ELIZABETH, NJ – The last time the Minutemen hoisted a trophy was 12 years ago.
The last time Elizabeth High School–Frank J. Cicarell Academy reached a sectional state championship game was in 2014.
The last time the Minutemen finished better than .500 was six years ago.
The last time Elizabeth actually won more than three games was in that 2018 season six years ago, when the Minutemen finished 6-3 in a playoff season.
Despite a lack of success from a seasonal record standpoint the past five seasons, third-year head coach John Fiore is highly optimistic that a complete turnaround is very possible this fall.
“Our summer attendance was great. We made a run at every 7-on-7 tournament we entered and our culture has now been instilled,” Fiore said.
Expanding on his philosophy, Fiore said his players are realizing the importance of taking care of the little things, such as being on time, for example.
“Our core 50 is here every single day, grinding,” Fiore said. “As far as winning a title, there’s no reason to think we can’t get there.”
Elizabeth’s 2023 season began with an 0-6 start that saw the Minutemen reach an 11-game losing streak after Fiore’s first team in 2022 finished 2-7, concluding with five straight defeats.
Elizabeth’s 0-6 start last year: the Minutemen lost by five, by seven, by seven again, by two, by two again and then by three, before beating Union High School, 28-26, at home to snap the skein.
Elizabeth ended up winning three of its final five games to finish 3-8. The season ended with consecutive double-digit road wins at Eastside High School in Paterson, 27-6, and then at Hackensack High School, 29-9.
“Last year, our first nine opponents made the playoffs, so there are no patsies on our schedule,” Fiore said.
New opponents this year include Bayonne, St. Thomas Aquinas and Morristown high schools. The Big Central Conference’s American Gold Division for this year and next is Elizabeth, Union, Westfield High School and St. Joseph High School in Metuchen.
Fiore hopes that the confidence his returning players gained from those season-ending triumphs at Paterson Eastside and at Hackensack carry over immediately into this 2024 Elizabeth campaign.
“Our main focus this year is to finish,” Fiore said. “It starts with conditioning and goes from there.”
The consistency Fiore seeks on offense begins with cutting down turnovers – Elizabeth was minus-nine last year – and the maturity of the skill players.
Tackling, creating turnovers and eliminating mental mistakes are key to Elizabeth’s defense becoming dominant again.
“The kids are flying to the ball, so I like what I see,” Fiore said. “It will be a matter of how quick they mature.”
Senior lineman Nicholas Abreu is Elizabeth’s lone three-year starter, but one of nine returning starters on Elizabeth’s Power Spread offense.
“As a team, we need to come together in order to be successful,” Abreu said. “We need to be on the same page and learn how to execute.”
The close losses last year were a source of frustration for Abreu and his teammates and are something they don’t want to go through again.
“We need to finish strong,” Abreu said. “We can never settle. Not finishing games was the biggest thing last year.”
Sophomore signal-caller Arique Fleming passed for nearly 1,700 yards and threw 15 touchdown passes among his 111 completions as a freshman.
“He’s continuing to mature,” Fiore said. “He may not be a perfect thrower fundamentally, but when he sees his target, he’s deadly.
“When he lets the game come to him, he will kill it, both throwing the ball and running with it.”
Fiore said that Fleming (6-2, 175) put on 30 pounds of muscle and is the team’s second- or third-strongest guy in the weight room.
“Coach Fiore has a lot of confidence in me,” Fleming said.
“He played our last five games with a pulled hamstring,” Fiore said. “He’s a winner.”
The main three running backs are seniors Jamad Lyles, Jalais Mendoza and Joseph Yvonsky Desir.
Lyles said he provides vision, footwork, experience and that he can also play receiver.
“We can all do everything and have confidence in our abilities,” Mendoza said.
Desir came out for football for the first time last year. A track standout who was first in the county in the 200-meter dash and second in the 100-meter, it took some time for Desir to acclimate himself to the sport of football and the contact that goes with it.
“It definitely took some getting used to,” Desir said. “I didn’t see the holes when they opened up. Now I feel that I have much better vision.”
Elizabeth has three linebackers returning in its 4-2-5 scheme. One of them is senior Tysheed Hawkins.
“This is the most experienced group on defense, as opposed to last year, when we were the youngest,” Hawkins said. “We have a lot more depth this year.”
One intangible Fiore feels will be important, not only for this year, but also for the future, is seeing his players coach each other.
“When kids are able to step in and coach other kids, that’s when you win titles,” Fiore said. “When just the coaches do the coaching, you might win, but it’s not the same.”
It might be hard to believe on some levels that Elizabeth has won just 12 games combined the past five seasons, although one of them was the shortened 2020 COVID-19 campaign.
“We have enough talent to win,” Fiore said. “Now, in Year Three, it’s all about getting the kids to believe that they are as good as they are. “
Elizabeth had its first scrimmage at home on Monday, Aug. 19, vs. Cranford and East Orange Campus high schools.
Elizabeth’s game-scrimmage is Saturday, Aug. 24, at home vs. Hillsborough High School, starting at 10 a.m.
The season-opener is at home on Friday, Aug. 30, vs. LindenHigh School, with the kickoff at Williams Field set for 6 p.m.
Offense: returning starters: 9
71-Brian Palamar, junior, OL-DL, (6-1, 235)
65-Joel Lopez, junior, OL-DL, (6-0, 230)
60-Nicholas Abreu, senior, OL-DL, (5-8, 235)
56-Ethan Abrea, senior, OL-DL-LS, (6-0, 220)
7-Nahjae Smith, sophomore, WR-DB, (6-0, 175)
2-Arique Fleming, sophomore, QB, (6-2, 175)
5-Jamad Lyles, senior, RB-DB, (5-9, 165)
3-Kyshawn Decartaret, senior, WR-DB, (5-7, 142)
11-Jalais Mendoza, senior, RB-SS, (5-6, 160)
Defense: returning starters: 5
0-Tysheed Hawkins, senior, FB-LB, (5-10, 185)
6-Ezekiel Pencik, junior, RB-LB, (5-10, 175)
1-Jayden De Rosa, senior, TE-LB, (6-0, 185)
12-Quameen Williams, junior, WR-SS, (6-1, 170)
10-Antoine Blount, senior, WR-SS, (5-8, 145)
Elizabeth Minutemen 2024
• Friday, Aug. 30, Linden High School, 6 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 6, at Bayonne High School, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 14, at Westfield High School, 1 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 20, St. Joseph High School at Metuchen, 6 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 27, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, 6 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 4, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 10, at Morristown High School, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 18, Watchung Hills Regional High School, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 25 at Union High School, 7 p.m.
Head coach: John Fiore, third season
BCC division: American Gold
Section: North, Group 5
Photos by JR Parachini