Pop Warner teams ready to tackle another season

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

They started practices three days later because of the hot weather, but the Brick Dragons and Brick Memorial Mustangs will be in top form when the Jersey Shore Pop Warner Football League teams go head-to-head in the Friendship Bowl at Veterans Memorial School Field next Saturday.

The Midgets, which is the highest weight division, play at 8 p.m. on Saturday after Brick Memorial Mustangs Junior Midgets take on the Toms River Indians at 5:30 p.m. The Dragons do not have a Junior Midget team this season because of a shortage of numbers on that level. A Pee Wee clash launches the tripleheader.

The Brick Dragons program that competed in the Hudson County League, meanwhile, has suspended its franchise for this season amid financial concerns.

"Things are going really well," said Ted DiGuilmi, who has served as president of the Mustangs organization for the past three seasons. "The Midgets will be a whole new team because most of the players went up to the high school."

The Junior Midgets, on the other hand, have many returning players from last year's team that made the playoffs under coach Mike DiGuilmi (Ted's brother). The Mustangs Pee Wees Gold team under coach Ed Kenmure reached the Jersey Shore Pop Warner playoff finals where they lost a heartbreaker to the Point Pleasant Elks after two touchdowns were called back. Kenmure moves up as defensive coach of the Junior Midgets team and Anthony Fontana takes over as coach of the Pee Wee Gold. Tom Sindle coaches Pee Wee Green.

The Mustangs Mighty Mite Gold and White teams should have competitive seasons after each lost only once last season and many players return to the Mighty Mites Black team.

The Junior Pee Wee Green team narrowly missed making the playoffs last season. Ken Cooke coaches that team. Ed Marinello coaches the Junior Pee Wee Black squad.

Dave Francese, the new president of the Dragons program, has busily organized the 13 teams in the program which accommodates 275 boys as well as 210 girls, who are cheerleaders or members of the dance teams and is excited about their early progress while preparing for the season.

The Mustangs have 315 boys playing in the program and 275 girls as cheerleaders. That sets both programs as serving 1,075 youngsters in the township, including 590 who play football.

The program especially prides itself on the success of its cheerleading teams as the Junior Pee Wee girls squads finished third in the nationals last season under coach Nancy Skoog.

Al Melchionna is back as head coach of the Dragon Midgets, which serves youngsters up to 150 pounds and 15 years of age. The team just missed the playoffs last season.

The Junior Pee Wee Green was the last team to finish its season in the township, getting all the way to the Pop Warner regional playoffs before losing. Barry Lindenbaum coaches the Junior Pee Wee Green.

As for the other coaches, Tony Cuccinello works with the Pee Wee team on practices at Drum Point Complex as teams prepare for the league's Sept. 2 opening day. Kevin Matthews coaches the Pee Wee White team while there are four Mighty Mite and three flag football teams, bringing the total in the Dragons program to 13 teams. Mighty Mites coaches include Shawn Scott of the White team, Tom Holland of the Green team, Jim Keefe of the Black team and Rick Hawkins of White II.

Scott, Jerry Bench and Cathy Lindenbaum are vice presidents on the board of directors. Dan Lyon is treasurer, Mark Caselli is recording secretary and John Crescenzo is corresponding secretary. Along with coaching the Pee Wee White team, Matthews is parliamentarian and Joe Bilotta is league representative. Team parent coordinators are Tina Sherry and Tracey Wojtaszek.

With the league mandating 10 hours of practice a week, Francese and the Dragon administrators decided to have practice for two- and-a-half hours a day on Mondays and Thursdays. In the past, it would have practice five weekdays at two hours each day.

"This frees up their Fridays so they can have time with their families and maybe get away on vacation weekends," said Francese.

The Mustangs open their season against Howell, while the Dragons have a staggered opening-day schedule. The Dragons Midgets play host to Hazlet on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. The Pee Wee and Junior Pee Wee White teams play Freehold as do the Mighty Mites Black Green and White II teams. The Junior Pee Wee Green plays Wall and the Mighty Mites White team takes on a team from the Brick Mustangs program.