When Juan Garcia took over the Marist High School football program last year, he looked at it as a golden opportunity.
After all, Garcia was getting a chance to be a head football coach at a very young age, just 27 years old. It was a football program with a good tradition, once a state champion (1994 Non-Public Group 2). It was the chance of a lifetime for a Jersey City kid who worked his way up through the coaching ranks to get the shot at running his own program.
However, no one, especially Garcia, could have ever imagined all that has transpired over the past 15 months. It’s almost too hard to believe.
First, almost a year ago to the date, Kylin Pohill, a freshman lineman, collapsed while playing basketball on a day off from school and subsequently died. Pohill was only 14 years old.
Then, just three weeks later, the Royal Knights’ best player, D’Ondre Robinson, was severely injured during Marist’s NJSIAA state playoff game against St. Joseph of Hammonton. It was later revealed that Robinson had a blood clot on his brain and he spent considerable time in a Philadelphia hospital.
Finally, in the offseason, several of the Royal Knights’ top players who were thought to be returning ended up leaving the school and transferring to other schools. For example, Torrence Williams went to St. Anthony and Marcus Dunn and the biggest prize Steven Harper ended up at Hudson Catholic.
Harper, now a junior, was considered to be the best junior linebacker in the entire state.
All of it could have been devastating to any young coach, but Garcia just kept plugging along.
“I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn’t think all of the other stuff would have happened,” Garcia said. “I didn’t think it would be this hard. But I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t give up. I have to make sure I find the positive things and keep looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.”
When Garcia learned of the mass exodus of his returning players, he didn’t know what to think.
“I was really upset,” Garcia said. “I wanted to keep all three of them with us.”
Williams, who incredibly scored five touchdowns in the St. Anthony win over Snyder last weekend, is gone, as are Harper and Dunn.
“We had 35 kids on the team last year and 21 of them left,” Garcia said. “I thought we would have had a good team this year.”
There is some good news to report. Robinson has recovered from the blood clot and is currently playing at prep school Milford Academy. He is looking to transfer to a four-year college next semester.
Garcia knew that he could never replace Robinson, who collected almost 6,000 total yards of offense during his time at Marist.
But Garcia has gone with a running back-by-committee routine, with four different backs combining to rush for almost 2,000 yards.
Senior Keshawn Green has compiled 575 yards, while junior John Adrian has emerged as the team’s leading rusher with 640 yards.
Promising sophomore Isaiah Gordon, who is already considered among the top second-year players in the state, and senior Qadir Hunter have all been getting time in the Royal Knights’ backfield.
Senior Myer Armstrong is the team’s quarterback. Armstrong started a few games at QB last year.
“I told the other kids who didn’t have varsity experience that they had to step up,” Garcia said. “We couldn’t worry about who wasn’t here. We had to focus on the ones who were here. We still had games to play. We had to keep fighting.”
The Royal Knights lost their first five games of the 2014 season and things looked very bleak.
“We had to stay the course,” Garcia said. “We couldn’t give up.”
Last week, the Royal Knights defeated Dickinson, 42-38, for their second win in the last three weeks. Incredibly, with a 2-6 record, the Royal Knights are headed to the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 1 state playoffs.
“We have been thinking about the playoffs since we beat Snyder,” Garcia said. “We knew we had to win against Dickinson and we did. We had to make sure we won the game. It was good that we got that win.”
As for what has transpired for Garcia?
“I guess I can thank God that it didn’t happen all at once,” Garcia said. “I’ve been blessed to be able to keep working, keep pushing. Sometimes, things happen and life does get hard. But it’s behind us now. The most rewarding part was getting that win. I know I’m going to keep on going and do what I like to do.”
It’s great to see someone has the wherewithal to get through all the adversity and keep moving in the right direction…
The NJSIAA state football playoff picture is a lot clearer after last week’s action.
North 1, Group IV: Union City appears headed for the second seed and a first-round game with Ridgewood. North Bergen looks to be the fourth seed and will play host to familiar state playoff foe Hackensack. With its loss last week, Memorial has been eliminated from playoff contention.
North 2, Group I: Hoboken will get a home game as the third seed facing Bound Brook. Weehawken and Secaucus are out.
North 2, Group II: Lincoln is in, but the Lions’ playoff fate will be determined this weekend when Madison faces Hanover Park. Both of those teams are in the same bracket and have clinched berths like the Lions.
Non-Public Group 1: St. Anthony is the third seed and will face Newark Academy. Marist is in as the No. 7 seed and will travel to face St. Mary’s of Rutherford.
Non-Public Group 2: Hudson Catholic makes a return trip to the playoffs and will play host to Immaculata. One thing is for sure. Caven Point Cochrane Stadium will be busy next weekend, with Hudson Catholic, Lincoln and St. Peter’s Prep all playing there.
Non-Public Group 4: The aforementioned Marauders of Prep earned the top seed and will face St. Joseph of Metuchen in the first round.
It will be a busy weekend of football next week for the locals.
Hudson Reporter H.S. Football Top Five: 1. St. Peter’s Prep (7-1). 2. Union City (6-2). 3. North Bergen (6-2). 4. Lincoln (7-1). 5. Hudson Catholic (7-1)…–Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.