Sports

Sports & Recreation

Nutley wins Mayor’s Trophy with AD Joe Piro on the sideline

Photo courtesy Brian Clark

Nutley captains Anthony Pinal (55, holding the trophy), Brandon Lucia (4, standing), Mitch Mainiero (5, bottom left), Vincenzo Rizzuto (2, bottom right).

By Jason Bernstein

jason@theobserver.com

Joe Piro expects this year’s Nutley team to once again be competitive and continue its run of successful seasons. Unfortunately for this group, that continued success will once again have to come in the face of personal adversity.

Less than two weeks before the season opener, head coach J.D. Vick had to take a leave of absence for personal reasons.

In Vick’s absence, Piro, the Maroon Raiders’ longtime athletic director has returned to the sidelines as interim coach with offensive coordinator Chris Helm in charge of the offense and defensive coordinator Jeff Martin running the defense.

For the players, it will be the third different head coach in three years due to extenuating circumstances. Longtime head coach Steve DiGregorio retired after the 2020 season due to a recurrence of pancreatic cancer, which claimed his life last October at the age of 60. Vick, who served as acting coach in 2019 when this group of seniors were freshmen, was then promoted to the head job following DiGregorio retirement.

Last year, under Vick, Nutley was 6-3 and qualified

New division will allow KHS football team to play easier schedule

By Jason Bernstein

jason@theobserver.com

Kearny has yet to play its first football game in its new division - the North Jersey Super Football Conference Ivy White Division - but head coach Stephen Andrew has already noticed a significant change within and around the program.

For the first time in years, the Kardinals have a schedule that allows them to be competitive and potentially have a winning season. That promise as compared to previous seasons where Kearny knew it would be outmatched by its opponents have brought improved participation and improved confidence from those involved.

“It’s a lot easier to recruit kids to (play football) because of that exact sentiment,” said Andrews, Kearny graduate now entering his fifth season as head coach. I think there was a sense of fear of having to go up against a Union City, going up against a Hudson Catholic and I think that kept us from getting our numbers up. Our numbers have been really good this year.

“They’re self-motivated because they truly do believe that this can be one of the most successful years that we’ve ever had as a program.”

With a veteran group returning to go with this much more manageable schedule, such optimism is certainly understandable and warranted.

The Kardinals welcome back senior Chris Carson at quarterback, who threw for more than 650 yards a season ago in his first year of football. After completing a full offseason program, Andrews is confident there will be a significant difference in Carson’s play.

“He knows the offense better than anyone. He’s a leader. He’s just a good football player,” Andrews said. ““He’s become a different person through the last six months. He could throw maybe 40 yards last year and now he’s throwing about 55. He’s added about 15 yards to his throws just working mainly on leg strength. I’m very interested in seeing how he does this year.”

Freshman Jonas Ruiz will serve as Carson’s backup.

Kearny also returns running backs Gabe Ferreira and Adonis Chong, both senior three-year starters on offense. Both seniors enter the season with the ambitious goal of each running for 1,000 yards this fall.

With so much experience in the backfield, Andrews has changed the Kardinals offensive scheme to a triple-option spread in the mold of the offense run by Coastal Carolina in order to take full advantage of the skills of Chong and Ferreira as well as Carson.

“With those two guys, this is their third year of starting together at running back,” said Andrews. “I think it’s going to be really hard to stop a backfield that has as much chemistry and experience as these guys.”

Kearny graduated 6-foot5 Ryan Gill, the best receiver the Kardinals have had in years, but they still have experience at the position in the form of Ariel Martinez and Josh Ruiz. Both