State of the Program: Wayne Hills football eager to get back to winning ways
Despite a small senior class, Wayne Hills coach Wayne Demikoff believes the Patriots have everything they need to succeed.
“I think we are excited for a couple of reasons; we only have eight seniors but they’re good, some years you may have 25 seniors and they don’t play,” Demikoff said. “We are excited about some of our young talent. We are bringing back some experience. We like the tempo of practice and the way the kids are working. It’s been exciting so far.”
The Patriots return a handful of starters on both sides of the ball. Running back John Mongelli is among the offensive weapons Demikoff expects to use in the backfield. There is currently a two-man competition for the quarterback spot between Jared Santa and Aaron Viray.
Up front, the Patriots bring back three linemen, which is important for a team that likes to control the line of scrimmage.
“Last year, it was about the physical part of the game, blocking and tackling,” Demikoff said. “We have to get better at that, and the experience we have on the line will help us in that regard.”
Although the overall numbers in the program have dipped, it seems like that period is over. Demikoff believes the next few incoming classes will be large.
“We took a step forward last year,” Demikoff said. “We won four regular season games. We made the playoffs. We wanted more − as we always do − but it was certainly a step toward bringing us back to where we want to be.”
The tradition
You can spot some Wayne Hills tradition every Sunday during an FOX NFL broadcast. Top football commentator Greg Olsen is a Wayne Hills alum, and he was a star in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.
Wayne Hills had a record 55-game win streak from 2004-2009, the second longest in New Jersey football history behind Paulsboro (63). The Patriots have won 10 sectional titles, with the last one coming in 2018.
STATE OF THE PROGRAM: Inside look at every HS football team in North Jersey
The challenge
Wayne Hills set the pace for public schools in North Jersey for a long period of time by playing a smart, physical brand of football. The Patriots still play that style, but have been surpassed as a few new powers like Northern Highlands and crosstown rival Wayne Valley.
No one looks at Wayne Hills on their schedule and thinks “Easy W”, but the Patriots haven’t been at the same level for the last two years. Demikoff believes the program is heading in the right direction, but they have some work to do to catch up to the other powers.
Expectations
Eight seniors is a surprisingly low number for an established powerhouse. It could have been because of COVID or concussion concerns, but this is probably the last class that will be in single digits.
Wayne Hills always has high expectations – that’s just who the Patriots are − but getting back to the playoffs and getting a win seems like a reasonable goal for this season.
2023 schedule
Aug. 25: vs. Orange
Sept. 1: at Cardinal O’Hara (Pa.)
Sept. 8: vs. Ramapo
Sept. 14: at North Bergen
Sept. 22: at Wayne Valley
Sept. 29: vs. Hackensack
Oct. 6: vs. Ridgewood
Oct. 13: at Passaic Valley
Oct. 20: at Northern Highlands
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne Hills NJ football eager to get back to winning ways
