MacArthur Generals

MacARTHUR

Generals undergo a complete makeover

By ANDREW COEN

When MacArthur kicks off its 2022 season the team will look almost unrecognizable from last fall after graduating 33 seniors. The Generals bring back only two starters from last season’s 9-2 team that fell to Garden City in the Conference II fi nals. Most of the returning players only received playing time at the end of games where the result wasn’t in doubt late. “We have decent players, but they don’t have meaningful experience,” said longtime MacArthur head coach Bobby Fehrenbach. “They got some time last year, but it was mopup time when the game was decided one way or the other.” Senior Joey Forchelli brings the most experience to the table after starting at cornerback the last two seasons. Forchelli, who tore his ACL in the fourth game last season, returns healthy this fall to once play a key role in the secondary and will also be one of the starting running backs on offense. Rocco Hogan was starting inside linebacker last year and will move over to the free safety position for his senior season. Hogan will also share the backfi eld duties with Forchelli as the other tailback. Forchelli started off last season as the second running back behind James Napoli with Hogan taking his spot following his injury. Other running back spots remained up for grab, but Fehrenback hopes to use multiple players for the role. “The last three years we ran pretty much most of the time because I had three really good running backs so things worked out for us,” Fehrenbach said. “I have enough depth at running back where I could keep mixing kids in there and not have much of a drop off.” The starting quarterback spot was up for grabs during preseason practices. Seniors Junito Palomino and Andrew Cardon served in backup roles last year while junior Alex Varga was starting quarterback on the junior varsity team. Possible receiving targets for whoever starts under center will include seniors Peter Michielini and John Dinkelman. The versatile Hogan also may line up at wide receiver or tight end on certain plays in addition to his running back duties. The offensive line will feature contributions from Scott Milau, Sal Orlando, Ben Velasquez, Scott Molina, Jack Orlando and Ray Dwyer. Defensively, Hogan will be a key leader at free safety, a position Fehrenbach expects him to make a smooth transition to after starting at middle linebacker. “He’s very athletic back there with a great lead on the ball,” said Fehrenbach of Hogan. “Being that he was a linebacker last year he saw a lot of things up close so he was reacting from four yards and now he is reacting from 12 yards so it’s a lot easier for him to see things now.” On special teams, Jack Maurer is expected to handle the kickoff and fi eld goal kicking duties after serving as backup kicker last year. MacArthur opens the season at home against Calhoun on Sept. 9. The Generals fi nal home game will feature a county fi nals rematch against Garden City on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. MacArthur enters the season seeded fourth in Conference II behind Garden City, Mepham and South Side. Fehrenbach said he hopes the team will peak at the right time and right time and at least make it at least make it to the semifi nal to the semifi nal stage at Hofstra stage at Hofstra University’s Shuart University’s Shuart Stadium. “That’s always “That’s always the goal of most high the goal of most high school programs to school programs to get to Hofstra,” he said. get to Hofstra,” he said. “We always feel we’re “We always feel we’re in the thick of it each and in the thick of it each and every year, but this year the every year, but this year the work is going to be cut out work is going to be cut out for us.”

JOEY FORCHELLI

Rocco Hogan

SAL ORLANDO

Schedule

September 9 Calhoun 7:00 p.m. 17 @ Mepham 2:00 p.m. 24 Long Beach 2:00 p.m. October 1 @ Sewanhaka 3:00 p.m. 7 @ South Side 6:00 p.m. 14 Elmont 7:00 p.m. 21 Garden City 7:00 p.m. 29 @ Kennedy 2:00 p.m.