NJ football preview: Can Hillside hold onto BCC Patriot Silver Division crown?

With kickoff for the 2023 NJSIAA football season coming Aug. 25, storylines abound in the Big Central Conference. Here's a look at the league's Patriot Silver Division squads and what to expect this fall.

Hillside

Despite the graduation of a pair of D1 running backs who each ran for 1,000 yards as juniors, a quarterback who passed for 13 touchdowns last fall and ran for six more, and a generational talent on defense, the Hillside High School football team expects to compete for a sixth consecutive divisional title and seventh consecutive winning season.

“It’s a work in progress, it’s going to be a new team,” said Barris Grant, 56-17 in his seven campaigns as the program’s head coach. “There’s a lot of talent here but we have to do a good job of building a team.”

Hillside was 9-2 and advanced to the sectional title game last year. Grant credits his staff with getting meaningful reps for last year’s underclassmen, which should expedite their learning curve.

The Comets don’t rebuild, they reload, as evidenced by their 52-11 record over the last six seasons, which includes four trips to sectional finals and three titles. This will be the first campaign since 2017 that none of the Comets will own a sectional title jacket and this group wants to enhance its collective wardrobe.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Central Jersey football players to watch for 2023

That challenge is exacerbated by the fact that Hillside will once again compete in North Group 3, where it ranks 29th out of 31 schools in enrollment — a disadvantage the Comets have to overcome once again. Hillside compensates for its limitations with manpower, and a lot of it.

“We’re a brotherhood and we all play together and come together if we need anything,” senior two-way starter Marcus White said. “We’re happy here, it’s a good place for young guys.”

The veteran core will be buoyed by the arrival of another talented crop of underclassmen from the school’s undefeated freshman and junior varsity teams. While graduation stripped 87% of Hillside’s 2,442 rushing yards from a year ago, all of the receivers and three offensive linemen return.

Grant still intends to rely on a two-pronged running attack with junior Chibugo Chigozie-Nwosu and junior Talibi Kaba, who delivered 115 yards on 18 carries between them last year. Kaba has offers from Boston College, Iowa State and Duke, the coach said, while Grant cited Chigozie-Nwosu as the team’s hardest worker coming into this season.

A decision on replacing Caleb Salters at quarterback remains, and Grant deferred on naming the candidates as camp opened in early August.

“The strength of this team is going to be the perimeter, our receivers and our DBs. Those guys are the returning starters,” said Grant. “Last year we were really young in the receiving position so we relied on the running game. We’re not married to the pass, we’re not married to the run, so it’s going to be exciting.”

BCC FREEDOM SILVER PREVIEW: NJ high school football preview: Big Central Conference Freedom Silver Division

BCC FREEDOM GOLD PREVIEW: NJ high school football preview: Big Central Conference Freedom Gold Division

All four receivers return and all four patrol the secondary as well. Al-Jamir Davis led the team in receptions (31) and receiving yards (445) in his first varsity campaign as a junior, while White contributed 19 catches for three touchdowns and led the squad with five interceptions. Sophomore Kamari Robinson, who accounted for 37 touchdowns competing at the freshman and junior levels last fall and took off for an 80-yard jaunt for the varsity, joins the veteran receivers group.

UConn commit Diego Rodriguez returns at left tackle along with three-year starter Leo Harris at center and two-way starter Yani Cajuste up front, giving the Comets seven starters back on offense.

“I think this is going to be a very violent and very athletic O line,” said the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Rodriguez. “One of the biggest things, in comparison to last year’s O line, we are very athletic. We’re going to perform. I think we’re going to have a great season.”

The gaudy numbers compiled by the offense tended to overshadow a dominant defense that posted three shutouts and limited two other foes to a single touchdown.

“Our defense is everything,” said strong safety McNaully Erminal. “You can’t win without defense and we take a lot of pride in that. All we do is win. The plan this year is to go undefeated and win the chip and bring it all home.”

You don’t see many Union County players recruited by Big 12 schools, but linebacker Zaimir Hawk has taken his immense talents to Iowa State. Grant said that replacing Hawk is “impossible.”

But Hawk didn’t lead the defense in tackles — Erminal did with 110. With White, the leader in interceptions, joining him at free safety, the Comets have a pair of veteran playmakers to rely on in the back line of the defense.

Hillside will have to replace its entire linebacker group, the heart of last year’s stifling defense.

Hillside boasts 14 graduates playing in college, including last year’s prolific running-back tandem of Kyon Simonson (Army) and Mu Parkman (Syracuse). Six members of this year’s team have received Division I interest, including junior DB Darren Ikinnagbon, who already has four offers.

