All-Union offense and defense

7S2001961216 allcounty page 7S2001961216 ZALLCALL 21:25 12/15/07
December 16, 2007
THE SUNDAY STAR-LEDGER
Section Five Page 19
UN
THE STAR-LEDGER FALL HONORS: FOOTBALL
Baker used block, tackle to engineer success
trends throughout the county
was the abundance of talented
junior quarterbacks, led by, alphabetically, Westfield’s Tony
DiIorio, Johnson’s Dan Dugan,
Rahway’s Troy Eastman, New
Providence’s John Lesnewich,
Brearley’s Tom Mannix, Elizabeth’s Jaheed Mayers, Hillside’s
Caron McCluney, Union’s Dion
Nesmith and Dayton’s Rob Yannazzone.
UNION REVIEW
BY JOSH ROSENFELD
FOR THE STAR-LEDGER
Player of the year: Ask coach
Steve Ciccotelli to describe tight
end/linebacker Keith Baker’s role
on his Scotch Plains-Fanwood
team and he can sum it up in
three words.
‘‘He did everything,’’ Ciccotelli
said.
‘‘One of the reasons we ran the
ball is that he did a great job
blocking,’’ Ciccotelli said. ‘‘He
can run, he can cover sideline to
sideline and he’s physical.’’
As a tight end, Baker caught
17 passes for 165 yards and four
touchdowns, while helping to
clear the way for back Anthony
Taylor, Union County’s leading
rusher with 1,308 yards and the
county’s top scorer with 15 TDs.
Baker was even better on defense, where he made 107 tackles
with three sacks and two interceptions while covering the entire
field and chasing down speedy
enemy backs from behind.
‘‘Our defense is designed so
linebackers can make plays,’’ said
Baker, who has committed to attend Temple. ‘‘I just like hitting
people hard and at linebacker I
can do that most of the time.’’
‘‘I just think he’s a throwback,’’ Ciccotelli said. ‘‘When God Keith Baker of Scotch Plains-Fanwood is The Star-Ledger Union County Player of the Year.
made a football player, he made
him.’’
they were done they went stroll- tion by an imposing 292-85 mar- team on its post-game walk back
Coach of the year: In a year ing back down Bottone Way,’’ gin and was at its best in its two to the school, was the equal of
that ended with the death of its Rahway’s Mobley said, referring defeats, yielding just two touch- any emotions emitted in the
greatest coach, Gary Kehler, to the street named after the downs in holding Brearley 20 county all fall, even in games atWestfield returned to the playoffs coach that leads to New Provi- points below its scoring average tended by 10 times as many specand became a force to be reck- dence’s football field. ‘‘They were in 13-7 setback, and allowing just tators.
oned with under second-year a controversial call away from one touchdown — with two
Junior achievements: Though
coach Jim DeSarno.
scores coming on fumble returns hampered by a collarbone injury
playing for all of the marbles.’’
Gary Mobley guided Rahway
That call was an apparent — in a 19-14 loss to Carteret in suffered late in a preseason
into the second round of the play- New Providence interception in the Central Jersey, Group 2 play- scrimmage against the state’s No.
offs for the fourth time in as many the end zone that was overruled off semifinals.
1 team, Don Bosco Prep, Rayyears and has firmly established and called a touchdown, giving
Game of the year: With no mond Graham gave a glimpse of
his program as a perennial con- Belvidere a last-minute 14-10 de- schools appearing in a state sec- what he is capable of by registertender in its section.
cision in the North Jersey, Sec- tional playoff final, let alone win- ing two five-touchdown outings
Brian Sheridan oversaw a mid- tion 2, Group 1 playoff semifinals. ning one, the most exciting game over Elizabeth’s last four games.
season turn-around that pro- Bottone handled that heart- in Union County this fall may Graham, who is expected to be
duced victories in five of Union’s breaking decision with typical have been one witnessed by the the county’s top-rated player
last six games after an 0-4 start at aplomb.
fewest people.
next fall, ran for 620 yards on 70
‘‘You know, we have a picture
his alma mater, while John LiberWhen Dayton edged Manville, carries (8.9 per carry) with 12
ato guided Summit, 1-19 over the that shows our guy making the 22-20, on Sept. 15, it marked the touchdowns.
last two seasons, to a 3-7 cam- interception,’’ Bottone said at the Springfield school’s first victory
When Graham went down,
time, adding, ‘‘but we never since resurrecting its program in Elizabeth coach Chet Parlavecpaign.
