Ridge's Andrew Lusardi voted Courier News Football Player of the Week
You need a catch in a tight spot? There’s Andrew Lusardi. You need a defensive charge to make a stop on fourth down? There’s Andrew Lusardi. You need a block? There’s Andrew Lusardi.
In short, the senior does a little of everything for the Ridge High School football team.
“He’s a complete player now,” Ridge coach Bill Tracy said. “He could do all phases of the game.”
In Friday’s 17-14 win over Elizabeth that clinched a playoff berth, Lusardi caught three passes for 58 yards and made three tackles, including a stop on a fourth-down play near midfield. For his efforts, Lusardi was voted the Courier News/Mid-State 37 Football Player of the Week in an online poll. Like the Red Devils win, it was tight and exciting.
Lusardi got 37.49 percent of the votes (23,486 votes) to Somerville quarterback’s Jalahn Dabney’s 32.3 percent (20,230 votes). Lusardi went ahead about three hours before the poll closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
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Bridgewater-Raritan tight end Brandon Myers garnered 17.22 percent (10,788 votes). There were nearly 63,000 votes cast for the seven candidates, which shows the level of excitement for area football as the playoffs begin Nov. 10.
There’s certainly a buzz for Ridge football. The Red Devils have overcome injuries to key players, including quarterback Brandon Radice and running back Ryan Gogerty, both captains. Lusardi, a three-year starter, and fellow captain R.J. Milligan, a fullback/linebacker, have helped keep the players focused.
"I think we're starting to finally click as a team," Lusardi said. "I think we're finding our mojo, I guess. Everyone's on the same page. I think there was a little bit of a sense of urgency, too. We saw our season kind of slipping away and we realized we got to all get on the same page right now."
Two weeks ago, Ridge sat at 2-4 with its North 2 Group V playoff prospects in jeopardy. On Oct. 20, Ridge beat Union 37-36 in overtime. The Red Devils then pulled out the win against a tough Elizabeth team. The Minutemen are in fourth place in the section’s power point standings, while Ridge is in seventh place. The top eight teams get a berth.
“We are getting better,” Tracy said. “A little bit each week, we are definitely getting better. And I’m very proud of the guys for that. That’s not easy to do when things really haven’t gone your way much. So they’re a good group of guys, and Andrew’s a huge part of that leadership.”
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Lusardi had a slow start to the season. He injured a knee in the first scrimmage and missed the opener. He was then limited to playing only offense until the last two games and hasn’t punted yet this season.
"I couldn't wait to get back on the field," said Lusardi, who played safety last season. "It was just horrible for me whenever I had to watch from the sidelines. So just being back out there felt awesome."
His teammates certainly thought it was awesome. Lusardi's presence was felt last week as he helped the unit contain Elizabeth’s speedy running attack. On a fourth-and-3 near midfield in the first half, Lusardi made the first hit, stopping the runner and flipping the momentum to his team’s side.
While he’s a tight end, Lusardi sometimes lines up on the outside like a traditional receiver. With his hands, it’s no problem. He has 23 catches for 317 yards and a touchdown this season.
“He could catch anything that’s anywhere near him,” Tracy said. “And he’s a terrific blocker and a very strong defensive player as well. He’s a great team player. He knows that he might only get three, four, five catches a game, but there’s going to be 60 other plays on offense. We need him to block, so he’s a real selfless kind of guy.”
Last week, Ridge got a boost from junior quarterback Wesley Hudkins, who threw for 146 yards and completed 8-of-14 of his passes in his first varsity start. Also having big games were sophomore linebacker Christian Sweeney, Milligan (124 rushing yards and two touchdowns) and kicker Nolan Hughes, who made a 37-yard field goal.
“The guys have kept applying themselves, so it’s been nice,” Tracy said.
And right in the mix is Lusardi, who also plays for the Ridge baseball team.
“He’s an excellent leader with the guys,” Tracy said. “He always has the right things to say to help motivate the guys, and he really cares about his teammates. … He doesn’t have a ton to say, but when he does, it’s pretty spot on. But mostly he leads by example. He’s a very good leader.”