South Plainfield Football Season Preview: Key Players & More

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ -- The South Plainfield football team will open its 2024 season on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at New Providence.

"We've got a lot of guys back from last year's team, and it's a great group of guys," South Plainfield coach Bill Hamilton said. "We have a big senior class (with) great leaders that care about each other, and they want what's best for this program."

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Senior end A.J. Perales is expected to again be the linchpin of the Tigers' defense after making 24 tackles behind the line of scrimmage last year.

"A.J. is a leader by example. He works hard, he's a great football player, a great basketball player and a standout track athlete," Hamilton said. "When he's doing those other sports, if he has a day off, he's in the weight room."

Senior quarterback Ryan Balent passed for eight touchdowns last season and he was only intercepted twice in the Tigers' Wing-T offense. Junior running back Dominic Massaro rushed for 975 yards and seven TDs as a sophomore.

Other offensive keys for the Tigers include senior tight ends Joe Mongiovi and Lorenzo Fuscoletti, junior running back, and offensive linemen Jayden Ramrup, Evan Brown, Kaden Deakyne and Zack Vautrin.

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Mongiovi, Fuscoletti and Deakyne will man three of the spots along the defensive line. Brown and Jack Jones are experienced linebackers, and Massaro is a talented athlete in the South Plainfield defensive backfield, where he was in on more than 100 tackles in 2023.

After beginning the season 3-1 last year, South Plainfield hit some bumps in the road in October and finished at 4-6.

"Every game you are in, there's going to be adversity that hits hits you in the face," Hamilton said. "We're trying to prepare ourselves to be ready for anything that we have to face down the road."

After a potentially tough opener on the road, South Plainfield will face a traditionally formidable foe in its home opener against Delaware Valley on Sept. 6.

SOUTH PLAINFIELD 2024 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

08-29    @ New Providence
09-06    Delaware Valley
09-13    @ North Plainfield
09-20    Cranford
09-27    Gov. Livingston
10-04    @ Bernards
10-11    New Brunswick
10-19    @ South River
10-26    @ JFK (Iselin)

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