Football preview: Big Central Conference National Silver Division

The 2024 season for the Edison, Franklin, North Brunswick, Sayreville and St. Thomas Aquinas high school football teams is set for kickoff.

Here's a look at team previews for the Big Central Conference National Silver Division:

Edison

Edison had such a special season two years ago – the Eagles won their first Group title since 1991 with a senior-heavy team – that almost whatever happened last fall would seem like a letdown.

While Edison did go 3-7, there were a lot of positives from the season and that should carry over into this year.

The Eagles had three close losses to Middlesex County rivals North Brunswick, Sayreville and South Brunswick and several players got key experience.

“We expect to improve from last season,” Edison coach Matt Yascko said. “We have a good mix of returning guys along with an exciting group of newcomers.  The program is strong with over 100 kids in the program. We need to stay healthy and play much better than we did last season.”

While Edison did graduate six All-Division players, sophomore Shaun Garland (TE/LB) garnered second-team All-Division honors for an impressive freshman season (17-209, one TD, 26 Tackles).

Senior quarterback Anthony Calantoni looks to improve on his strong first season as a starter (80-for-157, 797 yards).

Senior Nykier Eato (Sr., RB) missed time last season but rushed for 1,249 yards as a sophomore with 15 touchdowns and can be a star when healthy. Landon Cruz (Jr., WR) and Dedrick Harvey (Sr., DB/WR) are in the receiving mix.

Returning linemen Gavin Bailey (Sr., G), Justin Boslet (Sr., OT) and Jacob Watkins (Jr., OT) lead the protection.

Bringing experience to the defense are seniors Ethan Alcover (LB, 43 tackles), Jermaine Smallwood (DE, 37 tackles, 6.5 TFL, three fumble recoveries), Jumel Koonce (DT) and Aidan Nagy (LB, 20 tackles, two sacks).

Top newcomers to watch include seniors Jagger Alfaro (G), Kameren Bell (DB) and Donovan Day (WR), juniors Robert Roma (TE), AJ Sarni (LB), Dom Lucarelli (LB), Deion Davis Jones (DB), Mason Faas (LB), Zahion Pearson (DE), Darren Tirado (WR) and Braydon Grier (WR) and sophomores Gavin Boslet (C) and Jahmir Mosley (DT).

EDISON EAGLES

Head coach: Matt Yascko, second season at Edison (3-7)

Assistants: Bob Herre (DC), Dan Long (DL),Brian Cherepski (LB), Mike Ballo (OLB), Mike Yascko (DB), Brian Calantoni (WR), Bob Molarz (OL), Dan Boslet (OL), Steve Radzik (RB), Ross Faranda (Head Freshmen/DL), Bryan Librizzi (Fresh)

State classification: South Group 5

League: Big Central Conference National Silver Division

Colors: Red and gold

Offensive formation: Multiple I

Defensive formation: 4-3

2023 results (3-7 overall, 2-2 in BCC National Silver)

South Hunterdon, L 34-8

at Dayton, W 27-7

Brearley, L 16-8

at Highland Park, W 30-0

Spotswood, L 7-0

at Middlesex, L 14-6

Dunellen, W 52-24

at Newark Academy, L 20-6

Secaucus, W 28-27

at North Warren, W 41-21

Roselle, W 20-14

2024 schedule

8/29 East Brunswick, 7 p.m.

9/6 at Old Bridge, 7 p.m.

9/13 at Sayreville, 7 p.m.

9/20 North Brunswick, 7 p.m.

9/27 at Franklin, 6 p.m.

10/4 Colonia, 7 p.m.

10/11 at St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 p.m.

10/18 South Brunswick, 7 p.m.

10/24 Paterson-Eastside, 7 p.m.

High school football in Central Jersey: Links to our preview coverage for 2024 season

Football: Big Central Conference and area week-by-week schedule

Franklin

The Warriors made some strides last year, going 3-8, a season after posting a winless campaign. And though Franklin does return some good, experienced talent, overall, it’s a club still getting acclimated to what it takes to be a varsity success.

“We have a young, inexperienced team that is still learning,” coach Blair Wilson said. “Although we have quite a few seniors, we have a team of underclassmen who are eager to learn and grow with the team. In order to have a successful season, we need to be disciplined and compete.”

Sophomore Jah’naad Cady, who split time at quarterback last year, enters the season as the starter, while senior receiver Unisa Kamara and junior running back Dubem Kawah provide his primary weapons.