At Hillside, they don’t just do jackets, they do caps and gowns as well.

“You would think that success makes you stagnant, but that’s not where we’re at here,” Grant surmised. “People look at us differently. We went to the ones being chased and, if you’re being chased, you have an option: You can slow down or speed up. We want to speed up at all times.”

New Providence

New Providence came into last season determined to maintain a level of success, despite graduating a big senior class that included two of the best players ever to don a Pioneers uniform. But instead of resetting and rebuilding after a 2021 campaign that finished 9-2, they went 5-5 last season, despite playing the toughest schedule the program had faced in years.

Now, with a huge senior-led group of returners, stocked with varsity experience, there’s no reason not to expect New Providence to take a big step forward.

“This group of seniors played a ton last season and got invaluable experience against some great programs,” New Providence coach Chet Parlavecchio Jr. said. “They understand what they need to do in order to compete at this high level on a weekly basis. We just need to focus on ourselves and continue to get better and pay attention to the details and fundamentals. If we can do that and put that together with some great senior leadership, we believe we can have a great season.”

Junior TJ Munn, who took over at quarterback late last season, returns under center and will operate an attack that will feature a host of senior playmakers, including receivers Jackson Zarinko, Matt Botvinis, Eric Dowden and Matt Barlow, running back Ben Gullo, and tight end Sean Donnelly.

“For us to have a successful season offensively, it will be important to try get all these guys the ball,” Parlavecchio said. “This talented group each have something very unique that they bring, and if we can get all these guys involved in the offense, I believe that sets us up for a lot of success going forward.”

Senior veterans Gabe DeLuca, Cam Sheeran and Matt Perillo lead the offensive line, with promising junior newcomers Jameson Moore and Sam Sicoli joining the unit.

The Pioneers return all but one player on defense, including five seniors who have played since their sophomore seasons and one — interior lineman Matt Perillo — who has played since his freshman campaign.

Ends Donnelly and Barlow join Perillo as the key guys on the D-line, with senior Jack Verabo anchoring the linebacking corps. Botvinis and Zarinko lead the secondary.

Roselle

Roselle was one of the feel-good stories of last year’s stretch drive, shaking off an 0-4 start — three by a touchdown or less — to win eight straight games, including the South 2 Invitational consolation title. And despite graduating 11 two-way starters, coach Ibrahim Halsey said the Rams are optimistic.

The biggest graduation hit came on offense, where team MVP Nafee Finney, second-team All-Conference standout Emmanuel Lyles, and classmate Samir Rivet left a hole that totaled over 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns a year ago. Roselle does return senior quarterback Nasir Baker, with junior transfer Brandon Puryear pushing for snaps. Senior back Ajani Phillips, who Halsey said runs with tremendous vision and has good balance and is primed for a breakout campaign, gets first crack at filling Lyles’ shoes in the backfield.

While the coach said the overall lack of experience at the skill positions will be an area of concern, his offensive line is poised to be as good as any it will face this year. The Rams did lose four-year starting lineman Jaydin Fils-Aime, but the coach said his club is more experienced and athletic up front, led by seniors Timothy Porter — last year’s team defensive MVP and a third-team All-Conference honoree — along with senior Rahkeim Sheppard, Travon Clark and three-year starter Owen Delice.

The interior will be the strength of the defense, Halsey said. Porter should lead at inside linebacker, with Sheppard, Delice, and fellow seniors Richmond Johnson and Prague Luc also expected to have an impact. Hervinho Vilaire is back at kicker after a standout freshman season.

Metuchen

For Metuchen, it’s great for a team to have those lunch pail offensive linemen, the gritty, blue-collar type of players who simply show up every day and go to work.

It’s also good for them to have company while eating lunch.

The Bulldogs look to have up to an eight-man rotation on the offensive line for the first time in a while. That depth, along with the entire backfield, quarterback and top defenders returning, has given them hopes for a strong season.

Second-year head coach Jordan Leitner, the school’s record-holder for career passing yards and touchdowns, hopes to compete and win games with a “TEAM effort.”

Those big guys up front are an ideal starting point. Leitner called them the heart and soul of the team. The linemen are led Ben Michaliszyn (Jr., OG/LB), Tyler Haynes (Sr., RT/DE), Michael Montemurno (Jr., LT/DE) and Kyle Johnston (Jr., LG/LB). A trio vying for time at center are Kyone Lee (Sr.), Landon Perez (Jr., DT) and Avery Torres (So., DE).

