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The Time is Now: Wall High School Football Preview

Wall football team enters with its highest expectations in nearly a decade and its eyes on the crown.

Almost from the minute they entered high school, this year’s seniors were being talked about as the ones who could return the program to the lofty heights it enjoyed at the beginning of the millennium.

Many of them were thrown into the varsity fire as sophomores in order to groom them for this moment as seniors. Now the time has arrived for a team that returns almost its entire lineup on offense from a unit that averaged 33 points per game last season. The Crimson Knights reached the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III semifinals last year before bowing to eventual champion Freehold. Now they aim to finish the job while snatching away the Shore Conference Class C Central title from rival Manasquan along the way.

The veteran group enters with arguably the highest expectations of any Wall team since the Crimson Knights went undefeated in 2002, the last time they captured a state sectional title.

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“We don’t want to let it get to our heads,’’ said senior quarterback Steve Cluley. “We know it’s there. Last year was kind of a preview of what we can be. That next step is the state championship.’’

“It’s an experienced group, and their expectations are high,’’ said head coach Chris Barnes, who is entering his 12th season at Wall. “But the only rankings we care about are the ones at the end of the year.’’

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Cluley, a three-year starter, should be one of the Shore Conference’s top quarterbacks after going 72-for-129 for 1,356 yards and 17 touchdowns passing last season while also running for 413 yards and 5 touchdowns. He currently has scholarship offers from Albany and Monmouth University, as well as interest from James Madison, New Hampshire, University of Connecticut and Syracuse.

“His leadership and his comfort zone with the offensive system is what’s nice,’’ Barnes said. “His decision-making is sharp, it’s quick, and he understands the system. As Steven goes, we’re going to go offensively, no question.’’

Cluley will operate out of shotgun sets on about 50 percent of the snaps, according to Barnes. He will run some zone read plays to take advantage of his running ability in addition to setting up in the pocket to pass.

He also will have the most veteran offensive line in the Shore Conference blocking for him, as all five starters and senior tight end Derek Gardner return. Senior Matt McDonough will be at center, seniors Matt Pisarcik and Matt Ford will be the guards, and seniors Matt Vialonga and Mike Tomasuolo will be the tackles. Senior George Quackenbush and 6-foot-5 junior Evan Sweeney could also see time in the offensive line rotation.

Ford has received interest from New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware and Northeast Conference schools, McDonough has also received NEC interest, and Pisarcik and Gardner have attracted interest from Patriot League programs, according to Barnes.

“This is one of the best groups we’ve ever had,’’ Barnes said. “Size, athletic ability, intelligence – they’re a good group.’’

“I think we have a better offense than we did last year, so the sky is the limit for us,’’ Ford said.

That group up front also had the experience of going toe-to-toe with an outstanding Freehold line that featured three scholarship players last season, so they know what it takes to win it all.

“Those (Freehold) linemen were unbelievable,’’ Ford said.  “They worked hard, and they got to where we wanted to be. We looked at that and saw that we got close and didn’t make it, so we have to work as hard as they did last year.’’

The Wall line will also be paving the way for a new tailback, senior Jim Guiliano, who started at safety last year and is also a standout third baseman on the baseball team. He hopes to approach the combined 1,300 yards amassed by multiple backs last season and become enough of a threat to keep teams from focusing exclusively on stopping Cluley and the passing game.

“There’s no question we’re going to run the football,’’ Barnes said. “With the offensive line that we have, we would be silly not to.’’

“Jim is a real tough kid,’’ Gardner said. “Don’t take him lightly. He may be new to running back, but he knows what he’s doing.’’

Junior John Louro also could get some carries at tailback. When Cluley is under center, the Crimson Knights will use a fullback, which will be either senior Casey Leddy or classmate Andrew Flores.

While Cluley is no slouch on the field, he isn’t a bad recruiter, either, as this is the second year in which he has convinced a basketball player to come out for the team as a senior to play wide receiver. Last season, it was current College of New Jersey freshman Kyle Janeczek, who exploded for 898 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns on 32 catches in his one and only season. This year, it’s 6-foot-4 senior Jordan Petitta who has decided to come out for the team after prodding from Cluley and Janeczek.

“Kyle was on him during basketball season, saying he had so much fun that (Petitta) has to go play,’’ Cluley said. “I was on his back all school year. He wanted to, but he was hesitant because coming out for a sport for the first time can be tough, especially at this level. He doesn’t have to come out here and expect to be the best kid on the field. We have about five or six solid receivers.’’

Senior Harry Paytas is a returning starter at wideout, and senior Conor Mulholland also returns after seeing time as Wall’s third receiver as a junior. Another weapon should be senior placekicker Tyler Block, who is a returning starter.

Defensively, the Crimson Knights will employ a 4-3 look under veteran defensive coordinator Al Tirpack. The obvious strength is the front four, which should help take some of the pressure off the newcomers at linebacker as Wall tries to replace leading tackler Connor Caponegro.

Senior Adam Molinelli is a three-year starter who was previously an offensive tackle but will now play defensive end. Vialonga will be at the other defensive end position, with Gardner also seeing time there. The defensive tackle rotation will feature McDonough, Ford, Pisarcik and senior Nick Marabeti, giving Wall a wealth of experience in the middle.

“The key is that we’re big and physical up front,’’ Barnes said. “Our front four is going to be pivotal early on.’’

Flores and Leddy are competing for the middle linebacker spot, with juniors Kevin Waters and Russell Lorusso in the mix at one of the outside linebacker positions. At the other outside linebacker spot, seniors Evan Gittelman and Tyler Hetzel should see time.

The secondary returns experience at cornerback, where seniors Mike Russo and Rich Bomenblit are returning starters. Junior Mike Cusack and senior Nick Doritza also could see time at cornerback. The safeties will be a rotation of Paytas, Mulholland, Guiliano and Petitta, with Cluley possibly seeing time there in a pinch.

“I think Wall has always been a defensive team, and last year we didn’t meet expectations,’’ Ford said. “With all of our defensive linemen returning along with good linebackers and secondary, we should be as good on defense as we will be on offense.’’

An important key for the Crimson Knights will be getting off to a better start, as they dropped into an 0-2 hole before rattling off seven straight wins and then losing their last two games last season. Once again they open with one of the Shore Conference’s top programs, Lacey, which is coming off a 12-0 season but lost most of its lineup to graduation.

A stunning loss to Jackson Liberty in the second game last season was followed by an early 14-0 deficit against a Lakewood team in the midst of a 33-game losing streak, which has been a source of motivation this season.

“We realized in that (Lakewood) game that if we don’t play to our potential, we’re really not as good as we think we are,’’ Ford said.

With expectations as high as they have been in nearly a decade, this group of seniors is looking to capture the program’s fourth overall sectional title. They were about eight or nine years old the last time the Crimson Knights captured the ultimate prize.

“I remember watching that game in the stands as a little kid,’’ Gardner said. “There’s no better feeling. It’s a dream in the back of our heads, but we’re going to take it one week at a time.’’

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