It is currently the oldest public school football program in Hudson County, but for the last five years, Dickinson High School didn’t field a varsity team.
Last year, the program was brought back on the junior varsity level, with former St. Anthony head coach Sean Fallon calling the shots.
This year, the Rams take on the big boys and already have a sense of what that quantum leap from JV to varsity is all about, as the Rams lost their opener to Nazareth of New York, 50-18.
“It’s been a difficult challenge,” said Fallon, who guided St. Anthony to three NJSIAA Non-Public Group 1 state playoff appearances in five years. “When I took the job, I figured it was a Group V school with 2,500 kids. How tough would it be to get 35 kids to play football? But to teach kids a sport that is based on violence and aggression at the age of 15 is not easy. It’s something that has to be learned at 5 years old.
Added Fallon, “For me, the progress going from JV to varsity wasn’t easy. The kids got experience last year that was needed.”
Fallon said that he was “disappointed” in the Rams’ opening game.
“But after we watched the film, we saw that we did some good things,” Fallon said. “We were just athletically challenged. The effort was there. We just didn’t win. I thought we would start off with a win.”
The Rams’ starting quarterback is junior Stephon Sanders (5-8, 160), who was the team’s signal caller on the JV level last fall.
“I like his athleticism,” Fallon said. “He can run the ball and throws it pretty well. He takes care of the ball, which is important in our offense. He’s a good play action passer.”
One halfback is senior Daniel Taylor (5-8, 180), who had 140 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener.
“He has some speed,” Fallon said. “He’s one of a few of our kids who played football before he got to us. He’s also shown good leadership.”
Another halfback is junior Juan Munoz (6-1, 180).
“He’s lanky, but elusive,” Fallon said. “He has good speed.”
The workhorse in the Rams’ Delaware Wing-T offense is fullback Santos Feliz Perez (5-11, 205), a promising sophomore who had 115 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Nazareth.
“In both of our [preseason] scrimmages, he broke long touchdown runs, so he has some breakaway ability,” Fallon said. “He also catches it well.”
The wide receiver is senior Leroy Thomas (6-3, 190), who had three catches in the loss to Nazareth.
“He has good hands and can run under the ball,” Fallon said.
Junior Javier Baez (6-3, 225) is the starter at tight end.
The offensive line features a host of underclassmen, with the exception of senior tackle Bryant Barreno (6-0, 270).
Junior Kassem Darwiche (6-2, 230) is the other tackle, with junior Elias Andino (5-10, 245) and sophomore Zshquan Purcell (5-10, 230) at guard. Purcell may have the most unique first name in the county, but Fallon likes his potential.
“He’s going to be a good one,” Fallon said.
The center is junior Jonathan Bailey (5-10, 235).
Defensively, the Rams play a 4-3 formation, with Baez and Darwiche at defensive end, Barreno and Purcell at defensive tackle.
Feliz Perez and Munoz are at linebacker, along with sophomore David Saldana (5-10, 205).
The secondary is filled with sophomores, with the Some twins, Peter and Paul, both 5-10 and 180 pounds, at the cornerbacks and Lawrence Faulkner (5-10, 170) at safety with Thomas.
The Rams have a week off before facing Belleville Sept. 19.
Despite the outcome in Week One, Fallon likes the idea that Dickinson football is back. It’s a program that produced legendary grid figures as Al Blozis, Ed Franco and the Singer twins way back when. Blozis had his number retired by the New York Giants after he was lost in World War II. Franco was one of the legendary “Seven Blocks of Granite” at Fordham along with Vince Lombardi and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Even in more recent years, there were standouts like “Fly” Ty McClary and Travis Enix who led the Rams to the state playoffs in the late 1980s.
That’s Fallon’s eventual goal.
“It feels good that it’s back,” Fallon said. “There’s an excitement in the school. Football is something that the school should offer. It’s the most popular sport in America. We have more than 2,000 kids in the building. We should have a football team.”
Fallon said that the road back might not be that long.
“We had middle school students in the [Jersey City] Heights that didn’t come to Dickinson because there wasn’t a football team,” Fallon said. “Now, we have 30 freshmen on a freshman team. That’s a big step. I think having football is something that can be a real source of pride in the school and something for everyone to be excited about.”
At least, the program is back. That was the first step. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.