Wednesday, November 24, 2021
The Observer | www.theobserver.com
Sports & Recreation
9
WITH
Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com
Locals shine with Caldwell sprint football team Head coach and Nutley native Kelly has Cougars roaring CALDWELL – The
Caldwell University sprint football team recently completed a successful season, posting a 5-2 record, thanks to the help of five young men and a head coach that are from the area. Jim Kelly, the Nutley native and former head coach of the Maroon Raiders, went to Caldwell in 2018 to take over the school’s new sprint football program. Sprint football, where all players have to weigh 178 pounds or less, is played at several colleges in the Northeast in the Sprint Football Conference. It used to be called lightweight football for several years. Kelly, who also spent two seasons as the head coach at now defunct Queen of Peace, heard of the opening for a head coach at Caldwell in 2018. “I got a call from (Bloomfield High School head coach) Mike Carter who told me that a job had opened up,” Kelly said. “I thought at first it was a high school job. But when I learned it was Caldwell University’s sprint team, I was intrigued. It’s a good
school in a great location. I thought the demographics were good. The program was in its infant stages, but I was intrigued by it.” However, there was the challenge of finding players who would be willing to make the sacrifice of cutting weight. Football is generally a sport where size matters. “You can’t just take an 18-year-old receiver and make him a lineman,” Kelly said. “The challenge was finding undersized linemen. Plus, the nature of the game is so fast.” Kelly liked the campus and the facilities. “I knew that Caldwell had some success with their athletic teams,” Kelly said. “I knew that the school did the right things to be successful. But I knew no players, no coaches.” It was certainly the biggest challenge of Kelly’s coaching career. Kelly found 65 young men who were willing to make the sacrifice from all over New Jersey. His knowledge of New Jersey high school football and See VIEW, Page 11
Photo by Jim Hague
The Kearny High School boys’ soccer team celebrates after defeating Freehold Township, 6-2, to win the NJSIAA Group IV state championship Saturday at Kean University, marking the 33rd time Kearny has won a state soccer title and the first one since 2017.
to the upstart Minutemen, who held control of the match from the five-minute mark on. Continued from Page 1 After Rojas added a penalty kick with 20 minutes remaining the Kardinals (22-1-1) the ing, the lead was sliced in half overall Group IV state chamand gave the Kards some sense pionship. of hope. It marked the 33rd time datBut when a Kardinal ing back to 1923 that Kearny defender received a red card won its respective state chamejection with three minutes pionship and the first time left, the Kards were forced since 2017. Prior to 2017, the to play the remainder of the Kardinals also won state titles game down two men – an in 1999, 2002 and 2004. almost unthinkable daunting It was also the second state task. title for current head coach Miraculously, the Kardinals Bill Galka. got the equalizer from Rojas “The first one was a little with just 61 seconds in regulamore stressful,” Galka said. tion and after both teams went “This one was a little more scoreless in the extra sessions, enjoyable. We received a lot of they went to penalty kicks support from the town from with Dalton Davila nailing people who came to watch the deciding kick, sending the us and others who watched Kards improbably to the state online.” title game. And when the Kardinals’ “That was crazy,” Rojas team bus arrived back in Kearsaid. “To come from two goals ny after the win, they received down like that? Just crazy. But pua police escort along Kearny I never lost faith.” Avenue, complete with flashThe Kardinals were not ing lights and sirens. about to let that happen again. “Believe me, we appreciate “We came out sharp and all the supporters who took ready to play,” Rojas said. time from their busy days to At the 16 minute mark of the come and honor us,” Galka first half, Davila got a hold of said. a ball from Nico Gomez off a For all intents and purposes, scramble in front of the goal the dream of adding anothand the Kards were in busier state crown should have ness, leading 1-0. died on the Kearny High field After Kearny goalkeeper Tuesday. Joshua Rodriguez kept the The Kardinals surrendered Patriots at bay, making three the first two goals of the match
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brilliant saves, the Kards struck again, with Rojas of course being in the middle of everything. Rojas made a sweet pass to Alan Antonelli, who blasted it home with just a little over a minute before halftime. The goal gave the Kards a little bit of breathing room – but not a lot. “It’s always important to get the second goal,” Galka said. “But we didn’t get the third goal.” The game remained that way until the 63rd minute, when Freehold Township got on the board off a direct free kick from Logan Mullaney. Just like that, the lead was sliced in half and the outcome was somewhat in question. “To their credit, they came back on us,” Galka said. “We had to get a grasp of the game again.” Rodriguez made two big saves in the 66th minute off another direct free kick, not allowing the game to get tied. One minute later, it looked as if Rojas had pushed the lead back up to two goals, but after he got in free on goal, he slid the ball just wide right. Two minutes later, Rojas wasn’t about to be denied. He made an absolutely brilliant run with the ball, spinning once and then getting control of his body from about See TITLE, Page 10
