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GMC Football Red Division Overview

Greg Tufaro
@GregTufaro

After fielding what may have been its youngest squad ever a year ago, the perennial power Piscataway High School football team appears to be a slight favorite to win the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division title.

Defending champion Old Bridge, which graduated more than 2,400 yards from scrimmage for the second consecutive year, and Sayreville, led by Penn State commit Myles Hartsfield, the league's best all-around player, will pose strong challenges along with Monroe and South Brunswick.

The Vikings, who have so much line depth that only one player needs to start both ways in the trenches, feature the league's top secondary, which Syracuse commit Dontae Strickland leads.

Edison and J.P. Stevens have upset potential, while East Brunswick and North Brunswick, who combined for a 2-18 record last season, are rebuilding.

East Brunswick (1-9)

After learning a new system last fall, Keith Hemmings returns at quarterback and will look to sure-handed receiver Sean O'Sullivan as his favorite target. With the move of Joe Chetta to tight end, Tom Lanzano is now East Brunswick's top offensive lineman. Sam Walker has proved to be such an exceptional fullback, both as a lead blocker and rusher, that coach Bob Molarz is expected to call his number often. The Bears were limited to one touchdown or less in seven defeats. With injuries in the backfield, sophomore Kyle Wiggins has emerged as the go-to tailback. A track star, he has gotten bigger, faster and stronger. Talented freshman Zahir Jackson will be sidelined for at least the first week or two of the season with an upper body injury. He has all the intangibles a coach wants in a back – instincts, cutback ability, strength, power, ability to get to the open field and breakaway speed. Jackson will also play in the secondary, where cornerback Aaron McSweeney is the lone returning starter. The Bears will experience some growing pains in the defensive backfield. As a result, the linemen and linebackers have little margin for error. After spending last season out of necessity at linebacker and defensive tackle, Walker has moved to end, where he parlays instinct with tremendous ability. Linebacker Chetta, who has been nursing an injury in training camp but is expected to be healthy for the opener, is the Bears' top returning defensive player.

Edison(6-4)

After opening last season with stunning back-to-back upsets of Piscataway and Sayreville, Edison dropped three of its next four but rebounded to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season for the first time since the program was a state power in the 1990s. Edison finished strong, winning three of its last four by shutout, with the lone setback a 21-14 closing-minute playoff loss to the Chiefs. Edison must replace James Waldron, who ranked second in the league with 1,344 yards and 12 TDs passing a year ago. Freshman Haaziq Daniels, the younger brother of recently graduated star Aqeel, who led the Eagles with 11 TDs, is competing with sophomore Justin Turner for the starting quarterback spot. Junior Kyle Elesnick was in the mix until he fractured his foot in an intrasquad scrimmage. He will be sidelined for another two to three weeks. Senior quad captains Andre Yates and Joe Kim, a three-year starter, will be the featured running backs in the spread offense. If Turner does not play quarterback, he will line up at receiver opposite Josh Hopkins. Kim will also play wideout when he is not at running back. Godwin Asamoah, the team's returning placekicker (26 PATs) and its best linebacker, will also see time at receiver this year. Three-year starter Irving Childress, another quad captain, is one of the conference's top two-way linemen. Kim, who will play safety, is the third and only other returning defensive starter. Yates, who owns a 3.7 GPA, also has a high football IQ and is expected to fill in nicely in the secondary. Piscataway transfer Isaiah Hunt will start at outside linebacker. Hopkins will play cornerback. Edison will miss linebacker and running back Khaliyl Everett, who transferred to South River.

J.P. Stevens (4-6)

Bryan Holt, a longtime and respected assistant at South Plainfield, Woodbridge and South Brunswick, is the Hawks' third head coach in as many years. The organized and energetic mentor has some gifted skill players at his disposal to help compensate for the graduation of Chewy Chukwuneke (1,656 yards, 14 TDs rushing), one of the best running backs in J.P. Stevens' storied history. Despite losing the final two games of 2013 by a total of 17 points, the Hawks hope to build off the momentum of last year's stunning 9-0 upset of reigning GMC Red Division champion Old Bridge. Holt will abandon predecessor Jim Collins' no-huddle offense, but will remain in a spread formation. Junior Jay'von Blacknall and sophomore Luke Jacoby were battling in training camp for the starting quarterback spot. DeAndre Perkins, an incumbent All-Red Division selection, anchors the defense at linebacker and will also play wide receiver (he was used sparingly there last season). The Hawks are experienced on defense with returning letterwinners Brandon Oliver, Quazir Reddick and Chukwuneke's brother Chris in the secondary. Shawn Edwers, Francois Ballou and Jared Fraraccio will start on the defensive line. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, the rangy Ballou is also a gifted wideout. Edwers will also play tight end, along with Andrew Stevens, and be used as a fullback in goal-line situations. Linebacker Alex Zilli and two-way lineman Haasan Neal are among the top two newcomers (although Neal started two years ago for former coach Mike Ryan). The defense held its own in a quad scrimmage featuring Montgomery and its quarterback, West Virginia commit Chris Chugunov, registering a couple of picks. As Holt has learned from those he has previously coached alongside, expect him to make special teams a point of emphasis, where Josh Taylor will be a weapon.