But the choice here is Frank should have let them drive down 2006, and its first victory overall chio moved Jaheed Mayers from
Bottone, who, in his 43rd season the field like that.’’
since 1999. Dayton did not field a receiver to running back, and
as the only coach New ProviTeam of the year: Rahway (9-2) football team from 2001 through later moved the versatile junior
dence has ever known, has won a playoff game for the fourth 2005.
to quarterback, where he comamassed a 309-119-7 record after year in a row but failed to get any
The unbridled joy and exuber- pleted nine of 12 passes for 158
guiding his team to a 9-2 record.
further for the fourth time as well. ance on the Dayton sideline that yards. Mayers ran for 1,080 yards
‘‘Just when people thought
Rahway outscored its opposi- afternoon, which followed the overall on 150 carries.
JENNIFER BROWN/THE STAR-LEDGER
‘‘I admire him as a football
player more than anyone I’ve ever
coached,’’ Parlavecchio said of
Mayers, a 5-8, 150-pound junior.
‘‘He’s our toughest, most physical
player.’’
Scotch Plains-Fanwood junior
Anthony Taylor led the county in
rushing yards (1,308) and scoring
(15 touchdowns) despite sitting
out the final two and half games
with a high ankle sprain.
No second-team selection received more praise from opposing
coaches than Taylor’s classmate,
linebacker Marcus Greene, who
made 83 tackles with three sacks.
‘‘If I made a bad read, I knew
he’d be there to make the
tackle,’’ said teammate Keith
Baker, the Union County Player
of the Year.
Plainfield will be looking for
big things next year from a quartet of juniors — linemen Rufus
Nelson (6-2, 280) and Trinell Sonson (6-1, 250) and wideouts Josue
Reyes and Tyray Forte.
One of the more interesting
Super sophs: Though sophomore Trell Myers didn’t take over
as Linden’s starting quarterback
until its fourth game, he still led
the county by passing for 1,421
yards, completing 108 of 224
passes for nine touchdowns and
running 51 times for 381 yards
and five scores. With a season
under his belt orchestrating Linden’s spread offense, Myers
should post even greater numbers next fall.
While senior linebacker Keith
Hood led Roselle’s defense with
105 tackles, sophomore Akmad
Abdul-Razzaq earned rave reviews in posting 104 stops.
‘‘We ran away from him,’’
Cranford coach Erik Rosenmaier
said of Abdul-Razzaq. ‘‘That was
the kid we were concerned about
on their defense.’’
Both of Johnson’s lines will be
bolstered for the next two years
by Kyle Cannetti and Matt Cardona, who each saw considerable
duty at offensive guard and defensive tackle as sophomores for
the Clark team.
As if running backs/
linebackers Corey Alfano and
Donte Dennis weren’t enough for
opponents to deal with, Rahway
began working sophomore Giovanni Smith in on both sides of
the ball as well.
Fresh frosh: Freshman quarterback Tyrone Johnson experienced a quick rise through the
Plainfield program, posting a 5-0
record starting for the freshman
team and 4-0 as a starter on the
junior varsity before taking over
the reins of the varsity, which was
0-6 at the time.
Plainfield won its next three
games to extend Johnson’s record as a starter to 12-0 before
ending its season with a 28-27
loss to Westfield on Thanksgiving.
If his showing in a scrimmage
last weekend at St. Anthony is
any indication, Johnson may be
just as good on the basketball
court.
ALL-UNION OFFENSE
EASTMAN
NAME
FAULCON
MAYERS
TAYLOR
LOUIS
BAKER
SECOND TEAM
Scotch Plains
ALLEMAN
ZEBAZE
THOMSON
WILLIAMS
FIRST TEAM
SCHOOL
Michael Chervenyak
WANSAW
NAME
SCHOOL
HT
WT
YR.
WASHINGTONELLISON
NAME
THIRD TEAM
SCHOOL
Tony DiIorio
OF NOTE
GARCIA
Westfield
Ray Graham
Elizabeth
Troy Eastman
Rahway
6-1
190
Junior QB completed 73 of 135 passes for 1,123 yards and 14 TDs and ran for 417 yards with three TDs.
Dan Dugan
Johnson
T.J. MacDermant
Roselle Park
Chad Faulcon
Cranford
6-0
175
Senior RB rushed for 1,189 yards and six TDs and caught 11 passes for 182 yards while collecting 85 tackles.
John Lesnewich
New Providence
Steve Margolin
Brearley
Jaheed Mayers
Elizabeth
5-8
150
Junior RB/QB ran for 1,080 yards and seven TDs and threw for 158 yards and two TDs, also played DB.
Trell Myers
Linden
Kevin Delle Donne
Summit
Anthony Taylor
Scotch Plains
5-11
165
Junior Leading rusher and scorer in county ran for 1,308 yards and 15 TDs despite missing 2Ö games.
Lou Caporaso
Johnson
Matt Fullowan
Gov. Livingston
Jerelle Louis
Linden
5-9
165
Senior Receiver led county with 48 receptions for 561 yards and five TDs.
