There is a different feeling surrounding Matawan High School’s football team as it opens its season on Saturday, Sept. 11, at home against Freehold Borough.
Above: Matawan High School offensive lineman Anthony Quaglieri holds off a pair of Howell High School defenders during a preseason game. The Huskies are set to begin defense of their Central Jersey Group II championship on Saturday night (6 p.m.) when they host Freehold Borough. Below: Matawan High School quarterback Jared Allison, running upfield against Howell High School during a preseason scrimmage in Matawan, knows that everyone will give the Huskies their best shot this year after Matawan captured the 2009 Central Jersey Group II title. Matawan opens the season at home Saturday night (6 p.m.) when Freehold Borough makes a call. With All-State quarterback Jared Allison back, the Huskies are defending their first state title since 1992 after beating Manasquan, 28-12, for the NJSIAA Group II Central title, and one of their best seasons ever at 11-1. It was the fourth state championship won during coach Joe Martucci’s 26 seasons.
PHOTOS BY SCOTT FRIEDMAN “Right now we’re doing real good and practicing hard and hope to repeat,” said Allison, who rushed for just under 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns and passed for 1,100 and 11 touchdowns and has been hotly recruited by NCAA Division I-AA teams Bryant, Wagner and Eastern Illinois. “It’s not easy. It’s tough to win the states two years in a row. Teams are playing you harder.”
The Huskies this season were moved from Shore Conference Liberty after winning their eighth division title under Martucci to the A Central Division amid a massive realignment by the conference. Raritan, Red Bank Regional and Rumson are among the formidable opponents along with the traditional Thanksgiving crosstown rivalry with St. John Vianney.
And they’ll unveil their Wall of Fame at the park next to the stadium during their Oct. 2 home game against Rumson as a shrine for the teams and individuals inducted over the last five years. Started as a project of the Matawan Football Alumni Association, the park has been named the James C. Dwyer Sr. Memorial Alumni Park after the family provided funding to fulfill the dream even faster.
“He was a fan,” Martucci said of Dwyer, who had three sons and a grandson play in the program. “Right now, we’re just under 75 percent complete because we had delays with the lighting.”
A brick walking area in which fans can buy a brick and have an inscription on as many as four lines will complete the financing for the project, which comes at no expense to Matawan’s Board of Education and also provides funds for college scholarships for worthy students involved in any extracurricular activity at the school.
The inductees include three former coaches and their assistants, the four state championship teams that include the 1988 and 1991 seasons, and a number of outstanding players who were All-State players, such as Dan Vanderbolt from the 1950s, and some players who went on to the NFL. The big names include Jim Jeffcoat, who played for the Dallas Cowboys; Jay Bellamy, who played for 14 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints; Charlie Rodgers, who played for the Seahawks, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans; and Jeff Shaw, who played one season for the Cincinnati Bengals before a careerending leg injury.
Further information can be found on the project and about buying a brick at www.matawanfootballalumni.com.
For now, the focus is on Saturday night’s nondivisional opponent after a strong preseason that included a 28-7 game-condition scrimmage victory over Howell.
“It was a good preseason, and we got what we wanted out of the scrimmages,” said Martucci.
Mike Green, an outstanding linebacker and fullback, was feared to have a serious knee injury but was medically cleared after an MRI was taken, and he can play in the opener.
But a lot hinges on the performance of Allison operating out of an I-back spread formation. He also will start again at cornerback.
“As the year went on, he showed major improvement,” said Martucci. “He became more patient in the pocket and made good reads. He developed a good understanding of the offense. Knowing where the second and third receivers are is the growth we have seen in him this year. He’s made the right decisions when to tuck [the ball] and go.”
“I have become a lot more mature in the pocket and want to make better choices,” said Allison. “We have two guys who played a lot on the line last year and others who also are doing real good, so I have a lot of confidence in the line. They worked hard in the offseason.”
Offensive lineman Brandon Inquaggiato, defensive end Gregg Neal, linebacker Dave Ingle, kicker Sean Gleason and wide receiver John Smith, who went on to a college scholarship career at Holy Cross, are the biggest losses off last year’s team, but there are good prospects stepping into those spots. Some new starters are coming off an 8-2 junior varsity team.
Joe Urciuoli, who is starting again at safety, is doubling up on offense at end along with senior Austin Davis, who missed last season with a back injury. Junior Anthony Castaneda at 6 feet, 3 inches and 215 pounds is a good-size tight end. JuniorAnthonyQuagliari and sophomoreGlenn Cross are playing at fullback with Green. Seniors McArthur Underwood and Keith Beaty, who each rushed for about 700 yards, are back at halfback, and junior Cassius Williams “had a great preseason and we expect him to be a big part of our offense,” said Martucci. Underwood also starts again at cornerback this season.
Andre Hodge, a 6-1, 240-pound senior who was a leading two-way player last season, is back at left guard on the offensive line and linebacker. A number of Division I-AA colleges have made inroads to him. Senior center Andrew Lazar (5- 10, 220) also returns. John Faccao, a senior who is starting again at defensive end, doubles on offense at left tackle. SeniorsAndre Richard, out most of last season with a shoulder injury, and Joe Castel are right tackle and guard, respectively.
“With our returning skill people, our offense is ahead of where it wants to be. But to be successful, the defense needs to be strong. That’s our biggest need for improvement,” said Martucci.
The starter spot at defensive end opposite Faccao is between Castaneda and junior Matt Morenz, who will rotate on the offensive line. The two tackle spots will be rotated among Quagliari, senior Sean Rafferty and juniors Devon Rice and Andre Beaty (Keith’s brother). Keith Beaty joins Hodge at outside linebacker along with senior B.J. Chaney and Green and Cross on the inside.
Simon Simpkins, a junior, and senior Austin Davis will play the other safety spot opposite Urciuoli.
Zeke Vega, a senior, is kicker and punter.
“He had to wait his turn,” Martucci said of Vega. “He would’ve been an outstanding kicker for us last year, but Gleason was one of the best in the Shore last season.”