After a rigorous baseball season at Hoboken High School, Joe Radigan decided to take some time off and relax, before heading off to the world of major college football as a punter for Rutgers University in the fall.
"I just took some time off and hadn’t kicked a ball for a while," Radigan said.
So Radigan said he felt a little rusty when he went to workouts last week at Rutgers to play with the New Jersey squad in preparation for the annual Governor’s Bowl.
"I only started kicking again at camp," said Radigan, who averaged about 43 yards per punt for Hoboken last fall, earning All-State honors. "I didn’t want to burn myself out before I got to college."
Well, if his performance in the Governor’s Bowl last Saturday is any indication of what he can do for the Scarlet Knights, then Radigan doesn’t have to concern himself about long preparation periods before kicking in college.
Radigan had a brilliant afternoon, averaging 58 yards per punt, including an 80-yarder and a 70-yarder, keeping New York in bad field position all afternoon long, helping New Jersey gain a 7-0 victory in the game played at Columbia University.
"I know what I’m capable of doing, but I don’t think anyone expects to punt an 80-yarder," Radigan said. "I’m pretty pleased. I think I did pretty well."
Radigan was so impressive that he was under consideration to be selected as the Defensive Player of the Game.
"I was told by one of the coaches that he voted for me," Radigan said. "I was really surprised with how well I did."
All four of Hudson County’s representatives in the game, namely Radigan, Emerson’s fine receiver Miguel Merrick, Memorial’s standout Bryan Durango, who was The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Year for 2001-2002, and Hudson Catholic’s Paul Bauer, all held their own during the game.
Merrick caught five passes for 80 yards in the game, and now heads off later this week to begin his career at the University of Iowa.
"I caught a few, but I wanted to get one in the end zone," said Merrick, who was The Hudson Reporter Football Player of the Year in 2001. "I had a chance on one, but it was a little under thrown. I really wanted to come away with a touchdown, but I’m happy we came away with the win."
Merrick said that he enjoyed the camaraderie he had with the other players on the team, especially during the week of practice at Rutgers.
"It was great to go up against athletes of that caliber," Merrick said. "They were all players going to big name colleges. Meeting them was very cool. Working out and being with them can only make me better and definitely get me ready for college. I really had a lot of fun."
Durango, who played linebacker in the game and will become a free safety in college, said that he was disappointed in the way he performed. He will join Radigan at Rutgers in a few weeks.
"I wasn’t used to going in and out of the game, so that disappointed me," Durango said. "I trained very hard to get ready. These athletes were awesome, the best players in New York and New Jersey. It was a great experience for me, a good learning experience. Our
defense did a great job in shutting New York out. I’m really proud of that."
Durango said that it was a good experience for him, because he got to see firsthand what his life will become in a few weeks, when he returns to Piscataway, this time for good.
"I got to meet a lot of my new teammates," Durango said. "They’re a bunch of great guys, so this gave me a little taste of what I’m headed for."
Bauer, who will attend American International College in Springfield, Mass., with fellow Hudson County standouts Ralph Pedragon of Hoboken and David Castro of North Bergen, played most of the game at offensive tackle.
"We all got to show New York who’s best," Merrick said.
And that’s coming from a kid who once lived in Syracuse, so he definitely had some state pride on the line.
All in all, it was a great day for New Jersey football – and for four of Hudson County’s finest. – Jim Hague