HIGH SCHOOL

Randolph welcomes back alumni for key Friday night matchup

Jim Hague
Correspondent

It’s going to be a huge weekend for Tarig Holman.

Not only will the first-year Randolph head football coach lead his team against Delbarton at John J. Bauer Stadium on Friday night, but Holman will also welcome back many of his former teammates from the 1995 Randolph football team that just missed a NJSIAA title.

“I can’t believe it’s the 20th anniversary of that team,” said Holman, who went from Randolph to the University of Iowa and later a brief stint in the NFL with Tampa Bay. “It’s going to be a special weekend. I’m just hopeful that our team can give the effort that everyone from Randolph can be proud of.”

The co-captains of that 1995 team, Mike McCambley and Frank Scallo, will serve as honorary captains for the Randolph-Delbarton game Friday night.

“It’s definitely going to have that old hometown feeling,” said Holman, whose team lost the opener against Chatham, won the next two against Morristown and Mendham, then lost last week to West Morris, 21-7.

“It’s going to be different, running out to Friday night lights without my Randolph helmet on. I think it means much more as a coach than it did when I was a player. But it’s been a special week, having all the grads back. It’s going to be a great night. ... It has me excited. I just hope I can hold it together and coach the game.”

There are a ton of festivities planned, but none bigger than the game itself, which will pit two 2-2 teams extremely hungry to get over the .500 mark with only three games left after this weekend to receive consideration for the NJSIAA playoffs.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Holman said. “They have 11 good offensive players and 11 good defensive players, so that’s a recipe for having a really good football team. A lot of the focus is on their offense, but their defense is pretty good, having not let up a touchdown in weeks. They seem to be getting better every week.”

The Green Wave seemed to be struggling early, with losses to St. Anthony of New York and then the shocker to Morris Knolls.  The loss to the Golden Eagles served as a wake-up call for Delbarton, which was dominant in shutout wins over West Morris two weeks ago (26-0) and Mount Olive last week (37-0).

“If you look at the first two games, we were right there until the last minute,” Delbarton head coach Brian Bowers said. “After the second loss, we had to look at ourselves and ask, ‘What can we do to get better?’ We got back to fundamentals and played good football. We just needed to play with a little more passion and grab our identity back.”

A major reason for the Green Wave’s success the past two weeks has been the play of senior running back Andrew Sanders, who eclipsed the 100-yard mark in both wins. But the Green Wave has more weapons than just the speedy Sanders. Luca Tria is a fine compliment in the backfield, and quarterback Matt Zebrowski has been playing better and gaining confidence with every snap.

Another reason for Delbarton's turnaround has been the defense.

The defensive line, led by Sam Johnson and Michael Huston, has been stellar. Kevin Hartley, who plays like a hybrid of strong safety and outside linebacker, is “all over the place,” according to Bowers.

“Our defense has been great the last two weeks,” Bowers said. “We just went back to basics and have guys just fly to the football. They are all giving exceptional effort to get to the ball. Our coaching staff has done a great job preparing the kids.”

The Rams’ offense still features a rotation at quarterback, with Carmine Capalbo and Alex Vanderbilt sharing the duties. Randolph junior running back Carlo Zarro leads the way.

“Randolph always has tough kids,” Bowers said. “They’re always going to be a challenge. ... We just can’t let up. We had a couple wins, and that’s a good feeling, but we can’t get comfortable.”

Here’s a look at the rest of this weekend’s action:

FRIDAY

Boonton (4-0) at North Warren (4-0): This will decide the NJAC-Liberty champion. Bombers quarterback Gage Cabalar has been doing a little bit of everything this season, both running and throwing. The Patriots have allowed only 25 points in four games.

Hanover Park (4-0) at Lenape Valley (4-0): This one should decide the winner of the NJAC-Freedom race. The Hornets, with playmaking quarterback Donato Casolaro, look to solve the Patriots’ stingy defense.

High Point (0-4) at Parsippany Hills (2-2): The Vikings got back to their winning ways last week with a shutout of Morris Hills. They should get another win here at home under the new lights with Jared Salgado and Nick Verducci leading the way.

Pequannock (3-1) at Hopatcong (2-2): The Golden Panthers, who sit atop the NJAC-Independence standings, will look to Justin Brunda and Tommy Crooks to keep the winning ways going against a very tough and physical Chiefs squad.

Jefferson (2-2) at Parsippany (0-4): The Falcons look to keep their state playoff hopes alive with quarterback Logan Holleritter and running back Connor Brown leading the way. The Red Hawks hope a home game on the new turf can stop the slide. Mike Ilic and Rob Hockey are quality backs for Parsippany.

Morris Knolls (3-1) at Mount Olive (1-3): The Golden Eagles, who won two games last season, continue to be the feel-good story of the 2015 season. Quarterback Nick Vittorio runs the Veer offense for Morris Knolls like he was born to play it. Tyler Piekarcz is one of the best two-way linemen around for the Marauders.

Roxbury (4-0) at West Morris (3-1): This is perhaps the best game of the week, as the ball-control-minded Wolfpack, with running backs Solomon Holzworth and Cameron Beltran leading the way, take on the high-flying Gaels and their troika of danger: quarterback Grant Dixon, running back Craig Roumes and wide receiver Stephen Loreng. Can anyone stop the Gaels? We’ll know more after this one.

SATURDAY

Wallkill Valley (2-2) at Whippany Park (0-4): The Wildcats have not been able to sustain much this season, although they do have some quality linemen in John Letizia and Dylan Hayduk.

Newton (2-2) at Mountain Lakes (2-2): Who would have predicted that the Braves and the Herd would have the same record heading into Week 5? Quarterback Griffin Baker will look to get Mountain Lakes back in the win column this week.

Morristown-Beard (0-4) at Montclair Kimberley: The Crimson have not been able to get it going yet this season, although Tahj Valentine is poised for his breakout performance.

Montville (0-4) at Pope John (3-2): The Mustangs are in for a long afternoon against the high-scoring Lions in Sparta. Maybe they can keep it close.

Morristown (2-2) at Mendham (1-3): Here’s an interesting game between two teams fighting for their state playoff lives. The Colonials have quarterback Cam Boswell to lead the way, while Dan McHugh is a capable field general for the Minutemen.

Kinnelon (0-4) at Kittatinny (2-2): The Colts have not lived up to preseason expectations and are struggling right now, despite having standout two-way lineman David LoCasio.

Dover (1-3) at Hackettstown (3-1): Dover has struggled through some injuries to key players, especially Dwayne Brown. Hackettstown has been lights-out defensively.

Morris Hills (2-2) at Chatham (3-1): The Scarlet Knights travel to Chatham to play under the lights on Saturday night. Dajon Chappelle is a tough back for Morris Hills. The Cougars are just a game out of first place in the NJAC-American standings. Matt Nestler is a tough two-way performer for the surprising Cougars.

Butler (2-2) at Morris Catholic (1-3): After a tough start, the Bulldogs have won two straight and look to Dan Castiglia to continue his brilliant play of late to get a third straight. Zach Poreman will have something to say about that for the Crusaders.