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State of the Program: Westwood football starts title defense with new coach

sean farrell, northjersey.com
·3 min read

At Westwood, the man at the top has changed. The expectation for success has not.

The Cardinals turn the program over to former assistant Bobby Guy, who moves up this season after the retirement of Dennis Hard.

Sometimes a new coach comes in when the cupboard is bare, but that's not the case for Guy. The Cardinals went 11-1 last season, won the American Red title and beat Rutherford in a down-to-the-wire sectional championship game. It was a glorious run for a team that ranked in the top 10 in North Jersey in points scored and allowed.

The Cardinals aren't resting on their laurels after bringing back star quarterback Robbie Carcich and nine starters from an excellent defense. The debut of public state champions last year has changed the mindset for teams of their caliber.

"It used to be you always wanted to win a sectional championship," Guy said. "That's kind of shifted toward winning that final [state] game. We got a taste of it last year with winning the section and then losing to Caldwell in the semifinal. I think it left a bad taste in their mouth. They want to be the best team in Group 2 and so do I."

Robbie Carcich of Westwood celebrates a second half two point conversion with Jack Dugan. Westwood faced Rutherford in the North 1, Group 2 sectional final played at Rutherford on November 12, 2022.
Robbie Carcich of Westwood celebrates a second half two point conversion with Jack Dugan. Westwood faced Rutherford in the North 1, Group 2 sectional final played at Rutherford on November 12, 2022.

Success is just about all they know at Westwood with nine winning seasons over the last 10 years.

Turnout is high again this summer with close to 60 players in the program, even with the freshman class a little light.

Guy is a math and special ed teacher at Westwood who said his transition has gone pretty smoothly. His goal isn't to bring in a new culture, but carry on the resilient spirit from the Hard and Vito Campanile eras.

"I think that's something that we strive for," Guy said. "When adversity hits and tough situations arise, who are we as people? I think that the Westwood culture is ingrained in them at a very young age, to be mentally and physically tough."

The tradition

No public school in Bergen County has won more sectional titles in the 21st century than Westwood (6). Parochial powers Don Bosco and St. Joseph are the only programs with more over that span.

Hard extended a streak last November by becoming the fifth straight Cardinal coach to bring home a sectional title. The others were George DiGrande (2000), Joe Gambardella (2004), Bill Straub (2006) and Campanile (2013, 2014).

Super Bowl champ B.J. Raji headlines the team's alumni base after playing in six NFL seasons.

STATE OF THE PROGRAM: Inside look at every HS football team in North Jersey

The challenge

Westwood has one of the best dual-threat passers in Carcich, who threw for 1,302 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago and came back more vocal as a senior. The challenge is to rebuild the run game and keep the QB upright with three new starters on the offensive line.

Helping matters is the fact that the Cardinals' defense is intact after tying a school record with six shutouts. There's a strong 1-2 punch at corner with seniors Joe Klein and Aidan Carrazana and a dominant duo on the line with Dario Mathurin and four-year starter RJ Ussher.

Dario Mathurin of Westwood knocks the ball loose as Westwood recovers the fumble that set up their first half TD. Westwood faced Rutherford in the North 1, Group 2 sectional final played at Rutherford on November 12, 2022.
Dario Mathurin of Westwood knocks the ball loose as Westwood recovers the fumble that set up their first half TD. Westwood faced Rutherford in the North 1, Group 2 sectional final played at Rutherford on November 12, 2022.

Expectations

Westwood heads into the 2023 season as one of the top teams in North Jersey.

We'll find out a lot in the first two weeks with South Plainfield (8-1) and West Essex (7-4) leading off the schedule.

"We're not the 2022 Westwood Cardinals," Guy said. "We're the 2023 Westwood Cardinals. They have to define themselves with the way they play. I think if we keep that goal in mind of keeping it one practice at a time, one week at a time, one game at a time, and just focus on the task at hand, I think we're definitely going to turn some heads."

2023 schedule

Aug. 25: vs. South Plainfield at Overpeck Park

Sept. 1: vs. West Essex

Sept. 7: vs. Dumont

Sept. 14: at River Dell

Sept. 22: at Mahwah

Sept. 29: vs. Ramsey

Oct. 13: at Lakeland

Oct. 20: vs. Ridgefield Park

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Westwood NJ football starts title defense with new coach