Senior Jeffrey Shea, who was named second-team All-Area last year, is joined on the offensive line by classmate Ethan Villa, along with juniors Miles Muldrow and Frances Flores.

The defense will be led by senior safety Alhaji Kallon and senior defensive end Michael Gabrysewski, with senior Christopher Mahaley and Jaiden Walcott also expected to have an impact.

FRANKLIN WARRIORS

Head coach: Blair Wilson, third season (3-16)

Assistants: Deshaun Gordine (DC), Deondre McFadden (OC).

State classification: South Group 5

League: Big Central Conference National Silver Division

Colors: Blue and gold

Offensive formation: Spread

Defensive formation: 4-2-5

2023 results (3-8 overall, 1-3 in BCC National Silver)

at East Brunswick, W 27-12

at Montgomery, L 49-6

at Piscataway, L 20-12

New Brunswick, W 42-6

Edison, L 18-7

at North Brunswick, L 50-0

Sayreville, L 35-6

Hunterdon Central, L 35-0

Plainfield, L 41-7

at Trenton, W 21-20

at Monroe, L 27-14

2024 schedule

8/30 Trenton Central, 6 p.m.

9/6 at Passaic, 6 p.m.

9/14 East Brunswick, 2:30 p.m.

9/20 at St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 p.m.

9/27 Edison, 6 p.m.

10/4 Plainfield, 6 p.m.

10/11 at Sayreville, 7 p.m.

10/18 at Monroe, 7 p.m.

10/25 North Brunswick, 6 p.m.

North Brunswick

The blazing speed and athletic plays and smart, split-second decisions are great on the football field. But winning teams often have that extra something, those intangibles that make a huge difference.

Enter a leadership council that the North Brunswick program ran in the offseason tied into their 6 a.m. workouts, in which younger players learned from the upperclassmen with the help of assistant coaches Dan Gorzynski and James Lopez.

“We got the young guys on board on the goals and the values of what we teach,” Raiders head coach Mike Cipot said at BCC media day.

The goal, he noted, was to “bring more of a family, which is our theme. Focus on the family part of not so much the X’s and O’s but the leadership and the discipline part of football, which we hope that we get to the next level with that.”

The eighth-year head coach added that with senior leaders such as Jahir Dawud, Abdul Kargbo and Tommy Koroma, who attended media day with him, the team feels good entering the season with their talent.

That’s just been an expectation at North Brunswick. The Raiders have won two straight division titles and are a perennial playoff contender.

Now, North Brunswick loses six All-Division players but return a nice nucleus. Dawud, a Penn commit, is the definition of an athlete, and can play running back, receiver and safety (56 tackles, five pass deflections, INT).

Kargbo (RB/LB, 52 tackles, 7.5 for a loss) and Koroma (WR/DB, 34 tackles, two FRs) shore up the defense and could take a bigger role on offense.

A big plus is the return of senior quarterback Al Trevilese, who threw for 1,036 yards (61-of-114, 13 TD/5 INT).

Anthony Walker (Jr., RB/DE) was a first-team All-Division player as a sophomore (45 tackles, 3.5 sacks) and second-team selection Ruhan Sriram (Jr., OL/DL) helps key the line.

Other veterans include Zack Cipot (Jr., LB), Willie Stewart Jr. (Sr., WR/DB) and Lennon Trevilese (Sr., WR), as well as Xavier Hullum (Sr., TE/DE), a transfer from South Brunswick who was All-National Gold Division.

That experience mixes in with newcomers looking to make an impact. They include senior Nyeem Houston (WR/DB), juniors Brian Gomez (WR/LB), Reddrick Robinson (OL/DL), Michael Danquah (OL), Vaibav Chari (K), Eli Tamalkoe (OL) and sophomore Sal Fama-Linn (WR/DB).

NORTH BRUNSWICK RAIDERS

Head coach: Mike Cipot, eighth season (56-16)

Assistants: Dan Gorzynski (Asst. HC/OC/QB), Kyle Harkins (DC/DB), James Lopez (Specials Teams Coordinator/TE/LB), Paul Day (OL), Jake Rosenberg (WR/DB), Raheem Byrom (WR/DB), Brett Gray (OL), Kam Little (RB/DL), Angel Gonzalez (DL), Nate Gershon (JV), Chris Anderson (JV)

State classification: South Group 5

League: Big Central Conference National Silver Division

Colors: Blue and gold

Offensive formation: Spread

Defensive formation: 3-3

2023 results (8-1 overall, 4-0 in BCC National Silver)

South Hunterdon, L 34-8

at Dayton, W 27-7

Brearley, L 16-8

at Highland Park, W 30-0

Spotswood, L 7-0

at Middlesex, L 14-6

Dunellen, W 52-24

at Newark Academy, L 20-6

Secaucus, W 28-27

at North Warren, W 41-21

Roselle, W 20-14

2024 schedule

8/30 at Jackson, 6:30 p.m.

