Familiar names making noise in the spring
Local athletes proving to be much more than just football players
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

There was a time when the vast majority of high school football coaches around the state encouraged their players to play one sport — theirs.

That trend has died hard in some football hotbeds and has continued in others.

But that has not been the case at Brick Township’s two high schools, where Warren Wolf of Brick Township and Fred Sprengel of Brick Memorial have said they encourage all of their players — from the best to the bench-warmers — to participate in other sports they may like and be adept at during the winter and spring months.

“We encourage our boys to participate in spring sports,” said Wolf, the state’s all-time winning coach with 341 victories, who still shows open-mindedness to changing times over his 47-year legacy. “A number of them are involved in baseball, track and field, and tennis. We encourage all the boys to play the sports that they play in-season. Many have done that.”

But Wolf pointed out that those football players still are in a minority.

“The greater majority of boys are involved in the lifting program,” said Wolf. “As soon as spring sports ends, the others will participate in our agility program.”

Quarterback Bill Winters is the starting second baseman and leadoff hitter for the Brick Township baseball team after playing mostly in a utility role a year ago.

Rob Mahler, who graduates this year after an All-Shore career that earned him a scholarship to the University of Delaware, was the county javelin champion for the track and field team a year ago. He is competing again this spring and defends his title this week. In fact, he is coached in that event by Bob Acosta, a football assistant coach who has experience elsewhere as a former high school track and field head coach.

“I love football, but it’s crazy thinking about it 365 days a year and spending almost every day in the off-season in the weight room,” said Mahler. “It’s good to get your mind off it for a while. Track helps you stay in shape, and playing other sports makes you a better athlete.”

Another at Brick Township is Tim Boeni, who is one of the best in the Shore in the triple jump and high jump. He also has played as a defensive back for the football team.

Brick Memorial pitcher Chris James reconsidered playing baseball during tryouts so he could concentrate on his blossoming football career as the starting quarterback, but decided to return to the baseball team within a week as it nears qualifying for postseason tournaments for the first time in many years.

James also kept busy during the winter season as a member of the school’s ice hockey team.

“Just a few of the boys aren’t doing what we want because they have to work or have other obligations, which is understandable,” said Wolf.

Wolf was honored in Salisbury, N.C., over the weekend as one of a select group of coaches receiving an award during USA Football and National Sportswrit-ers Association Hall of Fame weekend. He is the first from New Jersey to receive the NSSA-USA Football Champions Award as the 17th winningest coach on the all-time national list.

Wolf was unable to make the event, but accepted an invitation to the USA Football’s Huddle 2005, a confab with representatives from the NFL, in Orlando, Fla., June 24-25. It won’t be long after that when he will prepare for the upcoming season, coming off a 5-5 campaign that included another NJSIAA playoff berth.

“We have a young ball club [for this fall],” said Wolf. “We have a number of boys who will be juniors who we’re planning on. They played their own schedules last year, and having that experience helps them advance to the varsity level, although some played on the varsity level [as well] because of injuries.”

The incoming juniors last season played on the junior varsity and/or sophomore teams that each went 5-5. The freshman team was 8-1.