Rich Hansen said that he’s been in this position before, coaching a St. Peter’s Prep football team that was ranked No. 1 in the entire state and placed among the very best high school squads in the entire nation.
“Nothing has changed from our perspective,” said Hansen, whose Marauders opened the 2014 season as the premier team in New Jersey last Saturday with a 35-9 victory over Wise of Maryland. “We haven’t talked about the ranking at all. For us, the expectations are already the same. We’re trying not to let the ranking be a factor in what we do.”
But it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Marauders begin the season as the No. 1 team in New Jersey and ranked as high as No. 12 nationally.
“This is what high school football is all about,” said Hansen, who began his 26th season as the head coach of the Marauders. “We get it. We’ve been doing it for a lot of years now. We’ve been on the big stage. This is what it’s all it’s all about. We’re going to enjoy it.”
And Hansen realizes that the Marauders deserve the gaudy ranking to begin the season.
“It’s safe to say that we’re very good in some positions,” Hansen said. “It’s hard to say if we’re comparable to other teams we’ve had. When you stop talking about potential, then you know you’re good. The No. 1 goal right now is to win a state championship. The ranking is nice. Being No. 1 is nice. It’s not unchartered waters for us. But this is a different challenge for a different team.”
Leading the returnees is senior quarterback Brandon Wimbush (6-2, 210), who has been ranked by some scouting services as the premier quarterback in the country and definitely the top signal caller in the Garden State.
Wimbush has already given a verbal commitment to Penn State and will become a member of the Nittany Lions at this time next year. For now, it’s his job to lead the Marauders to the Promised Land.
“I think he has a year of experience that has helped him,” Hansen said. “He has learned from his mistakes and has a chance to be better than what he was last year.
Wimbush threw for 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns last year. He is also a very talented runner as well, but his strength is throwing the football.
Also returning is senior Minkah Fitzpatrick (6-1, 195), who also has already committed to a major college, giving his word to the University of Alabama. While Fitzpatrick will play defensive back in Tuscaloosa, he’s a two-way stud on the high school level.
“Minkah’s in the backfield, he’s in the slot, he’s everywhere,” Hansen said. “Minkah puts himself in a different place. He’s a fierce competitor. He’s also surrounded by talented people.”
Another talented player in the Marauder backfield is senior Corey Caddle (5-9, 180), who has committed to Fordham. Caddle, also a standout Hudson Reporter All-Area baseball player, has immense talents on the gridiron as well.
Both Fitzpatrick and Caddle can run from the backfield and can run under Wimbush’s passes, making the Marauders extremely difficult to defend.
“Corey is good enough to be what he wants to be,” Hansen said. “He is very talented. He catches the ball well.”
Others in the Marauder backfield include senior Tyler Martino (5-3, 175) and junior Said Boykin (5-9, 190). Hansen said that the Marauders plan to spread the wealth.
The Marauders have a wealth of talent in their receiving corps. Senior Colton Huber (6-1, 195), the younger brother of former Hudson Reporter Defensive Player of the Year Shane, is the most experienced of the receivers, but junior A.J. Gray (6-3, 190) is already being considered as one of the top junior prospects in the state. Senior Dennis James (6-3, 180) is just another talent.
When the Marauders use a tight end, it will be junior Miles Strickland (6-2, 225).
The offensive line was still a work in progress during the season opening win, but senior Dave Tolentino (6-2, 280), who has a host of college offers, including the U.S. Naval Academy, is a fixture, either at tackle or guard.
Sophomore Ben Petrula (6-3, 220) has been moving his way up the depth chart at tackle. Junior Freddie Recio (6-1, 280) is another in the mix at tackle. Senior Jose Palomino (6-2, 285) could play either guard or tackle. Senior Andrew Fennell is solid at guard and senior(6-0, 290) returns as the Marauders’ starting center.
Defensively, the Marauders play a 3-4 front, with Recio and Tolentino seeing time at defensive end and/or nose tackle. Senior Matt Olivera (6-3, 225) is the other starter at defensive end.
Senior Cheyenn Robertson (6-3, 220) is another Marauder who is getting his share of looks from colleges as an outside linebacker, along with senior Tyler Kovac (5-9, 200) and senior Dean Perez (6-2, 205).
Senior Jordan Fox (6-3, 220) is a standout at inside linebacker, where he’s getting looks from prominent schools such as Virginia. Chris Geissler (6-0, 235) is a solid inside linebacker. Geissler is a senior as well.
The cornerbacks are Caddle and senior Ahmad Thomas (5-9, 180), with senior D’Won Walker (6-0, 190), another college prospect, and Fitzpatrick at safety.
The Marauders certainly have a challenging schedule. They were slated to face Bergen Catholic on ESPN last Thursday night after press time, then face Seton Hall Prep and the daunted task of going to central Florida to play the elite IMG Academy on Sept. 26.
But they certainly have the ingredients of making this a fall to remember at Grand and Warren.
“We have experience,” Hansen said. “We have kids who understand what’s coming and how to handle it. They also know now how to handle me. They have the talent, but as a coach, you always like to coach experienced players. There aren’t a lot of unnecessary words, verbiage going on. Sometimes, they even teach me. Those are little things you can’t replicate.”
Hansen said that he’s enjoyed coaching this group.
“It’s been fun coaching these guys,” Hansen said. “It’s going to be a little sentimental coaching them. We’ve all been together for four years. It’s like sending your kids off to college. I want to enjoy the next 11-12 weeks and have a ball trying to get where we want to go.”
The Marauders have been at the pinnacle in state rankings before. They’ve also gone 14 years without losing a single game inside the confines of Hudson County, truly an amazing streak. They might get a little test Oct. 25 when the Marauders take on fellow state-ranked foe Union City, but that remains to be seen.
For now, they’re the cream of the crop in New Jersey. For now. Let’s see where they are come December. For all the incredible success the program has enjoyed, the Marauders have won an NJSIAA state title only three times, in 1989, 1994 and 2005. It’s time for one in this decade.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.
You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.