By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
Everywhere that Kevin Carty Jr. looks, he finds areas of improvement in the Hillsborough High School football team.
It’s reason for more optimism than ever as the Raiders head into the season opener against Franklin on Friday.
”It’s going really well,” Carty said. “We’ve been practicing really well, the guys look really good.”
Hillsborough was 5-5 last year with their wins coming in their final seven regular-season games before a loss to Howell in a state consolation game. The Raider players went to work during the offseason to build for this year and the result is a bigger, faster, stronger and deeper group.
”I want to say this team could be the best that I’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Carty, who is in his fourth year. “I think the guys think we’ll be the best we’ve been. I think our guys are pretty confident.”
Carty likes that there is a winning attitude developing with the Raiders. After a slow start to last season, they came on strong. He’d like to see them get off to a stronger start, and it begins with Franklin.
”They have a lot of guys back from last year,” Carty said. “It sounds like they’re encouraged with the attitude they have now. I expect them to be good. Some years I’ve heard of guys already. I’m not sure they have that sort of team this year. I think they’ll be solid and improved from last year and be ready. I feel good about how we are going into it.”
Carty has seen his squad come together during a summer of working out together. It has them ready to show their improvements.
”We did conditioning, weight room, 7-on-7,” Carty said. “Our guys did a great job with all that stuff. I think our guys did a lot with functional strength, with tire flipping, the rope swing, and they did a great job with it. We started that last year. I think that was a real benefit with us staying healthy. We liked the idea of doing it. I’m happy with the way our guys are right now.”
The Raiders have taken their fitness and conditioning and put it to use through the preseason to prepare for this year. Practices have put Hillsborough ahead of some previous years.
”I think our attitude has been good,” Carty said. “I think were practicing harder. I think it’s a tougher team than we’ve had, and they’re smarter. Our guys really play hard and they know a lot of stuff. They’re great to coach in that respect — they do what they tell you to do.
”And we’re significantly faster than we’ve been. A lot of our younger guys, they’ve matured and worked so hard in the weight room. We’ve never been so fast as a group. And on the line, we haven’t been as strong. We’re more physical.”
It should translate well against a schedule that has the usual difficulty to it. HHS is hoping to show Friday that it is ready for the challenges.
”It’s tough to really tell how everyone is, but I think it’s going to be the same as always,” Carty said. “The usual teams are going to be good again. A few teams might be up or down. Central and Phillipsburg will still be really good. I think the rest of the teams are going to be really good. People are saying things about Elizabeth. They were young last year.”
The Raiders lost record-setting quarterback Rob Nittolo to graduation. He plays for James Madison University now. Hillsborough is hoping it can be just as explosive on offense this year.
”I don’t know that it’ll be drastically different,” Carty said. “We might spread the ball around more. I think there are more guys that can make plays. We’ll split carries. We’ll split receptions. Really, I think our attack will look similar to last year’s.”
Defensively is where the Raiders hope to be even better than a year ago, and their improved physical skills should help that happen.
”That’s where (speed) is going to help us,” Carty said. “Our plan is to attack the same way. I think we played pretty well last year, especially as the year went along. I think we should improve. We’re better physically and better mentally. Guys from last year have matured.”
The Raiders have the sort of make-up this year to be able to do some different things. Carty has more confidence in more players this season.
”I feel like, the competition is probably more stiff than it’s been,” he sad. “We play so many guys, that’s good. If you’re ready to play at the level we want to play, you’re going to get to play. You probably need to play 30 guys. Our league is so physical. We don’t make a big deal about who’s a starter and who’s a back-up. We need guys that can play. I think we have more than we’ve had.
”I think our depth will be better,” he added. “There’s competition to play at the level we want, a lot of competition. We can rotate and get more of them out there. Our offensive line, we have some veteran guys and they’re going to be playing a lot of snaps. Around the perimeter, we have a lot of guys we can use, and they’re quality players.”
Hillsborough lost one key piece long before the preseason. It’s a loss that they are hopeful can be made up for with their depth if everyone else remains healthy.
”One of our best guys, Josh Brown, is hurt,” Carty said. “He is one of our best defensive players. He tore his ACL in the spring. He’s out. We’re disappointed for him. I think he’ll be a scholarship player. Hopefully he can get something. Other than that, we have everyone that we started with.”
Hillsborough will go back to a familiar face at quarterback. Nittolo had unseated Eddie Trimpert when he moved in from Florida, but Trimpert will be back under center for his senior season, and he has varsity experience.
”He was quarterback as a sophomore a lot of time,” Carty said. “He did OK as a sophomore, and he’s bigger and stronger now. He’s always been smart. He’s very smart and competitive. I think he’ll do really well. He got replaced by a guy moving in and he handled it like a pro. He just kept working hard and moving on. I hope he has the year he deserves.”
There are other headliners in the mix to fill big roles for the Raiders before they take aim at playing in college.
”Our one tight end, Andrew Patrizio, he has a chance to be a I-AA player as a tight end/defensive end,” Carty said. “And we have a couple linemen that are maybe Division 2. John McDonald and Kyle Bergen are both guys that can play the D2 level. Kyle will be a three-year starter, and John is one of the stronger guys we have in the weight room.
”Scot Levonaitis, he’s going to be so productive this year that he might be Division I-AA player. Jared Senerchia, a linebacker/wide receiver, I don’t know if he’s DI-AA or D3. All those guys are around the same. We have another six or seven guys that are really good players that are right there a level below them. We’re more solid than we’ve been.”
The Raiders had a chance to show it with promising results in a quad scrimmage that also featured Edison, Woodbridge and Somerville and another tri-scrimmage that had JFK-Iselin and East Brunswick. HHS also handled Bayonne in a game scrimmage. Hillsborough is hoping that action has them ready for their first regular season game and the chance to start off a promising season well.
”We have to stay healthy on the line,” Carty said. “I think that’s the most important thing. I think we’re deep in skills and good on defense. We have to be able to run the ball well and I think we’re going to be able to with our line being as physical and as strong as they’ve been.
”Our running backs are all returners just about. I’m pretty confident we’ll be able to throw all right. If we can run it well and stay healthy on the line, I think we’ll be pretty good.”