6-2
220
Senior Tight end caught 17 passes for 165 yards and four TDs and at LB had 107 tackles.
Westfield
Union
Scotch Plains
Ricardo Johnson
Brendan McGrath
Keith Baker
Rahway
Westfield
6-3
300
Senior Massive tackle was lead blocker for strong running game and did not yield a sack all season.
New Providence
Mark Petraroia
Tommy Wansaw
Chris Careccia
Nick Guerriero
New Providence
Mike Alleman
Scotch Plains
6-0
280
Senior Meet of Champions shot put champion excelled at guard and had 43 tackles as nose tackle.
Sean Scanlon
Cranford
Marcial Zebaze
Hillside
5-10
225
Senior Three-year starter and two-time all-league choice at center, had 62 tackles and three sacks at end.
Justin Robbins
Plainfield
A.J. Thomson
New Providence
6-2
226
Junior Guard was lead blocker for team with 2,906 yards of total offense; had 65 tackles at DT.
Hafis Williams
Elizabeth
6-3
280
Chris Sheehan
Westfield
D. Washington-Ellison
Rahway
6-3
180
Scott Mahoney
Gov. Livingston
Mark Garcia
Roselle Park
6-2
190
J.J. DAgostaro
Scotch Plains
Mark Arrendondo
Brearley
Dan DiCocco
Dayton
Senior Tackle paved way for team that rushed for 2,100 yards despite a slew of injuries to its backs.
Ryan Henry
Roselle Park
Senior Receiver caught 28 passes for 432 yards and six TDs; broke up a team-high six passes as DB.
Lamar Fitzgerald
Elizabeth
Senior QB had 1,143 yards in total offense, 16 total TDs, 58 tackles as DB and kicked 25 of 28 PATs.
Edgar Ozols
Summit
ALL-UNION DEFENSE
PETION
BOYDEN
DUGAN
ELSHIEKH
MULLIN
GILFEDDER
SECOND TEAM
NAME
SCHOOL
Ian Cunningham
New Providence
Erik McCloud
DENNIS
SUMTER
MANNIX
GRIFFITH
FIRST TEAM
OF NOTE
ANDERSON
SELERT
THIRD TEAM
NAME
SCHOOL
Tyler George
Gov. Livingston
NAME
SCHOOL
HT
WT
YR.
Rahway
Jesse Boyden
Brearley
6-0
225
Senior Repeat first-team selection had 76 tackles and 11 sacks at tackle.
Ike Igbinosun
Rahway
Charles McCray
Elizabeth
John Dugan
Westfield
5-11
210
Senior Undersized overachiever rung up 74 tackles, 11 for losses with five sacks at end.
Robert Lisowski
Union
Corey Alfano
Rahway
Jacklin Petion
Union
6-2
260
Senior End registered 55 tackles and five sacks for team that won five out of last six outings.
Phil Nowakowski
Cranford
Nick Balog
New Providence
Donte Dennis
Rahway
5-10
175
Senior Collected 101 tackles, nine for losses, at linebacker and rushed for 802 yards and 10 TDs.
Andrew Sonnet
New Providence
Marcus Greene
Scotch Plains
Hany Elshiekh
Brearley
5-10
210
Senior Linebacker had 84 tackles, four sacks and four fumble recoveries, returning one to a TD.
Akmad Abdul-Razzaq
Roselle
Keith Hood
Roselle
Joe Gilfedder
Gov. Livingston
5-11
220
Senior Middle linebacker had 87 tackles and three interceptions and ran for 600 yards and four TDs.
5-11
185
Senior Had 82 tackles, 10 for losses, at linebacker; rushed for 569 yards and six TDs.
Scotch Plains
Elizabeth
Johnson
Tim Greene
Julius Tobe
Mike Mullin
5-11
180
Senior Linebacker led fierce defensive unit with 113 tackles, also 3Ö sacks and five passes broken up.
Westfield
Plainfield
Rahway
Scott Newman
Orlando Fisher
Bendar Sumter
Russ Anderson
New Providence
5-9
170
Senior Back had 46 tackles, returning fumble and punt for TDs and ran for 687 yards and 10 TDs.
Jalil Oates
Elizabeth
Simon Smith
Cranford
Jimmy Griffith
New Providence
6-3
183
Senior Had 24 tackles and picked of four passes in secondary; caught 36 passes for 618 yards and five TDs.
Kendall James
Roselle
Max Vazquez
Brearley
Tom Mannix
Brearley
5-10
170
Junior Team-high 90 tackles with two interceptions in secondary; as QB threw for 528 yards and six TDs.
Matt Reszko
Johnson
Stephon Whitehead
Union
Danny Selert
Westfield
5-10
175
Senior Back totaled 33 tackles, five interceptions, three caused fumbles and five passes broken up.
Mike Tubelli
Cranford