Morris County football coaches reward players, peers
The Morris County Football Coaches Association recognized at least one player from each team at its annual luncheon Thursday.
NJSIAA Group 3 North regional champion West Morris received two of the top awards. Kevin Hennelly, the head coach for 25 years, was voted the William O. Regan Coach of the Year by his peers.
Wolfpack junior linebacker Stefano Montella was named the Pete Piccirillo Defensive Player of the Year. The award is named in memory of a former West Morris football coach, Hennelly's predecessor and the most successful coach in New Jersey when he retired in 1997.
West Morris outscored its playoff opponents, 151 to 145, including two shutouts, closing out the season with five straight wins. Montella rushed for a game-high 134 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries in the regional final. He set a school record with 1,793 yards on the ground, totaling 2,103 yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games.
Montella also recorded 52 solo tackles (19 for loss), a school-record 152 total tackles, and six sacks, plus three caused fumbles and an interception.
Hanover Park senior running back Mike Filippone was selected as the John Chirrona Offensive Player of the Year. Filippone had 1,516 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground as the Hornets reached the NJSIAA North 1 Group 2 final. He totaled 1,839 all-purpose yards this fall.
Roxbury senior kicker/punter Luke Schabel received the Gerry Gallagher Special Teams Player of the Year award. He made four of five field goal attempts and four of five extra points.
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Jefferson defensive coordinator Bill Stager was named the John Bauer Assistant Coach of the Year. The Falcons handed Newton its first loss and upset top seed Rutherford en route to the Group 2 North regional final.
"They started trusting each other," said Stager, who was also on the staff when Jefferson won the 2008 sectional title. "I think that’s the biggest thing. They know if they do their job, the other guy will do his job. Earlier in the year, the trust factor wasn’t there. They’d start doing their job and then worry about the guys next to him."
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All-County Offense
Hunter Van Zant, Boonton; Aidan Papantonis, Delbarton; Cole Morgan, Delbarton; Arnol Herrera, Dover; Brett Behre, Hanover Park; Peter Delaportas, Jefferson; Frank Kontely, Mendham; Triston Perez, Montville; Dean DeNobile, Morris Catholic; Anthony Macera, Morris Hills; Collin Groome, Morris Knolls; Nick Tavarone, Morris Knolls; Hunter Perez, Mount Olive; Ryan McLaughlin, Mountain Lakes; Nick DiPietro, Parsippany; Dominick Verducci, Parsippany Hills; David Rigoglioso, Pequannock; Darian Ghahary, Randolph
All-County Defense
Ibrahim Fall, Boonton; John Rigas, Boonton; Josh Emann, Butler; Owen Walewander, Chatham; Patrick Caughey, Delbarton; Dylan Patscher, Jefferson; Alex Relovsky, Kinnelon; Dom DeVincenzo, Madison; Zach Thomas, Morris Catholic; Trey Buchner, Morristown; Jeremy Lebovitz, Morristown Beard; Sean Harris, Mount Olive; ade Schuckman, Mountain Lakes; Pat Gilchrist, Randolph; Bleon Meta, Roxbury; Trevor Hillier, West Morris; Will Groeling, West Morris; Hunter Morgenroth, Whippany Park
Pete Piccirillo Defensive Player of the Year: Stefano Montella, West Morris
John Chirrona Offensive Player of the Year: Mike Filippone, Hanover Park
Gerry Gallagher Special Teams Player of the Year: Luke Schabel, Roxbury
John Bauer Assistant Coach of the Year: Bill Stager, Jefferson
William O. Regan Coach of the Year: Kevin Hennelly, West Morris
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Morris County NJ Football Coaches Association all-county team
