State of the Program: Saddle Brook football continues to build for a better future
Saddle Brook is building its football program from the middle school and up and the results have been promising.
The Falcons have about three dozen players on their summer roster, and that’s about 10 more than they had at the close of last season and more than double the total of their season finale two seasons ago.
Along the way, Saddle Brook earned a promotion in the NJIC, climbing from the Union Division, which is for programs struggling with participation, to the much tougher Meadowlands Division.
“Last year we got our feet wet, and we understand it’s a huge transition,” said coach Bill Van Kersen, referencing last year’s 1-7 record in the Meadowlands that came after a 7-1 campaign in the Union. “You’re playing a lot of tougher teams, well-coached teams, week in and week out.”
More than two-thirds of Saddle Brook’s roster is freshmen and sophomores, a credit to the town’s recreation program that Van Kersen says, “has been instrumental for us.” Those roughly two dozen ninth and 10th graders are the reason the Falcons hope to also field a junior varsity team this year.
“We want to be able to compete week in and week out,” said Van Kersen, encouraged by the Falcons’ offseason weight training. “We want to be able to put out a JV and varsity program and hopefully make a stride.”
The tradition
Saddle Brook has twice reached a sectional final since the NJSIAA introduced sectional playoffs in 1974. In 1983, the Falcons reached the North 1, Group 1 final. In 1990, they reached the North 1, Group 2 final.
Van Kersen is in his third season and is 8-8, with Saddle Brook capping that 2021 season by capturing the Union Division title. Prior to the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Falcons had a 10-year record of 55-43, with their last playoff appearance in 2016 their last playoff win in 2012.
The challenge
Saddle Brook must develop an extremely young roster and support a new quarterback in sophomore Nikolos Vitiello, who will guide the single-wing attack.
“He’s probably one of the hardest-working kids we have on the football team, hands down,” Van Kersen said. “He has shown up all offseason, all preseason, and he’s put in the mental reps. He is a leader, one of the biggest leaders on the team, which as a sophomore is impressive.”
Expectations
Saddle Brook has a chance to win multiple games, an improvement from last season. The Falcons must stay healthy, as last year’s team was hampered by a string of injuries.
The roster has been bolstered by senior two-way lineman Jayson Jiminez, an out-of-state transfer. Dylan Cerciello joins Vitiello on the list of promising sophomores who saw action as freshmen.
Van Kersen summarized: “If we can fill the gap in with some of these younger kids who are hopefully going to get some experience, and if all goes right and we stay healthy, I think we’re going to be a very, very competitive football team.”
2023 schedule
Aug. 31: at Wallington
Sept. 8: at Hasbrouck Heights
Sept. 16: vs. North Arlington
Sept. 23: at Pompton Lakes
Sept. 30: vs. Hawthorne
Week 6: NJIC TBD
Week 7: NJIC TBD
Week 8: NJIC TBD
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Saddle Brook NJ football continues to build for a better future
