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| Senior Quarterback Donovan Brady |
The Roxbury football team returns several pillars from last year's team, so the foundation is in experienced hands. Quarterback? Check. Strong-armed Donovan Brady is back after a solid junior year. Running back? Check. Returnee Michael Roumes can do a little bit of everything out of the backfield. And he is strong in the defensive backfield as well.Linebackers? Check. Michael Christiansen and Connor Mahoney had good seasons last year and are back. Senior leadership in the trenches? Check. Two-way tackle Joe Hills returns on both sides of the ball."We're optimistic because those kids established the early tone," coach Cosmo Lorusso said. "They have a physical presence about them. They're great kids and have experience and they get that experience across to the inexperienced guys."The growth of the younger players will dictate where the Gaels fall in the rugged North Jersey Super Football Conference Freedom Red Division. If some of the newcomers can contribute, Roxbury could well walk away with the title."This year will be a challenge," Lorusso said. "We're not the biggest or the fastest team, but we have a great group of kids who are working very hard and they love to compete. When kids put on a Roxbury uniform, they expect to compete for a conference and state championship and that is what we are striving for."Joining Hills up front will be Vinny Manganella, guards Dante Gibson, Kyle Kaiser and Cole Gibson, and center Patrick Tucker. All but Kaiser are untested."Hills does a tremendous job," Lorusso said. "He's spent a lot of time in the weight room and has gotten stronger, faster and more explosive. We look for him to dominate on both sides of the ball."Christiansen, and Nick Amendola are battling for time at tight end. Speedy Kevin Sembrat and Brian Dachowski will line up at split end. Mahoney, Evan Vasquez, and Riley O'Connor will join Roumes out of the backfield. The Gaels will be back in the pure Delaware Wing-T this fall, an offense Lorusso has run for many of his years as a coach.
"It's deceptive and it's what is best for this team," he said. "We don't have the size to zone block. We have to do it with deception. We'll double-team and we'll have traps and do those kinds of things." Brady had a good year throwing last year and Lorusso is excited to have him back.
"Donovan is a throwback athlete who plays three different sports," Lorusso said. "He's got a strong arm, as strong as any arm you'll see in a quarterback. He can really throw it." On the defense, Matt Cordileone will play nose tackle and will be surrounded by Tucker, Hills, and Manganella up front. Gibson and Nick D'Anna will flank Christiansen and Mahoney at linebacker. The secondary will consist of Sembrat, Anthony Perhacs, Vasquez, Anthony Hayek, Roumes, and O'Connor. If things fall right, the Gaels will be in the mix in the Freedom. Roxbury finished fourth in the six-team league last year.
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