9/5 South Brunswick, 7 p.m.

9/13 St. Thomas Aquinas, 7 p.m.

9/20 at Edison, 7 p.m.

9/27 Sayreville, 7 p.m.

10/4 at St. Joseph, 7 p.m.

10/10 at Westfield, 4 p.m.

10/18 Ridge, 7 p.m.

10/25 at Franklin, 6 p.m.

Sayreville

Mark Poore is one of those guys who bleeds the blue and white of Sayreville. He was a Bombers quarterback near the turn of the century and went on to be a longtime assistant under three head coaches.

When the position opened after Don Sofilkanich stepped down following last season, it was a no-brainer to apply. It turns out, Poore was a no-brainer hire to lead the storied program.

“It’s a great feeling and I’m very honored,” he said. “I wanted this since my freshman year when I first stepped on the field. … It’s a great town and I had such a great experience there as a player, so that really solidified it for me.”

Poore was an All-Area quarterback in his 2003 senior season and then played at Montclair State, along with Sayreville teammate Gary Andrewshetsko. Poore said they’d often talk about coaching with each other one day.

Now, Andrewshetsko is the Bombers defensive coordinator. Also on staff are former Sayreville players Tim Ballard and Sal Richiusa, as well as Mike Novak who coached Poore when he was in high school.

That strong bond and chemistry should filter to the players. Poore’s staff also includes former North Plainfield head coach Jimmy DiPaolo.

“Luckily, it all ended up working out for us,” Poore said.

This season, Sayreville must replace eight All-Division selections, including Zaimer Wright, the MyCentralJersey Football Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,743 yards on 192 carries with 22 touchdowns.

Dariel Jerez (Sr., FB/LB, 28 rushes for 164 yards) and Shaun Jackson (Jr., RB/DB, 43-337, five TDs) both looked good in limited action last season. Jackson rushed for 149 yards on 11 carries as the Bombers upset Montgomery in a first-round playoff game. Devin Krass (Sr., RB/DB) is also in the backfield mix and is a returner on defense.

Nick Nunez returns at quarterback after throwing for 658 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for three scores (61 yards on 19 carries).

The Bombers have been known for their big and talented two-way linemen through the years. While they graduated first-team All-Division picks Connor Walsh and Frank Paczkowski, they return seniors Bryce Bouchard and Preston Ditzel (OL/DL). Bouchard, a second-team All-Division pick, was a force at linebacker (76 Tackles one INT, three Sacks, one TD).

Senior twins Keshava and Kishore Sadowski are both ready to break out at receiver and in the secondary.

Newcomers to watch include senior Adrian Gilbert (OL/DL) and juniors Chase Barnes (LB/RB), Joe Curbelo (WR/DB), Adrian Ciesla (OL/DL) and Ryan Sanfiorenzo (TE/DL).

SAYREVILLE BOMBERS

Head coach: Mark Poore, first season

Assistants: Gary Andrewshetsko (asst. head coach, DC), Rob Arvanites (DL/JV), Tim Ballard (WR/DB/JV), John Bell (RB/DB), Michael Carey (DB), Jimmy DiPaolo (LB/RB), Dan Krianski (OL/LB), Michael Novak (QB), Sal Richiusa (OL/Head JV coach), Jessie Shenker (DB), Dave Spayder (Head freshman), Eugene Garcia (Asst. fresh), Nicholas Schabilon (Asst. fresh)

State classification: North Group 4

League: Big Central Conference National Silver Division

Colors: Blue and silver

Offensive formation: Wing-T

Defensive formation : 3-4

2023 results (8-3 overall, 3-1 in BCC National Silver)

at Colonia, W 42-21

at Phillipsburg, L 42-7

New Brunswick, W 55-0

at Edison, W 24-12

vs North Brunswick (at Rutgers), L 21-20

East Brunswick, W 41-9

at Franklin, W 35-6

at Piscataway, W 24-16

Woodbridge, W 22-20

at Montgomery, W 35-14

at Mount Olive, L 30-28

2024 schedule

8/29 Colonia, 7 p.m.

