SCOREBOARD

As he begins his 17th year as the head football coach at Secaucus High School, Charlie Voorhees knows that his 16th campaign was a complete aberration.
After all, the Patriots have been traditionally a strong and winning program even before Voorhees took over, long before Voorhees became the athletic director at the school. So for Secaucus to endure a 2-8 campaign, like the Patriots had a year ago, was a complete change of pace.
“Last year, the injuries we had were just devastating,” Voorhees said. “That was the hardest part for me. I remember one game, looking down the sidelines, looking to see if we had someone who could go into the game and I realized we just didn’t have any bodies to go in. That was one of the toughest coaching challenges I ever had. I wondered what we were going to do. We simply just ran out of people.”
Voorhees said that the injury woes got so bad at one point that he was worried about the status of his entire program.
“It got really scary at one point,” Voorhees said. “I was looking to see what kind of kids we had in the building, see what we had left.”
Therein lies the real reason for the uncharacteristic losing season for the Patriots.
Now, Voorhees turns the page on the lost year and looks towards the future.
“It’s all about whether we can make things happen like we’ve always done in the past,” Voorhees said. “We can honestly say we don’t change anything. We’re going to go with what we have, like we have done traditionally. We have the potential to do what most of the Secaucus teams have done in the past. I think we’re going to be in the mix. I think we’re going to compete.”
Which means that everyone involved with Secaucus football can put the entire 2014 campaign in the rearview mirror.
“We have a little bit of depth,” Voorhees said. “We have a good influx of new people. We have others who know the deal.”
One of the returning players who definitely knows the score is senior quarterback Narayan Iyer (5-10, 170). Iyer has been the starter at quarterback for the last three seasons.
“He’s the go-to guy,” Voorhees said. “He’s a three-year starter. That alone says enough. We don’t need him to do too much. He’s solid back there.”
Another key returnee is senior running back Evander Pons (5-9, 180), who had some moments of brilliance last season, despite the team’s tough record.
“He’s a tough guy and a good runner,” Voorhees said of Pons, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark last season. “Without a doubt, Secaucus teams have been successful when we run the football. He fits the mold of the Secaucus running back. He reminds me a lot of [former Secaucus standout running back] Joey [Impreveduto]. They have a similar build and run the same way.”
Pons also scored 11 touchdowns last year, which says a lot, considering the Patriots didn’t score a ton of touchdowns last season.
Senior Adam Rodriguez (5-8, 170) and junior Anthony Avoletta (5-9, 175) are two other capable backs that will get their share of carries in the Patriots’ running attack.
The wide receivers are senior Jovan Ramos (5-8, 165) and junior Jeter Artiles (5-9, 165). Artiles is named after the former New York Yankees shortstop and captain. He’s also sick of being asked that.
The tight end is promising sophomore Kerry Mitchell (6-2, 200), who has all the tools to be a very good one.
The offensive tackles are senior Jonathan Logan (6-2, 220), who is playing organized football for the first time, and junior Saummy Duran (6-2, 220).
The guards are senior Amaury Brito (5-10, 200), a returning starter, and senior Yash Mahant (5-9, 190). Sophomore Cesar Quinones (5-10, 200), who is the brother of former Patriots J.L. Castellanos and Carlos Quinones, is the starting center.
Defensively, the Patriots employ a 3-4 alignment, with Mahant and senior Luciano DiGiorgio (5-9, 210) at defensive end and Quinones at the nose guard.
The outside linebackers are Brito and Avoletta, with Pons and senior Andrew Beato (5-7. 170) at the inside linebacker.
Rodriguez and Artiles are the cornerbacks, with Iyer at safety with juniors John Mastropietro (6-0, 170) and Jaden Gonzalez (5-9, 165).
The Patriots open their season this weekend against St. Mary’s of Rutherford at home at the high school. Just be prepared that the school is undergoing major renovations with a new gym being built, so parking will be a premium for home games.
But Voorhees is excited.
“I think these guys will play well together,” Voorhees said. “We have tough games to start the season [St. Mary’s and Becton Regional], so we’re going to have it all going right away.”
Having a veteran backfield with players like Iyer and Pons certainly helps. The Patriots will certainly be much improved this season. Those 2-8 seasons are things of the ancient past.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com
You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.