J.P. Stevens High School’s Leonard Draughn (5) breaks through the Sayreville War Memorial High School defensive line to pick up yards during the Sept. 11 game in Parlin. Sayreville won the season-opener for both schools, 35-7. METUCHEN
Metuchen High School’s football team received disappointing news two weeks before the season began that top returning receiver Evan Collier had transferred to David Brearley High School in Kenilworth.
However, the Bulldogs didn’t miss him one bit as they rolled to a 42-0 victory at South River High School Sept. 12. Senior Shamar Seriux didn’t figure in the scoring, but the wideout caught four passes for 53 yards. Tight end Devin Miller actually carried the ball for a 2-yard touchdown.
It’s Miller that has drawn most of the attention from major colleges. He’s 6 feet 3 inches tall and 225 pounds, and he comes from a family of former Bulldogs, past (Dejuan, University of Oklahoma) and present (Dorian, Rutgers University). Asked their take on Devin, Dejuan and Dorian agreed he could turn out to be the best of the band of brothers.
Metuchen appears to be in excellent shape at quarterback with Jake Lebovits at the helm. The senior possesses a strong arm but against South River, he relied more on the run as he led the Bulldogs with 127 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Lebovits was also 5-of-5 in pass attempts for 69 yards. Senior backs Trevor Firgau (63 yards, one touchdown) and Pete DiMeglio (76 yards, one touchdown) contributed to Metuchen’s 290 yards on the ground.
The performance of the offensive line — led by seniors Fabien Maragh, Joe Hronich, Jarret Sims and Alex Buzzi — also deserves credit for the Bulldogs’ dominant performance. Senior Anthony Maloney, who will handle punting and kicking duties, was perfect on every point after touchdown attempt.
The Bulldogs are members of the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Blue Division, where the watchword this season is parity. Metuchen again competes in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I section.
To close out the month, the Bulldogs host Asbury Park High School (0-1) in a crossover game Sept. 19 and visit Dunellen High School (0-1) Sept. 25.
J.P. STEVENS
The football situation at J.P. Stevens
High School remains unsettled even though Joe Riggi returns as head coach following his first stint in 2009-10. During the interim, the Hawks have gone through three more coaches and if there’s anything
Riggi wants to establish, it’s stability.
It didn’t help that junior feature running back Chris Chukwuneke transferred out of the program during the offseason, but Riggi is confident the team will overcome his loss and is headed in the right direction.
That might have to wait a few weeks. The Hawks opened their Red Division slate Sept. 11 at Sayreville War Memorial High School with a 35-7 defeat. The game was played before a packed home crowd anxious to support its team, which did not play since last October. That was when a series of locker room hazing incidents were uncovered, which led to the rest of Sayreville’s season being cancelled.
The Hawks’ season continues on the road at South Brunswick High School (0-1) Sept. 18 and Monroe Township High School (0-1) Sept. 25.
J.P. Stevens will again compete in the NJSIAA North Jersey II Group V section.
“As a team, we’ve been improving each week,” Riggi said during the preseason. “Getting familiar with a new coaching staff, which is installing a different offense and defense, is a lot for an athlete to handle. But the kids are smart and are adjusting well. There’s a lot of excitement on the high school campus, and we’re ready for this season.”
J.P. Stevens, which was 2-8 last year, continues to rely on the leadership of four senior captains, all of whom play both ways. Jared Fraraccio (offensive/defensive line) brings experience and leadership; Rashiek Harvard (wide receiver/defensive back) has tremendous speed and will be a threat on kick returns; Alex Zilli (running back/linebacker) has great football instincts; and JayVon Blacknall (wide receiver/safety) possesses excellent athletic ability and is a vocal leader.
Junior Luke Jacobi starts at quarterback and though he was limited in his offensive production against Sayreville, his experience and ability to play under pressure could pay dividends the rest of this season.
Senior Jihaad Garrett (wide receiver/linebacker) is a strong physical presence on both sides of the ball; senior Ben Mandell (offensive/defensive line) is tall (6 feet 3 inches), which will be an advantage when eyeing the quarterback; and senior Leonard Draughn (running back/linebacker) is the Hawks’ feature back.
“We still hope to shock the GMC this season, but that wouldn’t come as a surprise to me,” Riggi said. “We have worked hard, made necessary changes that will make our team better, and I believe we’re headed in the right direction.”
Coaching changes
Among the usual changes in coaching positions each school year, two are notable at area high schools.
Pat Mayo has relinquished her head coaching duties with the girls basketball team at Metuchen High School, a job she held for two seasons, and has become an assistant to Matt Wexler. Mayo is also a faculty member at Piscataway Township High School, where she coached a number of teams to GMC regular season and tournament championships.
Marc Moreau, the previous lacrosse head coach at St. Joe’s, stepped down after helping build the Falcons into one of the most respected high school programs in the state. Moreau will be replaced by Andrew Joyce, according to the high school website’s coaches directory.
Joyce comes to St. Joe’s following a year coaching Hanover Park High School, where the Hornets finished with a 9-8 record.
He is a graduate of Syracuse University, where he lettered four years for the lacrosse team that won two NCAA national championship teams while he was there.
“My No. 1 objective is to continue to build the outstanding program that has been well established at St. Joe’s,” Joyce said. “The way that can happen is to meet with the players … and make sure we are all on the same page.”
The Falcons finished the 2015 season with a 12-7 record, including their seventh Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Tournament championship in the last eight years.