They should open plenty of holes for junior Evan Toth (SS), who led the Bulldogs with 706 rushing yards on 105 carries and 11 TDs and had 1,003 all-purpose yards in 2022. He added 47 tackles on defense and a fumble recovery.

Seniors Cody Cardillo (H-Back) and Matt Flood (RB/CB) — a four-year varsity letter winner — also racked up yards and the coaches are finding more ways to get them the ball.

Senior John Bolesta (QB/DB) produced around 1,000 combined passing and rushing yards last fall. Sophomore Kyle McPartlan has also been taking first-team reps under center.

While Metuchen is young at receiver, sophomores Cameron Hayes-Durina (S) and Justus Leitner (CB) are looking to make an impact with their big-play ability.

On defense, Kyone Lee looks to clog up the middle at nose tackle with his skill and size. Cardillo (71 tackles, 5 TFL in 8 games) and Michaliszyn (82 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack) lead the way at linebacker. Senior kicker Daniel Cordes averaged 42.3 yards per punt last season.

Alex Antiporda (Sr., RB/DE) is one of the leaders on and off the field, Leonard Drumetski (Sr., TE/DE) is another top returning letterwinner and Jason Woods (Jr., WR/LB) is a newcomer to watch.

Johnson

A.L. Johnson made some nice strides last season, shaking off four straight losing campaigns by going 6-3 and advancing to the playoffs. The goal is to build on that in 2023. The Crusaders lose some key guys to graduation, including second-team All-Conference lineman Steven McCaffery, but quarterback Robert Gallagher heads a solid list of returners ALJ will be looking for to help the program take the next step.

Simeon Pincus has been covering NJ sports since 1997. He can be reached at SPincus@GannettNJ.com. Follow him on Twitter @SimeonPincus.

Andy Mendlowitz can be reached at AMendlowitz@NJPressMedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Andy_Mendlowitz

Follow Josh Rosenfeld on Twitter @JoshPRosenfeld

BCC PATRIOT SILVER AT A GLANCE

A.L. JOHNSON CRUSADERS

• Head coach: Anthony DelConte, 10th season (43-43)

• Assistants: Chris DINucci (DC), Mark Ciccotelli (OC), Jim Brown (WR/DB), Donnt Zsac (RB/LB), Anthony Borg (Freshmen), Tyler Beck (Freshmen), Ryan Koppel (freshmen).

• State classification: South Group 2

• League: Big Central Conference Patriot Silver Division

• Colors: Blue and white

• Offensive formation: Triple option

• Defensive formation: 3-3

2022 results (6-3 overall, 2-2 in Patriot Silver)

• Governor Livingston, W 42-6

• Bound Brook, W 42-0

• Metuchen, W 38-0

• Roselle, W 14-6

• New Providence, L 27-14

• Hillside, L 38-7

• Spotswood, W 44-0

• South River, W 35-9

• Pleasantville in playoffs, L 25-7

2023 schedule

• 8/31-Governor Livingston, 4 p.m.

• 9/8-Bound Brook, 7 p.m.

• 9/14-at Metuchen, 2 p.m.

• 9/22-Roselle, 7 p.m.

• 9/29-New Providence, 7 p.m.

• 10/7-at Hillside, 1 p.m.

• 10/14-at Spotswood, 1 p.m.

• 10/20-South River, 7 p.m.

HILLSIDE COMETS

• Head coach: Barris Grant, eighth season (54-17)

• State classification: North Group 3

• League: Big Central Conference Patriot Silver Division

• Colors: Maroon and grey

2022 results (9-2 overall, 4-0 in BCC Patriot Silver, division champ)

• Bernards, W 35-20

• Metuchen, W 45-0

• Roselle, W 28-0

• New Providence, W 42-7

• St. Thomas Aquinas, L 17-7

• A.L. Johnson, W 38-7

• Delaware Valley, W 35-14

• Carteret, W 31-0

• Parsippany Hills W 33-28 in playoff opener

• River Dell W 33-13 in sectional semi

• Old Tappan L 28-14 in North 1 Group 3 final

2023 schedule

• 9/2-Bernards, 1 p.m.

• 9/9-Metuchen, 1 p.m.

• 9/15-at Roselle, 6 p.m.

• 9/22-at New Providence, 7 p.m.

• 9/30-St. Thomas Aquinas, 1 p.m.

• 10/7-A.L. Johnson, 1 p.m.

• 10/13-at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.

• 10/20-at Carteret, 7 p.m.