Monroe (7-4)

The Falcons opened last season with a five-game winning streak before a rash of injuries slowed down the conference's most potent offense and took a toll on a defense that had yielded just seven touchdowns over the first half of the season. Senior quarterback Stephen Karoly broke his left (non-throwing) hand in a 17-14 loss to Old Bridge, a game in which Monroe also lost its best defensive player, Paul Baclayon, to a season-ending injury. Three other key starters were subsequently lost. Karoly (50 of 79 passing for 840 yards with 12 TDs and no interceptions) and dynamic running back Akeer Franklin (1,378 yards, 18 TDs rushing) have both been named Home News Tribune preseason All-Area. If the Falcons can sustain losses of key offensive linemen to graduation, including that of Russell Clayton, who is now playing at Monmouth University, and Nick Marinelli, expect them to contend for the division title. Cameron Coleman, a rangy tight end, and David Matel-Okoh, a senior wideout, will help compensate for the graduation of C.J. Thompson and David Betancur, who combined for 964 receiving yards. Max Oge, Brendan Germano and Greg Chaves return to the trenches. Oge (45 tackles) and Cole Cusanelli (39 tackles) are among the top returning defensive players. Monroe boated a fierce pass rush last season, recording 26.5 sacks, 19 of which were lost to graduation.

North Brunswick (1-9)

Season-ending injuries have devastated the Raiders, who lost the services of senior captain Anthony Vasquez, the team's best offensive lineman, and starting defensive end Alex Zielinski (6-foot-3, 240) to ACL tears in training camp. Until this year, North Brunswick had been incredibly fortunate, sustaining just one catastrophic knee injury since the turn of the century. North Brunswick will rely heavily upon Joe Castellanos, an incumbent All-Red Division selection who returns at tight end (211 receiving yards) and defensive end (team-best 2.5 sacks, 45 tackles). Zack Rowell (team-leading 68 tackles), who started as a sophomore last year, returns to the defensive line. He compensates for lack of size (5-foot-9) with quickness and strength. The Raiders struggled offensively last season, rushing for just 844 yards, but return quality skill position players. Kevin Poindexter, who saw some varsity action a year ago, inherits the keys to the offense from graduated signal caller Rafieu Alharazim (897 yards, 6 TDs passing). Wideouts Rex Thomas and Tae'Quan Rodriguez are dangerous. The strength of North Brunswick's 4-3 defense, which allowed 34.3 points per game last season, is its front four. B.J. Pryor (6-3, 220) anchors the linebacker corps from the strong side. Sophomore Francis Omowole, a starting point guard on the varsity basketball team last winter, is expected to make an immediate impact as a slot receiver and returning kicks.

Old Bridge (7-3)

After winning the first Red Division title in school history, the Knights, for a second consecutive year, must replace more than 2,400 yards from scrimmage. Few expected Old Bridge to contend for the division title after graduation decimated it entering the 2013 season. Those same folks won't discount the Knights entering this year. Rookie quarterback Mike Gargano, whose younger brother Vin ran the offense several years ago, has a good grasp of the system and possesses a stronger arm than several of his predecessors. He has a sure-handed and rangy receiver in 6-foot-4 senior Tyler Hopman (23 catches, 234 yards), who made one of the most spectacular leaping touchdown catches of the 2013 campaign. Myles Williams, who was a fixture on defense at cornerback (36 tackles) and did get 21 carries for 108 yards in a crowded backfield, will be the go-to rusher. With former teammates Marcus Lominy and Brandon Giles sidelined for a game against Middletown South last season, Williams rushed for two scores and caught a touchdown pass, proving he can play offense, as well. The Knights graduated 36 seniors and return four starters on each side of the ball. Ed Mish (RB/LB/K/P) is among the most versatile players in the conference and may prove to be the most valuable. He is a weapon on kickoffs (15 touchbacks), punts and tallied 45 kicking points. Old Bridge has impressed in scrimmages, but the continued development of its offensive line remains integral to the team's success.

