Football: Snapple Bowl practices get underway
WOODBRIDGE — Marcel Mason has heard all the taunts directed to him out on the football field.
“Of course, they try to get in your head,” said Mason, who recently graduated from Piscataway High School. “That’s what they do on the field. They’ll be like, ‘Oh little man this. Little man that.’ But I don’t do nothing. I go out there — I strap it up. I do what I got to do.”
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And that’s usually giving his team a speedy lift. Yes, all body types have roles in football, and Mason, listed at 5-foot-7, 160 pounds, has been a valuable shifty, change-of-pace running back and punt returner for the Chiefs.
Monday, he was the smallest guy out there as practices started for Snapple Bowl XXIII, which takes place at Woodbridge High School on July 21 at 7 p.m. The annual all-star charity game pits graduating seniors from Middlesex County against Union County. All proceeds from the game benefit Children’s Specialized Hospital and the Lakeview School, a program of the Edison-based New Jersey Institute for Disabilities. The current cumulative total from the series is $535,000 and counting.
Monday, Union practiced at Union High School. Mason and the Middlesex team was out at Woodbridge High School. Mason understood his role for perennial power Piscataway. Elijah Barnwell was the lead and rushed for 1,743 yards on 248 carries. Mason gave his team a lift off the sidelines.
Among his highlights was setting a school record when he returned a punt 91 yards for a touchdown in a 42-7 win against East Brunswick last September. As far as being the little guy, Mason said it’s something he takes pride in.
“I don’t let that get to me,” Mason said. “I come out here to compete. The size never matters to me. I’ve been small my whole life so that never made a difference. I was always the smallest. I don’t let it affect me.”
He’ll be joined in the backfield by three power runner types who burst through the gaps with no worries. New Brunswick’s Samad Davila (6-1, 205) gained 1,333 yards on 189 carries during the season; South Plainfield’s Jason Lee (6-1, 215) rushed for 1,011 yards on 201 carries; and Middlesex’s Ryan Coke (6-0, 195) went for 1,069 yards on 134 carries.
Indeed, nobody called ever called Lee “little” between the lines.
“My coach called me a horse,” said Lee, as he described his style. “Just more a downhill runner. Doesn’t really cut too much, but he will lower his shoulder.”
But that doesn’t mean that Lee didn’t compile some highlight film-type of runs. He noted with a laugh, “Oh, I got a couple nice moves.”
One of the charms of an all-star game is that opponents in the fall now get to know one another and back each other up.
“It’s fun because now you go from talking trash to these guys and playing against them,” Lee said, “to now you’re on the same team and you got put a smile on your face, play for each other.”
The runners will get protection by a big wall. On pure size, East Brunswick’s offensive guard Yousef Abohend (6-3, 310) and Spotswood tackle Lou Vacca (6-1, 300) lead the way. They’re joined by centers Christian Napolitano (6-1, 250) of South Brunswick and Danny Santiago (5-10, 250) of Perth Amboy. Rounding out the line are guards Mike Diakunczak of Edison (5-10, 265) and Esberth Pereyra of North Brunswick (5-10, 255), and tackles David McDevitt of Woodbridge (6-4, 240) and Anthony Porcaro of Sayreville (6-4, 260).
Of course, they’re more than just sheer girth—they’re excellent athletes who has the technique down. For example, Porcaro was the Home News Tribune’s Wrestler of the Year after finishing fourth at heavyweight in the NJSIAA Individual Championships at Atlantic City.
Guiding those runners will be Middlesex’s offensive coordinator Bill Nyers, who is a Snapple Bowl trivia answer. The question—Who’s the only coach to have served both teams?
Nyers was on the Union sideline as Plainfield’s head coach, and Middlesex when he was Woodbridge’s head coach. He stepped down as Woodbridge’s coach in December to deal with the lingering effects of kidney cancer. Nyers has devoted hours and hours to the Woodbridge football program and developing young men. He played offensive guard and linebacker for the Barrons in the early 1980s. He was Woodbridge’s head coach from 1994 to 2002 and returned in 2012 after a six-year stint as Kean University’s offensive coordinator.
His son Anthony (who played from 2008-2011) is the school’s all-time leading receiver and is currently Woodbridge’s offensive coordinator. His daughter, Brittany, was a cheerleader and softball player and other son Nick is a junior football player for the Barrons.
Monday, his son joined his father as an assistant.
“It’s a great thing,” Nyers said.
As far as the offensive talent, Nyers liked what he saw.
“For a first day, I can’t complain,” Nyers said. “They did everything. They were attentive. And that’s the big thing, when you got real nice kids—you’ll be all right. They’re good kids. They worked hard tonight. I was really happy for them.”
TAKE PART
What: MyCentralJersey.com Snapple Bowl XXIII, New Jersey's most successful charity all-star football game.
Where: Woodbridge High School.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 21.
Participants: Recently graduated high school senior players and cheerleaders from Middlesex and Union counties.
About the event
Beneficiaries: All proceeds from the game, which has raised more than $535,000 since its inception, benefit Children's Specialized Hospital and the Lakeview School, a program of the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities.
Practice venues: Woodbridge High School (Middlesex County All-Stars) and Union High School (Union County All-Stars).
Key dates: Middlesex County All-Stars visit the Lakeview School in Edison and Union County All-Stars visit Children's Specialized Hospital in Mountainside on July 18; Snapple Bowl banquet at Pines Manor restaurant in Edison July 20.
Tickets: Can be purchased at the gate for $10 or at each practice site during practices.
Previewing the game: Leading up to Snapple Bowl XXII, the Home News Tribune, Courier News and MyCentralJersey.com will feature at least one story daily, as well as videos.
Game coverage: Look for a game story, a notebook, a Middlesex County sidebar, a Union County sidebar, an A1 story, a photo gallery and video highlights from Snapple Bowl XXII in the Home News Tribune, Courier News and at MyCentralJersey.com.
Social media: Follow us via Twitter @MyCJ_Sports and @SnappleBowl for updates and to interact with reporters and Snapple Bowl XXII game director Marcus Borden.
MyCentralJersey.com Snapple Bowl XXII official web site: Can be found at https://worknotes.com/NJ/SouthRiver/SnappleBowl/