State of the Program: Garfield football hoping to open new stadium in style

The walls of Garfield School Stadium have come down.

The Boilermakers’ goal for 2023 is to build up a playoff-caliber football team once again.

A FieldTurf athletic complex is under construction at Garfield High School and is slated to open in September. Brand new grandstands and a regulation-size track complement the gridiron where coach Pete Santacroce and company will conduct business.

“We’re playing in a new facility, so that’s got everybody excited,” Santacroce said. “And program-wise, we’re returning 13 seniors and a bunch of starters from last year who got a lot of experience as juniors. So, so far this summer, we’ve been looking pretty good.”

Gone are the natural grass surface and concrete walls which were built in the 1940s, as articles from The Record archives show. Santacroce had played for the Boilermakers at the storied stadium before graduating in 2004 – as did pro players Wayne Chrebet (Class of 1991), Luis Castillo (2001) and Miles Austin (2002).

The banners commemorating the Boilermakers’ NFL trio must be relocated, as progress is superseding nostalgia.

“Our track wasn’t official, because it wasn’t oval – and in order to get that oval shape, they had to knock the wall down,” Santacroce said. “Some people are upset about it, but you know… in order for progress to happen, change has to happen.”

The tradition

Garfield’s best football season of all-time, the 1939 state- and (mythical) national-championship campaign, actually predated the stadium.

Still, the old building was home to the North 1, Group 4 champs in 1944, 1945, 1948, 1961 and 1965. Those titles were awarded by the NJSIAA before the state-playoff era began in 1974 – since then, the Boilermakers have reached just one sectional final (North 1, Group 2 in 1979).

Their fortunes have improved in the past decade. After going 11 straight years without climbing over .500, the team has enjoyed six winning records and four playoff bids since 2013.

The challenge

Garfield began last season 0-4, dropping all its NJIC Colonial contests before rallying to win its final four games.

“Again, we’ll have a tough schedule to start the season; we know that,” Santacroce said. “But I think we’ll be a little bit more prepared. Last year, I felt like our best players were juniors, and they got a lot of experience… we should be starting with a better foundation, and we already see that during summer.”

The offense will be altered slightly with a new quarterback, albeit one from the same family. Dual-threat senior Dalton Falone will take over for older brother Glenn, who directed a more pass-oriented attack.

The line gets a boost from three returnees, who’ll be joined by a converted fullback, plus Clifton transfer David Ortiz.

“We’ll be returning what I thought was our three best linemen,” Santacroce said. “And we have a couple of guys on the depth chart that we think can improve as the season gets closer.”

Expectations

The prospects of playing in a brand-new ballpark are one factor behind a spike in participation. As Santacroce spoke, the roster featured 76 players, including 23 freshmen.

“I don’t know if it’ll be that when we get to camp, as little by little, as kids start realizing what football actually is – the newer guys, especially,” the coach said. “But having 76 at this point is the most we’ve had probably since my first year, in 2019.”

That season brought about Garfield’s first state-playoff victory in 40 years. Santacroce indicated that the current squad reminds him of 2019 in certain ways but stopped short of making any postseason predictions.

The first goal on the Boilermakers’ list is to be in the mix for their first division title in 24 years.

“If we do that, then we set ourselves up to enter the playoffs and, hopefully, do what we did a couple years ago and maybe get a win,” Santacroce said.

2023 schedule

Aug. 31: vs. Becton

Sept. 8: vs. Cresskill/Emerson

Sept. 15: at Rutherford

Sept. 22: at Glen Rock

Sept. 30: vs. Lodi

Oct. 6: NJIC game TBD (away)

Oct. 13: NJIC game TBD (home)

Oct. 20: NJIC game TBD (away)

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Garfield NJ football hoping to open new stadium in style