New Milford begins its next chapter under a new coach who won a sectional title at another small public school and last season was an assistant at a parochial powerhouse.
The Knights’ summer workouts regularly feature more than 40 players, an encouraging sign for veteran coach Bill Straub, who stresses accountability.
“They start being accountable to me, and then they start being accountable to each other,” Straub said, “and I think that will carry through on the field.”
Straub, who won a sectional title in 2006 at Westwood and spent the last three seasons as an assistant at Bergen Catholic, inherits a program that returns several key players from last year’s 3-6 team that lost in the first round of the North 2, Group 1 playoffs.
Senior Jerzey Ryan returns at quarterback after throwing for 1,173 yards and nine touchdowns last season . Ryan is surrounded by several talented skill players, including senior receivers Giovanni Nicodeme and Kyle Tennant.
“I think offensively we’re going to be able to move the ball,” said Straub, who succeeds Don Jaconia, “and we’re going to have the ability to have a big-play offense.”
The tradition
The NJSIAA introduced sectional playoffs in 1974, and New Milford has won two sectional titles. In 1985 and 1986, the Knights won the North 1, Group 1 title with wins over Hasbrouck Heights.
Last season, the Knights lost their playoff opener to Hawthorne, 34-7. Their last playoff win came in 2019, a 15-14 victory over Hoboken in North 2, Group 1.
This season marks Straub’s 12 th season as a head coach. He did two stints at his alma mater, Fort Lee, and guided Westwood for three years, starting in 2006, when the Cardinals went 11-1 and won North 1, Group 2. Recently, he was an assistant at Ridgewood in 2020, followed by three years as an assistant at Bergen Catholic.
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The challenge
The Knights will have to play better defense against winning programs and Straub is a defensive-minded coach. In their six losses last season, they allowed at least 28 points.
“Defensively, I hope to be fast and physical,” said Straub, who coached linebackers at Bergen Catholic, the three-time defending Non-Public A champion. “We try to be as simple as we can, so there’s not a lot of thinking on defense, so that gives us the opportunity to play faster.”
Junior two-way standout Jake Johnson will be at linebacker, joined by his brother, Luke, and senior Kristoffer Dunne.
Expectations
New Milford, which has a difficult regular-season schedule in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, hopes to be competitive with an offense led by Ryan.
“We’re going to be a run-first offense,” said Straub, who will run a multiple two-back set, “but we have a lot of good athletes, so we’re going to spread the ball around.”
The line has a good core and Jake Johnson moved from tight end to fullback. The Knights are auditioning multiple underclassmen at running back.
“You just have to get better every day,” said Straub, who by opening night could have 45 to 50 players in the program. “If you try to win every day, things will work out.”
Schedule
Sept. 6: vs. Hasbrouck Heights
Sept. 13: at Secaucus
Sept. 20: vs. Hawthorne
Sept. 28: vs. Saddle Brook
Oct. 4: at Butler
Oct. 11: TBD
Oct. 18: TBD
Oct. 25: TBD
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New Milford football starts anew with veteran coach | State of the Program
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