By: Bob Badders SSN Managing Editor
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE Head Coach: Matt Ahearn, 4th season Career Record: 18-10
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or a program that has only been playing varsity football for 17 seasons, Colts Neck has had its fair share of success.
Assistant Coaches: Matt Norman (Defensive Coordinator/WR/DB); Dom Polifrone (Special Teams Coordinator/OL/DL); Dylan Hroncich (RB/LB); Doug Zockoll (TE/DE); Mike Campbell (QB/DB); Ryan Byrne (QB/LB); Peter Ficorelli (RB/DB); Jim Portela (Def Asst); Ryan Schoer (Def. Asst); Sam Turner (Freshman HC); Joe Conaghan (Freshmen Defensive Coordinator); Brendan Wei & Chris Rossi (Freshmen asst.); Jamie Hand (Athletic Trainer).
mix of p r o v e n veterans and promising newcomers. The jury is out until the latter hit the field, but where the Cougars are experienced, they are firmly entrenched.
Team Record Last Five Years: 2020: 7-1 2019: 8-2 2017: 2-8 2016: 4-6
2018: 3-7
Offense: Pro-I Defense: 4-3 ______________________________________________ Player To Watch: Tommy Fallon, Sr., QB When you are a four-year starting quarterback with a 15-3 record over the past two seasons, you are obviously a player to watch. Fallon gives Colts Neck everything they want from the quarterback position with his ability to make teams pay with play-action passes and also gain yards on the ground whether by scrambling or through designed runs. He is also a very good punter. P LAYER U NDER
THE
R ADAR :
John Runfolo, Sr., WR/DB Runfolo had just eight catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns last season but that was more a product of Matt Scully commanding most of the targets and Colts Neck attempting just 101 passes all season. He showcased his skills in a huge win over Freehold with two touchdown catches and could emerge as the go-to wideout. He also returns as a starting cornerback to lead the secondary.
IMPACT NEWCOMER: Matt Celli, Jr., WR/DB Celli is slated to see significant time at cornerback and is in the mix at wide receiver, as well. Colts Neck graduated its two leading wideouts so Celli and his 6-foot-3 frame could end up being a major weapon for Fallon in the passing game.
TOP POSITION GROUPS: Offensive Line and Linebackers After being a part-time starter as both a sophomore and junior it’s Battaglia’s time to run the show and spearhead the triple-option attack.
BIG SHOES
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FILL:
Louis Guerra, Sr., DE and Colton Bardsley, Sr., DE Edge rusher is a premium position and Colts Neck had one of the Shore’s best over the last two seasons with All-Shore defensive end Delano Marcelus, who had 76 tackles, 5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss and 23 hurries last season. Colts Neck is very good along the interior of the defensive line and if Guerra and/or Bardsley can emerge it will give the Cougars an excellent front seven.
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Of the six returning starters in Colts Neck’s P r o - I offense, ( L- R ) R YAN W HALEN (77), M ATT J ANNUCCI (73), T OMMY F ALLON (12), D AN V OLPE (71) four of J OHN R UNFOLO (18) & A NTHONY B ONANNO (40) them have b e e n Last season certainly fell into that category, the starters since at least their sophomore years. third under head coach Matt Ahearn, in which the Leading the way is senior quarterback Tommy Cougars continued their rebuild after a string of Fallon, who will have the rare distinction of being four straight losing seasons. The Cougars have a four-year starter under center. A second-team forged a clear identity under Ahearn, and it was All-Shore selection last season, Fallon threw for that downhill, power-rushing offense combined 720 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 475 with a physical defense that yielded a 7-1 record yards and two scores on an average of 8.3 yards and the No. 6 ranking in the final Shore Sports per carry. He brings toughness, savvy and a Network Top 10. steady hand to Colts Neck’s offense. He can take advantage through the air and also gain tough If there was one drawback to having such a yards on the ground with his 6-foot-2, 220-pound successful season last year it’s that it came in a frame. pandemic-altered fall when there were no divisions or no NJISAA playoffs. The opportunities to win a tangible championship just weren’t there. This year, divisions, playoffs; it’s all back. And so is Colts Neck and a strong senior class that will try to leave its mark on a resurgent program. Like most high school teams, Colts Neck is a
The men in front of Fallon in charge of giving him a clean pocket and opening allies in the running game are also not lacking in the size department. A trio of three-year starters lead the way along the offensive line with hulking tackles Dan Volpe and Ryan Whalen and left guard Matt
Fri. 9/3 @TR North 7pm Fri. 9/17 @Matawan 7pm Sat. 9/25 Donovan Cath 12pm Fri. 10/1 @Wall 7pm Sat. 10/9 RFH 12pm Sat. 10/16 Lacey 12pm Fri/Sat. 10/22-23 Shore Conference Pods TBD Fri/Sat. 10/29-30 Shore Conference Pods TBD
Jannucci. Volpe is a 6-foot-5, 305-pound mountain on the left side who was a first-team All-Shore selection last season. Whalen checks in at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds and Jannucci – also a standout wrestler – is strong and nimble at 6foot-1 and 270 pounds. Battling it out for the final two spots are seniors Jack Machu (6-foot-1, 270) and Aidan Maher (6-foot, 220) at center and at right guard sophomores Matt Liggio (5-foot-10, 230), Anthony Lombardi (6-foot-1, 230) and JJ Ciffeli (6-foot, 250) are competing. Senior Colton Bardsley, junior Eoin Fitzpatrick and sophomore Eric Lourero are the tight ends. With Fallon at quarterback and plenty of beef in the trenches, it bodes well for Colts Neck’s stable of running backs. The Cougars have plenty of options in the backfield, but whoever ends up getting the bulk of the carries will have to replace the production of Joe Barsky, who as a senior last season ran for 1,129 yards and a conference-high 20 touchdowns. Senior John Manos, who started on defense last season, could be the frontrunner after rushing for 207 yards and three touchdowns in a backup role. The wide receiver corps lost a good one to graduation with leading receiver Matt Scully, a third-team All-Shore selection, moving on to college. The Cougars do have three players who saw starting action last year with seniors John Runfolo and Cade Chrebet and 6-foot-3 junior Will Surdez. Another junior, 6-foot-3, 205-pound Matt Celli, could certainly become an impact player, as well.
