SUMMIT, NJ — The No. 1 ranked team in Union County for the 2023 season, the Hilltoppers had a two-touchdown lead at home against West Essex and were that close to hosting a sectional state championship game.
Then West Essex High School mounted a comeback. Summit High School turned the ball over and the visiting Knights took advantage.
West Essex completed a stunning 27-17 comeback victory and went on to win the section. Summit, seeking to win the section for the first time since 2018, closed 2023 with a feeling of what just happened?
Still the Hilltoppers finished 7-3, which is something on which for the returning players to try to build.
Summit reached seven wins for the first time since its 2018 state championship season. The only regular season losses were to non-public schools St. Thomas Aquinas High School and St. Joseph High School in Metuchen.
Summit also scored at least 41 points in six of their seven victories.
That was last year.
Time to turn the page and see what the Hilltoppers can accomplish in 2024.
Summit’s game-scrimmage is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 29, at 4 p.m. at neighborhood rival Chatham High School.
The Hilltoppers will then open Week One at home against Somerset County school Montgomery High School on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m., at Tatlock Field.
Among the key players back for head coach Kevin Kostibos, now in his 12th year at the helm of the Hilltoppers, are senior captains Shane Walsh (6-0, 180), Henrique Guicardi (6-0, 205), Ethan Lawton (5-9, 165), Samuel Morris (6-2, 245) and Samuel Henry (6-2, 275).
Henry, a two-way lineman, is rated high among Union County seniors seeking to play in college on the McCarthy Report.
Morris is also a two-way lineman and Walsh, Guicardi and Lawton are running backs. On defense, Walsh is in the secondary and Guicardi and Lawton are in the middle at linebacker.
Replacing Carter Shallcross at running back will be challenging indeed, as he rushed for nearly 1,500 yards as a senior last year. Leading wide receiver and fellow senior Jake Procaccini, 22 catches for 589 yards and eight touchdowns, will also have to be replaced.
Cole Sabol excelled at quarterback as a sophomore last year, completing 50 of his 97 passes for 1,148 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
On defense, Summit lost leading tackler Tyler Kessel to graduation. Kessel, who represented Summit in the Phil Simms NJ North-South All-Star Football Classic and who is now playing in the Ivy League at Dartmouth College, produced 133 tackles in 2023.
Walsh was third for Summit in the category a year ago with 43.
The newly formed United Gold Division of the Big Central Conference for the 2024 and 2025 seasons includes Summit, Carteret, Cranford, Hillside and Scotch Plains–Carteret.
At 3-1, Summit finished second in the division last year to St. Thomas Aquinas, which went 4-0.
In addition to Montgomery, other home games this year will be against Carteret, Cranford and Woodbridge. Road games will be at Hillside, at Somerville, at Bernards and at Scotch Plains–Fanwood.
Summit’s players were to be on display at Summit Media Day at Tatlock Field on Monday, Aug. 26.
Summit Hilltoppers 2024
• Saturday, Sept. 7, Montgomery, 1 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 14, at Hillside, 1 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 21, Carteret, 1 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 28, Cranford, 1 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 4, at Somerville, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 12, at Bernards, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 19, Woodbridge, 1 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 25, at Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 7 p.m.
Head coach: Kevin Kostibos, 12th season
BCC division: United Gold
Section: North, Group 3
Photo Courtesy of summithilltoppersfootball.com