in Middletown. ALLENTOWN

M ichael Curry saw some minutes at quarterback when he was moved over from wide receiver for

Allentown High School’s football team last season, but he admitted going full time at that spot is challenging.

“I was going in thinking that it would be pretty hard, and it has been. But I am continuing to get better,” said Curry, who also returns to the starting lineup on defense at cornerback. “We’re going to be more run-oriented, and coach [Jay] Graber likes the way I run the ball. He feels I am a good leader for the team.”

Dean Apostolico, last season’s quarterback, was moved to running back.

“It’s going very good,” said Apostolico, who also returns to the starting lineup on defense at linebacker alongside returning starters David Krieg (senior) and Ricky Mottram (sophomore). “I’ve been playing [at running back] all my life, and it feels like a natural fit running the ball back there with Jake Alessi.”

Curry, who caught 10 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, played at quarterback in nine games. Apostolico ran for four touchdowns, tied for the team lead, and 335 yards, which was second on the team.

Graber said the changeover of players to new positions has gone well for the two seniors, as he looks to shore up an offense that lost running back Ed Rittenhouse and standout wide receiver/defensive back Daivone Thomas, who is off to a college football career at Monmouth University. Rittenhouse rushed for 345 yards and four touchdowns to lead the team.

“[Curry] is progressing well. It’s not any different for us — the same stuff — and he’s very athletic, so he can run the ball well,” Graber said.

As for Apostolico, Graber said, “[He’s] taking well to playing running back. He’s a good team player.”

Allentown’s season opens at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Notre Dame High School in a division game. Allentown moves from the West Jersey Football League Valley Division to the Colonial Division that includes Nottingham High School, Lenape High School, Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Trenton Central High School and Notre Dame.

Last year’s team made the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III playoffs for the third year in a row, but it just missed a winning season for the first time in Graber’s four seasons there, at 5-5 after a 3-1 start. The Redbirds lost to Lawrence High School, 21-14, in the state playoffs. Lawrence eventually reached the section finals, losing to Hopewell Valley Central High School.

“I have to be able to throw the ball a little more,” Curry said. “If I can step that up, it’ll take a lot more to stop us.”

Aside from the backfield, the offense consists almost entirely of juniors. Jake Morse is the lone senior at wide receiver, a deep position where he is joined by Robert McClees, who saw some playing time last season, as well as juniors Brett Masci, Shane Duffy, Matt Hart and Tristan Millett, along with sophomore Ricky Mottram.

“I think this year, we’re more fast-paced and there’s high enthusiasm,” Apostolico said. “A couple of years ago, the seniors changed the program, and every year we’ve kept that reputation. This year, we have a chip on our shoulders to replicate that success and achieve our goals.”

The rebuilding offensive line is made up of all juniors, some with limited playing experience from last season. Joe Pritchard and Drew Whalen have earned the starting jobs at guards, and Ian Grant and Taylor Campbell are the tackles. Matt Schreck is the center, but Zach Turner is bidding for playing time there.

Junior Matt DeRisi is back as kicker and punter.

“I think we’re coming together as a team,” Graber said. “We have to improve not just one thing, but a combination of a lot of things. We just have to execute well. We have a good nucleus of experienced players and new ones who are going to be ready to play. We have good depth, and a lot of these guys worked hard in the off season to give themselves an opportunity to compete [for starting positions].”

Depth is evident on the defensive line, where eight players can start at the four spots, although senior end Kevin Locke is the only returning starter. Offensive linemen Campbell and Whalen, as well as junior Sean Beckett, are top candidates for playing time at end. Offensive linemen Pritchard, Grant and Turner can double at defensive tackle, along with sophomore Makelli Quinones.

Morse returns to the starting lineup on defense at cornerback, an area that has good depth with McClees, Millett and Hart.

Alessi is back as a starter at safety, and Morse may start there as well.

“I think our defense is really good, and that’s where we’ve had our pride as a team,” Curry said.

The team has been challenged well in scrimmages against the likes of both Middletown high schools — perennially strong Middletown South earlier in the preseason and up-and-coming Middletown North on Aug. 28 — as well as against Toms River High School North earlier last week.

“I thought it went well, and we did good things that we need to work on,” Graber said after the Toms River North scrimmage. “They’re a big Shore Conference team, and they’re physical, so it was a good test. Curry made some good decisions.”

After a slow start, Allentown came back to score tying touchdowns against Toms River North.

Allentown plays its regular season home opener on Sept. 19 against West Windsor- Plainsboro High School North.