Green Dragons aim for a return to postseason
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

CHRIS KELLY staff Brick Township's Joe Cusanelli will be among the Green Dragons' featured offensive weapons once again this season, as head coach Warren Wolf's team looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2005 campaign.

Brick Township's football team will have a different look this season when it takes the field at Middletown North on Friday for its season opener.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

For one thing, the team will have a new offense with a new quarterback.

And many of the players will double on defense, unlike last season when most of the players played only on one side of the ball.

"That was a mistake on my part," said coach Warren Wolf of using players only one way.

As for the new offense, players spoke about it with excitement and Wolf agreed that scouting reports on his team will be different from last year when the team missed making the NJSIAA playoffs for what is believed to be the first time in school history. The Green Dragons had a rare losing record at 4-6, but late in the season scored a 35-13 NJSIAA consolation playoff victory over East Brunswick. Last year's team had a 207-178 scoring edge.

"I would say so," said Wolf about whether his team will run a new offense. "We'll play two backs and sometimes one back in the backfield."

"It's going to be very different," said junior veteran running back Joe Cusanelli, who saw a lot of action last year along with senior Matt Ciccinello. Junior F.J. Lucchetti, who comes off an outstanding baseball season as a pitcher and first baseman, will look to contribute more with running the ball this season, along with senior Anthony Nardone and junior Will Calabro, who saw spot duty last fall.

As for the defense, Wolf said it "will be multiple with a four-man front."

Wolf said the players "have been working very hard" in the offseason and preseason, and in two scrimmages "we pretty much held our own."

Sophomore Jordan Roschala is the frontrunner to replace graduated Bill Winters at quarterback, and Wolf appears pleased with his progress. Ken Brancaccio, a senior, also is contending for a playing time at quarterback.

"We're not quite where we want to be [on offense] but hope to be there on Friday night," said Wolf.

Returning starting center Dan Atheras spoke highly of Roschala at quarterback.

"When you see him on the field pulling the ball and bootlegging on the other side from the blockers and scoring a touchdown, it's amazing," said Atheras.

"If he plays how he can, he's an awesome player," said junior Kurt Loftus, a returning free safety who is looking for more playing time at slotback for this season.

Wolf, who begins his 49th season as the state's winningest coach with a 345-108-11 record, faces a challenging schedule as the team returns to the Shore Conference Constitution Division after playing in the American Division the past two seasons.

The schedule includes Lacey, Howell, Manalapan, Toms River South and Colts Neck in the first meeting ever between the two schools. The nonconference foes include Southern and Toms River North and Brick Memorial, with the latter team reaching the NJSIAA Group IV Central Jersey championship game for the second time in three seasons. Six teams on the schedule were playoff teams a year ago, including Howell, Southern, Toms River North, Manalapan and Shore Conference Constitution Division co-champions Lacey and Brick Memorial.

Brick Memorial won last year's Thanksgiving meeting between the two schools, 35-22, its fourth victory in five games over Brick Township, which still leads the series, 17-6-1.

Brick Township also had two scrimmages against solid opponents, but lost a third one late last week because of inclement weather, and Wolf said the team "has been holding its own."

Along with a different look on the field, the players feel there is a different mental attitude this year as well after last year's team lost four games by a combined 13 points. Among the graduates are Nick Cusanelli, a running back and linebacker who earned the Most Valuable Player award and defensive award, and has joined Winters at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Florham Park. Defensive back Sean McPherson, wide receiver A.J. Perrotti, lineman Steve Glowacki and kicker Chris Hine also are graduated.

"We feel we have to prove something," said Scott Davis, a senior veteran wide receiver and defensive end.

"Last year, we emotionally broke down, so this year we'll be underdogs every game," said senior middle linebacker Vin Marra, who also has played some fullback.

"We're a lot more focused and we're more of a family," said senior Andrew Casella, a middle linebacker and fullback. "There's more cohesion. We have to bring back the tradition and pride."

The receivers, along with Davis and Loftus, include Frank Giambrone, Jared Page and Anthony Lauger, who also is the punter. Davis is the kicker.

Atheras and David Concadora return on the line and are joined by many linemen who move up from junior varsity, including Brandon Betzel, George Krauzser, Andrew Cole and Anthony Chadwick. Most will go both ways on the defensive line, with Chris Carroll and Jeff Melia, who also have looked sharp on defense.

Junior John Fritzsch also has looked good at linebacker, while top candidates for the secondary with Loftus include Nardone, Lucchetti, Lauger, Brancaccio and Roschala.

"We have the players to do it," said Cusanelli. "We just simply have to go out there and run and hit."