Old Bridge's Sammarco is GMC Football Player of the Week

Some people look at Old Bridge High School’s Jon Sammarco, do a double take, and ask a question.

“You’re the kicker?”

“Even in school,” he said. “The kids that I don’t know, they’re like, ‘You’re the kicker?’ Because I’m short. Most people don’t expect that. So they wouldn’t expect me to be able to kick.”

READ: OLD BRIDGE BEATS SOUTH BRUNSWICK ON LATE FIELD GOAL

Yes, the 5-foot-4 Sammarco is the kicker. And he’s a pretty good kicker, who’s proven that you don’t have to be lanky with long legs to boom the ball. The senior is the Home News Tribune’s Player of the Week after booting four extra points and a 32-yard field goal with six minutes left in a 31-28 win Friday over South Brunswick. It was a rematch of last season’s NJSIAA Central Group V title game won by South Brunswick and was the HNT’s Game of the Week.

“He likes those kinds of situations,” Old Bridge coach Anthony Lanzafama said. “He asks to practice those situations all the time in practice. He wants to know when we’re doing it. The more pressure the better.”

As Old Bridge was driving midway through the fourth quarter on the road in a 28-28 game, Sammarco calmly kicked into a net on the sideline before getting the call. He said he “was focused on the moment. And to me, the moment was just getting the snap down, and kicking it and making the field goal and helping put my team in front of South Brunswick.”

MORE: OLD BRIDGE QB SITKOWSKI ENTERS SEASON AS TOP RECRUIT

“If I’m uptight and nervous and I’m stressing out like worried about it, it’s just not going to help me, and it’s going to affect me," Sammarco said. "So to me, I just sit back, relax, just tell myself that I got it and just go with it.”

Snapper Nick DiMeglio delivered the ball to holder Jake Kodros, and the kick sailed through. The Knights defense held as they opened the season with a key Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division win.

Afterward, Sammarco said, “The bus ride home was awesome. Everybody was happy, singing, jumping around, joking with the coaches.” One of the songs was “Ain't No Mountain High Enough” that was in the movie “Remember the Titans.”

Sammarco’s football climb started when he developed a wallop of a kick playing youth soccer, and he played a couple seasons of Pop Warner. As a freshman, he stuck with football and learned the kicking technique from assistant coaches Adam Tivald and Sean Gleason. He also soaked up tips from former Old Bridge kicker Ed Mish, now starting as a sophomore at Lehigh.

After the win Friday, Sammarco said he received a congratulatory text from Mish, noting that he’s come a long way and to keep working hard. His kicks have improved from the 35-to 40-yard field goal range to 45- to 47-yards this season following a summer of weight lifting and kicking.

“He was a good kicker last season and he’s really improved in the offseason,” Lanzafama said. “The ball’s definitely jumping off his foot this year.”

Sammarco said his confidence has also increased. Indeed, kickers need the right mental make up. They’re kind of like a closer in baseball, performing under the spotlight. Take Jets kicker Nick Folk, who has received heat after missing an extra point and having a field goal blocked Sunday in a one-point loss.

“Maybe they’ll give him a call this week,” Lanzafama joked.

But he’s too valuable for the Knights to leave now. Sammarco, who also plays second base in baseball, doesn’t think of himself as just a kicking specialist, but as a complete football player. The 175-pounder is a back-up inside linebacker who doesn't shy away from action after kicking off.

“He’s made numerous tackles last year on the kickoff team,” Lanzafama said. “And he’ll definitely come up and pop you like a linebacker.”

No doubt, though, he’s known more for being a placekicker even if some people don’t believe it at first. It doesn't matter, Sammarco knows his role and he’s not going to let his height affect his productivity.

“I think that I do have a disadvantage just because I’m shorter so my legs are shorter so I don’t have as much room for muscle and to follow through with everything,” he said. “But I mean, I don’t really use that as an excuse or anything. Like I am what I am. If I want to be a kicker, I’m going to kick with what I got.”

GMC WEEK ONE LEADERS

PASSING (ATT-COMP-YDS-TD)

Paul Cocozziello (St. Joseph) 8-10-215-1

Jayson DeMild (Sayreville) 11-22-199-3

Nick Mohr (Spotswood) 8-10-176-2

Tyler Jack (Perth Amboy) 11-14-165-2

Ryan O’Shea (Highland Park) 11-20-147-1

Justin Turner (Edison) 10-13-140-2

James Schuld (East Brunswick) 6-14-120-0

Artur Sitkowski (Old Bridge) 12-20-116-1

Angelo Golino (Carteret) 4-8-118-1

Donovan Tabon (Woodbridge) 7-11-107-1

Will Hronich (Metuchen) 8-11-106-1

RUSHING (ATT-YDS-TD)

Michael Liberti (Sayreville) 16-227-2

Zach DelVecchio (South Plainfield) 17-160-2

James Stewart (Edison) 11-134-3

Quartius Byrd (Carteret) 7-126-2

Elijah Barnwell (Piscataway) 23-124-1

Juwon Jackson (Piscataway) 6-122-2

Andrew Brazicki (Bishop Ahr) 20-120-4

Willie Rojas (Metuchen) 18-118-1

Christian Cardona (Bishop Ahr) 7-112-1

Manny Resto (St. Joseph) 19-112-1

Nick Sodano (Old Bridge) 22-106-2

Carlton Coleman (Monroe) 17-106-1

Da’Avian Ellington (Woodbridge) 23-105-1

Quian Muse (J.P. Stevens) 13-82-1

RECEIVING (REC-YDS-TD)

Jon Sot (St. Joseph) 3-95-1

Dwayne Sharpe (Carteret) 2-81-1

Ryan Szatkowski (Spotswood) 3-73-1

Quaasim Glover (Woodbridge) 5-70-1

Nick Yanik (Edison) 4-65-1