High school football summer snapshot: Smaller Shore school ready to take on the giants
At a glance, Raritan High School’s football schedule looks like some kind of a mistake.
The Rockets, who are classified by the NJSIAA as Group 2, are scheduled to open the season against four straight Group 4 opponents. One of them, Manalapan, has double Raritan’s enrollment. All told, the Rockets are slated to face five Group 4 foes, two Group 3s and just one fellow Group 2 (Point Pleasant Borough, in the regular-season finale).
It’s a bizarre and seemingly uneven reshuffling of the deck as Raritan moves “up” a division after going 8-3 last season.
“The Shore Conference was built on the premise of protecting the smaller schools,” Raritan coach Anthony Petruzzi said when asked about the situation. “The people running it don’t think about that anymore. We’ll play our schedule – it is what it is – but you hope that people who are making these decisions are doing things to benefit the kids, which is not happening.”
Petruzzi points out that with a total of 53 players in the program from grades 10 through 12, it’s tough to safely match up in successive varsity and junior varsity contests against a school like Manalapan, which has a roster of 76 for those grades. To deal with a version of that for four straight weeks is exponentially harder.
“We’re going to rally the troops,” Petruzzi said. “We’ve always thought we’re the little engine that could compete with the bigger schools. But we’ve never been in a situation where we have to do that each week. We’re going to see what we’ve got.”
Senior quarterback Logan Goldsberry said big school opponents can underestimate Raritan at their own peril.
“We want to prove we can compete with any school in the Shore Conference, no matter what size,” he said.
To that end, you could fairly say every game is circled on Raritan’s schedule.
“When the schedule first came out and I saw all those big schools, we definitely knew we would have to step up a lot,” senior center Tommy Jeleniewski said. “The size of our school doesn’t define who we are. Other schools may have more (people) than us, but I know we have a lot more heart.”
Offense turns the page
How do you replace a tailback who rushed for 1,667 yards and 21 touchdowns at a small public school? You don’t. But that doesn’t mean Raritan’s offense sputters to a halt with Kieran Falzon now lacing it up for Southern Connecticut State in Division 2.
“Losing a player like Kieran Falzon, a generational talent, is a big loss,” Jeleniewski said. “So far the team is adjusting pretty well.”
Raritan will continue with its run-heavy “flexbone” triple option, perhaps with the wealth spread out more. For starters, Goldsberry is back under center and may carry the mail a bit more himself.
“Logan is looking really good this preseason,” Jeleniewski said. He’s definitely made a jump from last year to this year.”
Goldsberry, who grew up going to Rockets’ games each fall, is coming in confident after helping Raritan reach a sectional final in 2022.
“The experience definitely helps, knowing what to expect on Fridays,” he said. “I want to bring a ring back home to Hazlet.”
Shore Conference Colonial Division
NJSIAA South Group 2
2022 record: 8-3 (4-1)
Playoff history: 19-20, eight sectional finals, two sectional titles
Coach: Anthony Petruzzi, 14th year at Raritan (65-64).
Raritan High School football: Top Performers
Tommy Jeleniewski, Sr., C/NT
Selected as captain by last year’s outgoing seniors, the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Jeleniewski is a three-year starter on both sides of the ball. “He is the foundation of our defense and our offense,” Petruzzi said. “He’s what makes us go.”
Logan Goldsberry, Sr. ,QB
“With a full year under his belt, playing a tough schedule and going through the playoff process, will definitely benefit him as a decision-maker,” Petruzzi said. “He does everything the right way.”
Kyle Walling, Sr., LB
The three-year starter “has a bad taste in his mouth after losing two (straight) sectional championship games,” Petruzzi said, “but at the same time he has played in back-to-back sectional championships, and he’s made a lot of plays for us.”
Raritan High School football: Program Players
Jaxon Tsap, Sr., OT
Last year’s starting right tackle stands 6-foot-6 and is growing into a body that is attracting college coaches’ attention. “He had a good year for us (in 2022),” Petruzzi said. “We’re hopeful he has a great year for us this year.”
Jayden Craft, Sr. CB/WR
Returning starter who “gave us a good one-two punch” out of the slot,” Petruzzi said.
Stephen Moser, Sr., WR
The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder is a three-year starter who “has helped us a lot,” Petruzzi said.
Logan Acevedo, Sr., S
The wrestler is a “captain-type of guy who does it by example,” Petruzzi said.
Raritan High School football: Names to Know
Xavier Nunez, Jr., WR/S
Also a return man, Nunez “can beat you with speed or power,” Petruzzi said. “He’s not afraid to stick his nose in there. He had a great (preseason) camp.”
Matt Jones, Jr., RB
“Right now he’s in the driver’s seat for the tailback position,” Petruzzi said. “When we did sit Kieran (last year), he had some carries for us late in games. He had a very good JV season. The important thing, and he knows it, is he’s just got to be Matt Jones – not Kieran Falzon.”
Hudson Williams, Sr., G/De
Jobby Dekis, Jr. LB/TE
John Jeleniewski, So., LB
Michael Juarez, Jr., WR
Raritan High School football 2023 schedule
Aug. 30: Middletown South, 7 p.m.
Sept. 8: at Red Bank, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15: at Long Branch, 6 p.m.
Sept. 22: Manalapan, 7 p.m.
Sept. 29: at Ocean Township, 7 p.m.
Oct. 7: at Colts Neck, 1 p.m.
Oct. 13: Holmdel, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20: Point Pleasant Borough, 7 p.m.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore football: Raritan High School 2023 preview