METUCHEN BULLDOGS

• Head coach: Jordan Leitner, second season (3-7)

• Assistants: Scott Leitner (QB/LB/OC), Lonnie Rawles (OL/DL), Marcus Farris (WR/S/DC), Joe DiMeglio (RB/CB), Justin Briggs (RB/LB)

• State classification: South Group 2

• League: Big Central Conference Patriot Silver Division

• Colors: Blue and black

• Offensive formation: Multiple Pro

• Defensive formation: 4-2-5

2022 results (3-7 overall, 0-4 in BCC Patriot Silver)

• Highland Park, W 40-6

• South River, L 28-21

• Hillside, L 45-0

• A.L. Johnson, L 38-0

• Belvidere, W 29-14

• Roselle, L 42-0

• New Providence, L 20-0

• J.P. Stevens, W 21-12

• Dayton, L 27-13

• Spotswood, L 20-0

2023 schedule

• 9/2-at South River, 1 p.m.

• 9/9-at Hillside, 1 p.m.

• 9/14-A.L. Johnson, 2 p.m.

• 9/23-Belvidere, 1 p.m.

• 9/29-at Roselle, 6 p.m.

• 10/6-at New Providence, 7 p.m.

• 10/14-J.P. Stevens, 1 p.m.

• 10/21-Dayton, 2 p.m.

NEW PROVIDENCE PIONEERS

• Head coach: Chet Parlavecchio Jr., seventh season (38-22)

• Assistants: Marc Parlavecchio (OC/QB/DB), Chris Brodeur (WR/DL), Anthony Conzentino (RB/LB), Dan Barletta (TE/DB), Larry Seid (OL/DL), Matt Manns (Freshman HC), Mike Sudberg (Freshmen), Randy Pfahl (Stats).

• State classification: South Group 2

• League: Big Central Conference Patriot Silver Division

• Colors: Green and gold

• Offensive formation: Pro

• Defensive formation: 4-3

2022 results (5-5 overall, 3-1 in BCC Patriot Silver)

• Governor Livingston, W 29-9

• St. Thomas Aquinas, L 49-14

• Roselle, W 21-20

• Delaware Valley, L 33-14

• Hillside, L 42-7

• A.L. Johnson, W 27-14

• Metuchen, W 20-0

• Bernards, L 31-0

• Middlesex, W 26-6

• Willingboro, L 52-7 in playoffs

2023 schedule

• 8/25-at Governor Livingston, 4 p.m.

• 9/1-at St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 p.m.

• 9/8-at Roselle, 6 p.m.

• 9/14-Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.

• 9/22-Hillside, 7 p.m.

• 9/29-at A.L. Johnson, 7 p.m.

• 10/6-Metuchen, 7 p.m.

• 10/13-Bernards, 7 p.m.

• 10/20-at Middlesex, 7 p.m.

ROSELLE RAMS

• Head coach: Ibrahim Halsey, third season (13-10)

• Assistants: Ishmael Medley (DC), Marcus Baisden (OC), Joe Cacho (OL/DL), Jehovah Lubin (OL/DL), Dante Rodriquez (DB/WR), Berkeley Hutchinson (RB/LB), Dejon Sykes (WR/DB).

• State classification: South Group 2

• League: Big Central Conference Patriot Silver Division

• Colors: Red and grey

• Offensive formation: Multiple/spread/gun

• Defensive formation: 40/Even front

2022 results (8-4 overall, 1-3 in BCC Patriot Silver)

• Delaware Valley, L 20-17

• New Providence, L 21-20

• Hillside, L 28-0

• A.L. Johnson, L 14-6

• Metuchen, W 42-0

• Ridgefield Park, W 41-35

• Bound Brook, W 47-6

• Belvidere, W 35-0

• Dayton, W 35-0 in South 2 Invitational

• Bordentown, W 29-7 in South 2 Invitational semifinals

• Haddon Heights, W 40-39 in South 2 Invitational final

• Roselle Park, W 44-2

2023 schedule

• 9/1-at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.

• 9/8-New Providence, 6 p.m.

• 9/15-Hillside, 6 p.m.

• 9/22-at A.L. Johnson, 7 p.m.

• 9/29-Metuchen, 6 p.m.

• 10/6-at Ridgefield Park, 7 p.m.

• 10/13-at Bound Brook, 7 p.m.

• 10/20-Belvidere, 7 p.m.

• 11/23-at Roselle Park, 10 a.m.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Football preview: Big Central Conference Patriot Silver Division