Union City High School head football coach Wilber Valdez realized that his Soaring Eagles had faced the crossroads of their already tough and new-fangled schedule, courtesy of the team’s involvement as part of the New Jersey Super Football Conference.
After wins against West Orange and Dickinson, the trials began.
“We knew that this was the meat of our schedule,” Valdez said. “We knew we were playing Passaic County Tech and Montclair back-to-back, two state-ranked teams.”
Things didn’t start well for the Soaring Eagles, who fell hard to PCT, 40-13.
“We had a sloppy game against PCT,” Valdez said. “We came out of that game a little more focused.”
That’s because the Soaring Eagles have a long-standing history with the Mounties of Montclair.
“It’s not only familiarity, but a sense of rivalry,” said Valdez, whose first game ever as head coach at Union City was a 27-22 loss to Montclair in 2010.
“We get to see each other practically every year,” Valdez said of Montclair, who like the Soaring Eagles, has been one of the mainstays in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group V bracket for ages. “I feel that we get united by that. We put our best foot forward.”
Montclair traditionally has helped to put the union in Union City. There were the two meetings in 2010, to start the season and then a 35-12 setback in the state playoffs.
In 2013, there was the heartbreaking 40-35 loss in the North 1, Group IV semifinals. In 2014, there was the 28-7 loss in the second game of the regular season.
In 2015, there were two games – a 42-34 victory for the Soaring Eagles in September and a 22-14 setback in the North Jersey Section 1, Group V first round.
So the Soaring Eagles took a 1-5 record against Montclair into action last Friday night.
“I told them that the game came down to defense,” Valdez said. “I set a goal that our best defensive team, the 2011 team, gave up less than 10 points per game and this team has the potential to be so much better than that team. We want to be good on defense. We had to get back to the fundamentals of football, tackling and making plays. We had to run to the ball aggressively.”
The Mounties have several NCAA Division I products on their roster, especially running back Daniel Webb, an explosive junior speedster who does everything on the field.
“He’s the most dynamic player I’ve seen,” Valdez said. “He’s short and compact, but the kid can fly. He’s really fast. He already has some good NCAA offers from like Illinois and Minnesota and he’s only a junior. He’s quick, so we had to give him a look. We practiced hard all week, challenging our defense to play at full speed.”
So the Soaring Eagles prepared for the worst and hoped for the best.
“We started off with a strong foundation and just kept going all game,” Valdez said. “We have an impressive group of defenders. We have strong, physical kids who fit the character of the 2011 team. I said, ‘Why can’t this team be the best we’ve ever had?’ We had the defensive linemen and the linebackers. We had good experience at linebacker. It made sense.”
After giving up 40 points in a loss to Passaic County Tech – a team that lost 42-15 to Montclair to begin the season – Valdez actually challenged his team and told them they could become the best Union City defensive team ever.
Seemed like a tall tale, taking on the state’s No. 7-ranked team and saying they could be the best defensive unit Valdez ever had in his seven-year stint at Union City.
One of the defensive leaders is also one of the offensive stalwarts. Harrison Fernandez is the starting quarterback for the Soaring Eagles, but he’s far more important and somewhat better on the defensive side of the ball.
Hernandez lines up at either linebacker or free safety, depending upon the defensive call.
“He did some good things at linebacker, but it made sense to move him,” Valdez said. “It’s more realistic, because that’s where he’s going to play in college.”
And Hernandez is a demon from sideline to sideline.
“He wants to make every play,” Valdez said. “He has an incredible internal motor. He’s not the biggest kid or the fastest. But once the ball is snapped, he lets loose.”
Fernando Breton is another key defender. Breton is a linebacker.
“He’s a returning linebacker and leads that linebacker unit,” Valdez said. “He’s strategically sound. He knows where he has to be. But you notice him if you watch us.”
So all week prior to facing Montclair, Valdez had one of his players, Jeremy Colon, trying to simulate all that Webb could do offensively.
“He gave us a look like Webb,” Valdez said. “He’s short and quick and made sure everyone got after him. He made our guys stay on their toes all week.”
Jacob Gonzalez is a ball hawking defensive end who has recorded seven sacks. Josue Collazo is a tough, hard-nosed nose tackle.
“He’s the heart and soul of our defense,” Valdez said. “He doesn’t take a play off.”
The end result was staggering. The Soaring Eagles not only defeated Montclair, but they shut them out, 7-0. Kevin Paul, the transfer from Pope John, had 113 yards on 21 carries and the game’s lone touchdown.
“He got all the tough yards and that was a big key to our win,” Valdez said.
Paul has taken a prominent role ever since starter Izayah Reyes went down with a broken collarbone.
But the Soaring Eagles accepted their coach’s challenge and realized they could be a dominant defensive team – doing it against a state-ranked opponent, no less.
“Every week, our roster is not up to what the other team has,” Valdez said. “That team we just beat had six Division I players on its roster. We don’t have that. I’m very impressed with the work we’ve put in and the challenge they have responded to.
Added Valdez, “It looks like a win that will have huge playoff ramifications. It was a huge win and puts us in a better situation. It challenges us to get better and reach expectations.”
After facing Newark East Side this weekend, the Soaring Eagles face local foes for the final four weeks of the regular season, facing off with Memorial, Bayonne, local rival Union City and Kearny.
As long as the defense keeps rising to the occasion, the Soaring Eagles will be in the hunt for a possible state sectional title come December.
Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at OGSMAR@aol.com. You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com