GMC Football: St. Joseph linemen power win over North Brunswick

NORTH BRUNSWICK — They’re the hogs. The lunch pail guys. Offensive linemen are the no-names, typically jogging off with cuts on their elbows as fans cheer for the receivers and running backs. The pretty boys.

But at St. Joseph (Met.) High School, it’s fashionable to be on the line.

The unit’s skill was on display in a 31-13 win over North Brunswick in Friday’s opener for both teams. The Falcons just keep rolling, winning their 11th-straight Greater Middlesex Conference White Division game, including an 8-0 campaign in 2016 (9-1 overall).

MORE: WEEK 1 FOOTBALL FRIDAY RESULTS

St. Joseph, ranked No. 4 in the Home News Tribune Top 10, showed different looks. The Falcons hit two home runs early with quarterback Paul Cocozziello throwing touchdown passes of 63-yards and 45-yards to Jon Sot, who caught the balls downfield in stride.

But a much-improved North Brunswick cut the deficit to 14-7 by intermission.

Enter the pound, pound, pound game. To begin the third quarter, the Falcons put together an eight-minute drive that resulted in a 45-yard field goal from Sot. St. Joseph, for the most part, stuck to the ground with tailback Manny Resto taking over. At one point, he had eight straight carries. He finished with two rushing touchdowns and 141 yards.

“It’s amazing running behind my o-line,” Resto said. “Having size on the line is great in high school. Especially running behind Johnny O. Obviously, everybody knows him. And that’s what I need to do, run behind them. The offensive line is key for a successful football team. I just got to read my blocks and hit the hole.”

Johnny O would be John Olmstead (6-foot-6, 300 pounds), a two-way lineman who has received scholarship offers from big-time Division I programs. He’s joined by three-year starter David Barattucci (6-0, 280), Bryan Boczon (6-0, 230), Isaiah Wright (6-4, 235), tight end Garrett Klurman (6-1,190) and David Barr (6-2, 284), who’s older brother and former Falcon P.J. is now playing at Bucknell.

What’s even more impressive is that Olmstead said he was playing with strep throat.

“At the beginning of the week, I didn’t think I was going to play,” he said. "Until I started feeling better yesterday.”

And suddenly, so did the whole the team. The St. Joe's play-callers were able to keep their opponent guessing. 

“That’s what we want to do,” said first-year head coach Ron Hilliard said. “We want to establish our run. Get back to our roots. We’re a run-first team. We want to run the ball. Hey, that’s all blood and guts. That’s what we built here at St. Joe's. Play hard. Play fast. Play physical.”

Resto, for his part, enjoys that hard-nosed football. He said he likes “the physicality of the game. Just getting down. Putting down my shoulder and running through people. I always enjoyed it. Ever since I started playing. As I develop as a player, I have to learn how to maneuver around defenders.”

The game also marked the return of quarterback Cocozziello, who suffered a hairline fracture of his right tibia and missed the final seven games of 2016.

“The whole offseason, Paul worked his tail off,” Hilliard said. “In the weight room every day. Practicing at home. On the weekends throwing the ball with his friends. He just wanted to play. Paul lives, sleeps and breathes football. He’s just a great kid and team player. He don’t mind handing the ball off, but if you ask him to throw it, he’ll certainly do that too.”

North Brunswick, meanwhile, finished 2-18 over the last two seasons, but has a new attitude under first-year head coach Mike Cipot. The Raiders had sustained drives and looked smooth behind quarterback junior quarterback Christian “Chich” Petrillo, and running back Myles Bailey, who scored on a 23-yard touchdown run. North Brunswick’s other score came when Sean Breheney blocked a punt that rolled into the end zone and teammate David Strzeminski pounced on it.

St. Joseph also seems like it’s in for another good season, powered by that smash-mouth approach.

“That’s what we like to keep here at St. Joe’s,” said Hilliard, who had been a longtime assistant at the school. “We’ve had it going on for about five years and I’d like to keep it that way."

ST. JOSEPH                 (1-0) 14-0-10-7 – 31
NORTH BRUNSWICK   (0-1) 0-7-0-6 – 13

SCORING PLAYS:

SJ – Sot 63 pass from Cocozziello (Sot kick)

SJ – Sot 45 pass from Cocozziello (Sot kick)

NB – Bailey 23 run (Ahr kick)

SJ – Sot FG 45

SJ – Resto 16 run (Sot kick)

NB – Strzeminski recovered block punt (kick failed)

SJ – Resto 7 run (Sot kick)