CLARK – What second-year head coach Anthony DelConte is preaching is: “the value of being a team player and watching out for your brother.”
Those traits are just as important as making a tackle or scoring a touchdown as far as being a Johnson High School football player goes.
“We are one as a team here, a family,” DelConte said. “This year we want to have that kind of team unity right from the start.”
Last year Johnson began 0-3, but the losses to Bernards, Voorhees and Delaware Valley were by a combined total of just 14 points. Bernards finished 8-2, Voorhees 6-4 and Delaware Valley 7-4, with the Terriers reaching the Central Jersey, Group 2 final for their first-ever appearance in a state championship game.
Johnson hung in there despite the rough start and turned an eventual 1-4 season into a playoff berth in CJ, G2 by putting together three straight wins. After falling to eventual and repeat CJ, G2 champion Rumson-Fair Haven in the quarterfinals, Johnson rebounded by downing Rahway 35-16 at home on Thanksgiving for a 5-5 finish.
Needless to say, Johnson seeks to get out of the gate a bit quicker in 2015.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” DelConte said.
Leading the triple-option offense is senior quarterback Anthony Rizzuto, who was behind center when last season concluded.
“Anthony is much better, he’s a die-hard kid,” DelConte said. “He’s more mature, bigger, stronger, faster and knows the offense, which is half the battle.
“Whatever we can do to win is how we run the offense we run.”
Johnson gave up 180 points in 10 games last year, which isn’t that bad. This year’s defense includes the following returning starters: senior end Justin Falke, junior tackle Brett Roessele, senior middle linebacker Wes Giannobile, junior cornerback Jon Duffy and Rizzuto at strong safety.
“Our defense was okay (in the pre-season),” DelConte said. “We have to improve on being together. We struggled a bit in the beginning last year.”
Johnson blanked Somerville 43-0 at home last November to earn its playoff spot. The first win of the season was a 28-21 overtime triumph at Governor Livingston, which also finished 5-5 after concluding with a three-game winning streak.
JOHNSON’S
TRIPLE-OPTION OFFENSE:
LT Mike Brennan, junior, (5-10, 180)
LG Brett Roessele, junior, (6-1, 250)
C Matt Englese, senior, (5-10, 190)
RG Drew Shannon, senior, (6-3, 280)
RT Justin Falke, senior, (6-1, 230)
TE Wes Giannobile, senior, (6-0, 180)
SE Ryan Koppel, junior, (5-9, 170)
RB Andrew Sanchez, senior, (5-9, 150)
RB Jon Duffy, junior, (5-9, 150)
QB Anthony Rizzuto, senior, (5-10, 180)
FB Eddie Bergin, senior, (5-10, 180)
PK Mike Casalino, sophomore, (5-4, 120)
Returning starters (5): Shannon, Falke,
Giannobile, Duffy, Rizzuto.
JOHNSON’S 4-3 DEFENSE:
E Justin Falke, senior, (6-1, 230)
T Brett Roessele, junior, (6-1, 250)
T Drew Shannon, senior, (6-2, 280)
E Sebastian Palacious, senior, (5-10, 180)
MLB Wes Giannobile, senior, (6-0, 180)
SLB Eddie Bergin, senior, (5-10, 180)
LB Joe Turek, sophomore, (5-10, 180)
CB-P Jon Duffy, junior, (5-9, 150)
FS Andrew Sanchez, senior, (5-9, 150)
SS Anthony Rizzuto, senior, (5-10, 180)
CB Ryan Koppel, junior, (5-9, 170)
Returning starters (5): Falke, Roessele,
Giannobile, Rizzuto, Duffy.
JOHNSON CRUSADERS
Head coach: Anthony DelConte, since 2014.
A 2006 Johnson graduate.
Second season: 5-5 (.500).
Conference: Mid-State 38
Division: Mountain
Section: Central Jersey, Group 2
Johnson’s last sectional title: 2002
2014: (5-5 and 2-3, third in Mountain Division)
Nolan Field in Clark: Field Turf.
DelConte guided Johnson to a playoff berth
in Central Jersey, Group 2 last year, with the
Crusaders coming back from a 0-3 start that
saw them lose their first three games by a
combined total of 14 points. DelConte was an
assistant at Johnson in 2011, 2012 and 2013
under head coach Mike Mancino. When DelConte
played at Johnson, Bob Taylor was in his last
year as head coach in 2002, Mike Katz
was the head coach in 2003 and present athletic director
Gus Kalikas was the head coach in 2004 and 2005.
JOHNSON CRUSADERS 2015
Sept. 11 Bernards, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 at Voorhees, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 Gov. Livingston, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 Roselle, 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Hillside, 2 p.m.
Oct. 30 Belvidere, 7 p.m.
Nov. 6 at Somerville, 7 p.m.
Nov. 26 at Rahway, 10:30 a.m.
Head coach: Anthony DelConte,
second season
2014 CRUSADERS (5-5)
(A) Bernards 14, Johnson 7
(H) Voorhees 32, Johnson 26
(H) Delaware Valley 21, Johnson 20
(A) Johnson 28, Gov. Livingston 21 (OT)
(A) Roselle 20, Johnson 7
(H) Johnson 35, Hillside 7
(A) Johnson 28, Belvidere 14
(H) Johnson 43, Somerville 0
(A) Rumson-Fair Haven 35, Johnson 7
(H) Johnson 35, Rahway 16
Head coach: Anthony DelConte,
first season
Section: Central Jersey, Group 2
Conference: Mid-State 38
Division: Mountain 2-3
Record: 5-5
Home: 3-2
Away: 2-3
Points for: 236
Points against: 180
Shutouts: 1
Overtime: 1-0