Piscataway(7-4)

One of the youngest teams in school history (just three senior starters), Piscataway rebounded from an understandably slow start to reach the North 2 Group V semifinals, where the Chiefs fell to Union. Piscataway's early-season defensive woes, which appeared to remedy themselves with game experience, were exposed again in that 47-24 defeat. Piscataway allowed 238 points, the most since 1970 and the third most in school history, according to assistant coach John Thompson, who maintains the Chiefs' record books. Expect the Chiefs, who allowed Sayreville's Myles Hartsfield to rush for a school-record 356 yards, to be vastly improved. Elorm Lumor (3.5 sacks) and Malachi Bobbit (1.5 sacks) are outstanding ends, while Charles Mitchell (3 sacks) is a force on the interior of the defensive line. Linebacker Elijah Barnwell, younger brother of Rutgers defensive back Nadir, is regarded as one of the country's best sophomores. Aiden Rosa and Elijah Pierson join him at linebacker. Barnwell set a freshman school rushing record with 1,221 yards and 11 touchdowns. He helped Piscataway avenge a season-opening loss to Edison, rushing for 162 yards in a 21-14 playoff win over the Eagles. Sophomore Danny Haus (14 of 21 for 182 yards passing), who saw significant time despite the presence of gifted senior Justin Strother, returns at quarterback. Pierson (540 yards, 9 TDs rushing) complements Barnwell, as does Tyrell Bush, who is a dangerous return specialist. He averaged 26.1 yards per kickoff return and 23.6 yards per punt return. Junior Zaire Ashley, a transfer from New York, is a newcomer to watch at fullback and linebacker, as is fullback Etiini Udott. The Chiefs will need to replace the 268 receiving yards and five TDs lost through the graduation of Ladi Isijola.

Sayreville(8-3)

After having their string of three consecutive sectional titles snapped last year, the Bombers have switched from a 4-3 to a 4-2-5 defense. With more offenses in the Red Division employing spread formations, Sayreville wanted to compensate with its athleticism on the outside, thus the change in philosophy. The Bombers are not young, but they are also not experienced. Sayreville features many seniors who are first-year varsity players and several promising sophomores, the most notable of whom is quarterback Jayson DeMild. He has the physical tools to succeed Malik Pressley (1,059 yards from scrimmage), and will develop his decision-making. Sayreville may not be as deep as it has been in recent years, but the Bombers are no less talented, featuring RB/DB Myles Hartsfield, one of the state's best two-way players. The Penn State commit amassed 2,229 all-purpose yards with a conference-leading 28 TDs and recorded 44 tackles with a team-high four interceptions. He rushed for 1,586 yards. Hartsfield, Dylan Thillet (OL/DE) and Danny Rodriguez (RB/LB) are the lone seniors with significant varsity experience. Linwood Crump, Mike Cenci and Michael Bird will complement Hartsfield in the backfield. Thillet and Anthony Porcaro are the lone returning offensive linemen. Porcaro's brother, Michael, will start at end on defense, where the Bombers will sorely miss middle linebacker Deion Miller, a two-time first-team All-Area selection who led Sayreville with 79 tackles. Split end Justin Gallagher, who sprained his knee in training camp, is expected to be fully healed in time for the team's opener. Sayreville has a string of 18 consecutive playoff appearances. After dropping two of its first three games a year ago, Sayreville rebounded to win seven in a row before falling to Manalapan in the sectional semifinals.

South Brunswick (7-4)

The Vikings, featuring Syracuse commit Dontae Strickland, boast arguably the finest secondary in the entire conference. Amir Johnson, Phil Campbell and Mo Jabbie join him in the defensive backfield. After breaking his hand in the second game of the year against Monroe, Jabbie missed the rest of last season. Returning starter Chris-Jon Summers anchors the linebacker corps, while Zaire Gibson will be the lone two-way starter in the trenches as South Brunswick flexes its offensive and defensive line depth. Junior Wendell Allen (RB/CB) has impressed in preseason, as has defensive tackle Dillon Donaldson, a transfer from Georgia who will make an immediate impact. The Vikings return three starters on the offensive line in Aidan Rogers (T), Richie Hoff (T) and Gibson (G). Newcomers Austin Cooper (C) and Sam Bierstein (G) join the trio up front. Both are seniors. South Brunswick returns its entire starting backfield minus bruising fullback Dharae Ford (813 yards, 12 TDs rushing), who Matt Golden and Summers will try to replace. Strickland (906 yards, 10 TDs rushing) nursed a nagging pulled muscle in his lower back at the start of camp, but has looked better than ever since getting over the minor injury. Campbell will complement him in the backfield. Look for Marcus Jackson (WR/DB) to emerge as the favorite target of Johnson (638 yards, 11 TDs rushing), a returning starter at quarterback.