9/7 at Linden, 1 p.m.

9/13 Edison, 7 p.m.

9/20 at Hillshborough, 7 p.m.

9/27 at North Brunswick, 7 p.m.

10/4 Piscataway, 7 p.m.

10/11 Franklin, 7 p.m.

10/18 at Montgomery, 7 p.m.

10/25 at St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 p.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Many football fields feature snazzy turf surfaces these days with large bleachers.

The St. Thomas Aquinas grass field is sort of a throwback to the era when players had mud-splashed and grass-stained jerseys and dirt hanging from helmets and fingernails. The home bleachers also aren’t the largest capacity and fans line the fence for big games.

Old school – and the players will have it no other way.

“We definitely don’t need all that fancy stuff as long as we got a weight room,” senior Chase Young said. “As long as we got some dedicated kids, it don’t matter what we play on or what we have. We’re just going to go out there and work.”

Elijah Thomas noted it provides a home field advantage and, “We love it.”

Yes, it’s all about the work and that mentality – and talent – should help the Trojans to another strong season. They finished as the MyCentralJersey No. 2 team in the final Big Central Conference Top 15 last season.

Despite graduating 14 players, including seven All-Division players and MCJ Defensive Player of the Year Christian Magliacano, STA should again be a force as they move into their new division.

The Trojans offense will be fueled by Young, a 1,000-yard rusher and linebacker, and senior quarterback Roman Blanks (81-of-122, 1,253 passing yards, 14 TD/1 INT) and top returning receiver Josiah Zayas (Jr., WR/DB, 27-353, four TDs), as well as promising sophomore Chukwuma Odoh (RB/LB).

They’ll be protected by All-Division linemen Elijah Thomas (Sr., OL) and Caden Sternlieb (Jr., OL/DL), along with Jon Horwath (Sr., OL/DL) and Channon Johnson (Jr., OL/DL, 6-foot-0, 310 pounds), a transfer from St. Joseph-Montvale.

Anwar Witherspoon (Jr., TE/LB, 34 tackles, six TFL, five sacks) returns to help lead the defense. Other returning players include seniors Jahkai Dabney (WR/DB), Wayne Wakefield (TE/DE) and Michael Teague (WR/DB) and juniors Anthony Perez Jr. (WR/DB) and Tyler Montgomery (WR/S).

STA is boosted by All-Gold Division transfers from Woodbridge in Jose Tejeiro (Sr., DE/TE) and Ian Roberts (Jr., S/WR).

Other newcomers to watch include juniors Mickeye Simmons (WR/S), Brandon Falke (K/P) and Aden Seawright (OL), sophomores Matthew Chuffo (C), Sebastian Azofeifa (OL) and Omar McFarlane (DE) and freshmen Zymere Weaver (QB), Khalyd Goodman-Ware (DB), Cole Sternlieb (RB/WR) and Ca’si Thomas (RB).

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS TROJANS

Head coach: Tarig  Holman, third season (19-3)

Assistants: Chris Young (OC), Chris Oliveri (DC), Vincent Gioffre (Special Teams Coordinator/OL), Justin Hill (RB), Donald Jones (WR), Edwin De La Cruz (WR), Dorryn Simmons (DL), Matthew Fabien (LB), Earnest Drake (S), Tavonne Webb (DB), Elijah Harrison (CB)

State classification: Non-Public B

League: Big Central Conference National Silver Division

Colors: Red and white

Offensive formation: Multiple

Defensive formation: Multiple

2023 results (10-1 overall, 4-0 in BCC United Gold)

Paul VI (at Ocean City), W 42-7

New Providence, W 41-0

Scotch Plains-Fanwood, W 35-0

at Summit, W 44-20

Cranford, W 38-0

at Hillside, W 17-0

at Rahway, W 31-7

North Plainfield, W 49-0

at Edison, W 48-8

DePaul, L 13-10

at Immaculata, W 42-14

2024 schedule

8/31 Mount St. Joseph (MD) at Wilmington, DE, 4 p.m.

9/6 Lincoln (Bklyn, NY) at Hinchcliff Stadium, Paterson, 7 p.m.

9/13 at North Brunswick, 7 p.m.

9/20 Franklin, 6 p.m.

9/27 at Elizabeth, 6 p.m.

10/4 at Paramus Catholic, 7 p.m.

10/11 Edison, 6 p.m.

10/19 at St. Joseph 1 p.m.

10/25 Sayreville, 6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Football preview: Big Central Conference National Silver Division