Summit NJ Football Readies for Upcoming Season

SUMMIT, NJ -- Kevin Kostibos is steadfast in saying that his metric for evaluating the condition of the Summit football program is not wins and losses.  The veteran Hilltopper head coach considers his players’ attention to detail and day-to-day progress as greater indicators of the state of the team.

But he’d be lying if he said the ending of the 2023 season didn’t sting.

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“Last year’s ending is a huge motivator for us,” Kostibos said of Summit’s 27-17 loss to West Essex in the North II, Group III semifinals.  “We never talk about winning and losing. Everything is about giving your best effort and taking care of the little things. But that day, we did not do the things we had done in our prior games up to that point. Unfortunately, sometimes the biggest lessons taste incredibly sour.”

The championship near-miss sets the stage for a 2024 season -- the 132nd of the program -- in which the Hilltoppers will look to carry their regular season dominance into the playoffs and, this time, finish strong. To do so, Summit won’t reinvent the wheel.

“We have always been a run-first team that lines up to play smash mouth football,” Kostibos said.  “We are a base Power-I set.  We are very old school.  That has been a staple for years. The formations have sometimes changed, but we’ve always been a run-first team.”

Summit will remain one but will need to replace now-graduated tailback Carter Shallcross, who reeled off 1,483 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. Senior Henrique Guicardi will be the player tasked with sustaining Shallcross’ production, having played fullback in 2023.

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A big, strong, bruising type, Guicardi is the prototype back for Kostibos’ system.  He will share the backfield with junior fullback Alex Schwark and senior power back Shane Walsh.

Senior fullback Conal Gillespie, senior power back Ethan Lawton and junior tailback Daniel Licciardi will all be in the backfield rotation, as well, as Kostibos relies on fresh legs and tries to avoid having players on the field for back-to-back series.

Quarterback Cole Sabol is back a year after going 50-for-97 (51.5%) for 1,148 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven picks. A six-footer, Sabol has focused on improving his speed in the offseason and will aim to take the next step after a solid junior campaign.  There is depth under center thanks to the presence of fellow six-foot junior A.J. Curiale, who has put in significant work in the offseason.

“I thought Cole did a great job of running the offense last year, keeping the pace and understanding what checks have to be made,” Kostibos said. “And with A.J., we are in a great position because we have two kids who are good quarterbacks. The fact of the matter is, if we have to throw, we are going to.”

The Hilltoppers have a talented group of wide receivers that includes senior Oscar Marx, a playmaker who has the ability to break a big play anytime he touches the ball. Fellow senior starter Zach Allen is a bona fide deep threat thanks to his speed, while junior Connor Gawronski is a student of the position with stellar route running. Senior Tyler Sebastian’s 6-foot-3 frame makes him a guy to watch in the red zone.

The Hilltoppers bring back four of five starters on the offensive line.  Senior left guard Sam Henry, senior center Sam Morris, junior right guard Ben Cohen and senior right tackle Alex Drehwing return and will join junior Luke Dolan, Summit’s new starting left tackle, to form a group that figures to be one of the team’s strengths.

“You can’t replicate experience,” said Kostibos. “Coming into camp, they already know a ton of the offense.  It allows us to go incredibly fast with installs.”

Defensively, Summit will need to be at its best nearly every week, as every offense on its schedule is capable of scoring points in bunches.

The entire front four of Summit’s 4-3 defense is brand new.  Junior Anthony Trujillo will play on one edge, while Gillespie will line up on the other.  Both are physical players who can keep contain.  Junior Minjoon Kang, who is quick with a strong pass rush, will be the third defensive end.  Seniors Jed Lehrich and Ethan DeLuna will be the team’s defensive tackles.

The Hilltoppers’ linebacking corps will have the unenviable task of replacing now-graduated star Tyler Kessel, but bring back starters in Lawton and Licciardi, who will play the strong and weak sides, respectively.  Curiale and juniors Will Pringle and Gavin Forte will be in the outside linebacker rotation, as well. Sophomore Matt McKeever will play the middle.

Allen and junior Kieran Zulauf will start on the corners, with juniors Andrew Smallwood and Matt Rosoff spelling them when needed.  Walsh will play free safety, backed up by junior Jake Reimold.  Marx will line up at strong safety with sophomore Gavin Schnall as the top reserve.

Morris will kick and punt for the Hilltoppers.

In the end, the biggest motivator for Summit likely won’t be its untimely exit from last year’s postseason.  Instead, it will be what it often is — the self-imposed responsibility to live up to the great tradition of Hilltopper football. Every player on the roster is aware of it and takes it seriously, and each wants to contribute to adding another chapter to the program’s lore.

“That is a huge piece of our puzzle,” Kostibos said.  “Our guys know the history and tradition of Summit football.  Guys whose fathers have played here and uncles have played here are on this team. Most of these kids have grown up watching the games, understanding that football is a mainstay of the community. If we can get everything out of our kids, we can be playing in December.”

Summit will open up its season at home on Saturday, Sept. 7 when it plays host to Montgomery. The Cougars have gone 15-4-2 over the past two seasons.

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