Old Bridge seeks balance from deep football roster

In 2017, the Old Bridge High School football team was  solid across the board.

The Knights finished 8-3, won the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division and reached the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 5 sectional playoff semifinals.

Old Bridge beat Trenton Central High School, 24-6, in the first round of the state sectional playoffs before they fell to South Brunswick High School, 21-10, in the semifinal round.

South Brunswick went on to win the state sectional title with an 18-14 victory over  Manalapan High School in the playoff final at Rutgers University.

Old Bridge advanced to the sectional semifinals with balanced units.

The Knights scored 272 points and gave up 157 in 2017, averages of 24.7 points scored and 14.3 points allowed per game, respectively.

It is much easier to create that balance with a deep roster–Old Bridge had about 130 players in its overall high school program last fall.

Coach Anthony Lanzafama now can boast a total of roughly 120 players –all grade levels–on his scholastic 2018 roster. So, even though the Knights lost 18 starters from last year, they should be able to build strong units again in 2018.

Old Bridge opens 2018 with a sectional semifinal rematch at South Brunswick on Sept. 7. The Knights will play eight games in eight weeks with no bye, ending the regular season versus Elizabeth High School on Oct. 26.

After that, another playoff run is possible, but far from a guarantee. Lanzafama said “overall varsity experience” is his biggest concern.

But he also said he has “a group of young men that want to get better every day.”

Five senior starters will lead those young players. Three junior starters will also be counted on to lead the Knights.

Old Bridge should at least be strong on the lines. Four of those starters, Antonio Bejarano, Max Barnett, Oscar Santiago and Joe Santora, are anchors on the offensive line. Santiago and Santora will also start on the defensive interior.

Senior defensive end Ryan Fetterman is another defensive lineman with experience. The other three starters in that eight-man group, Tino Sacassa, Bryson Corbett and Andrew Vera, are linebackers.

Sacassa and Vera double as running backs. Corbett will play slot receiver on offense.

Four offensive linemen, three defensive linemen and three linebackers. It’s a solid foundation. It is even enough to fill Lanzafama’s 3-3 defensive front.

If Old Bridge finds a quarterback and some skill position players, it may even compete for championships again in 2018. Lanzafama at least knows who his quarterback will be, senior Trevor Schwartz. He also listed nine players as competitors for the receiver spots in his spread offense.

It is nice to have over 100 players. And with so many options, Lanzafama should be able to build around his foundation in 2018.