State of the Program: Lacey football has a different look for 2022 season
Exhausting practices, hard games and long seasons. Varsity football is a grueling sport that requires year-round training. So, you’d imagine that varsity football players only have energy to compete for this one sport, right?
Well, Lacey Township High School’s outside linebacker and tight end Matthew Coon proves otherwise.
As this past year’s NJSIAA 190-pound District 25 wrestling champion, Coon’s used his 11 years’ worth of wrestling to excel within football, and he plans to do the same in his upcoming senior season.
“I try not to think of it as my final season,” said Coon, who’s entering his third year as a starter.
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Coon and the other Lacey football seniors are doing whatever it takes to make the most out of their last year.
“It’s all about dedication, showing up, having each other’s backs and focusing,” explained senior offensive tackle and defensive tackle Keith Sullivan. “It’s the stuff that happens now that’ll make us successful in the future.”
After graduating 19 seniors this past year, Lacey is going to look very different in the fall. But the team is confident that this summer’s training will get them where they need to be when they open the regular season against a formidable Donovan Catholic High School.
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The Tradition
Lacey has won four NJSIAA sectional championships. It won South 3 in 1988 and '89, when the team was led by running back Keith Elias and in 2006 and 2010. It went unbeaten in 1989, 2006 and 2010. The 2010 team was ranked No. 1 in the final Asbury Park Press Top 10.
The Challenge
With 19 seniors now graduated, including starting quarterback Noah Brunatti, a lot of younger, less experienced players are getting a shot on varsity.
“I'm going to have confidence in them. We're going to get them ready,” said the program's longtime coach, Lou Vircillo.
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Weight training and drills have been ongoing for Lacey, and returning seniors are doing whatever they can to help the newcomers adjust to the team.
“We definitely lost a lot of kids last year, but I think we’re going to reload nicely,” said Coon. “I don’t think it’s going to have as big of an impact as some people might think it will.”
Expectations
Lacey finished off this past season with a record of 5-4 and came in third in its division. Although they have a tough schedule ahead, the team has a way of pulling off games even when all odds are against them.
“We might have been predicted to lose every game and we won five…I know that most of the time we were underdogs. Well, we won,” Vircillo explained about last season.
Along with Vircillo, the players are staying confident that their hard work this summer will pay off in the fall.
“If we just take it every week at a time and do our best, we should be good,” said center and nose guard Brendan Suspie.
Team Capsule
School: Lacey Township
NJSIAA Group Classification: South 4.
Coach: Lou Vircillo, 47th overall, 42nd at Lacey, 304-146-1 overall, 270-130-1 at Lacey.
Assistant coaches: Warren Smith (quarterbacks/receivers); Mike Stuppiello (linebackers); Bob Nani (defensive line); Joe Tobin (assistant defensive backs); Shane Allen (junior varsity/freshman); Matt Keifer (assistant offensive line); Chris DiMicco (junior varsity/freshman); Sean MacAndrew (junior varsity/freshman; Jack Bush (films); Dan Cortese (scout); Mike Taddeo (scout)
Base Offense: Pro Spread.
Base Defense: 3-4.
Returning starters: Offense: 3. Defense: 5.
Last year: 5-4. Lacey started the season off with two wins in a row, and the first one marked Vircillo’s career win No. 300, becoming the second ever Shore Conference head coach to score 300 career wins. Later on in the season, Lacey held a streak of three wins and then lost the final two games of the season
Top returning players: Matthew Coon (Sr., OLB/TE); Brendan Suspie (Sr., C/NG); Kieth Sullivan (Sr., OT/DE); Zach Brewer (Sr., CB/WR); Dominic Perron (Sr., RB/CB); David Wilson (Sr., OLB/HB); Pat Luca (Sr., DE); Nick Stanziani (Jr., S).
Key newcomers: Nicholas Maertens (Jr., FS/QB); Daniel DiPaolo (Sr., CB/QB); Aidan Wallace (So., RB/LB); Trevor Santucci (Jr., WR/FS).
Schedule
Sep. 2: at Donovan Catholic
Sep. 10: at Long Branch
Sep. 16: vs Middletown North
Sep. 23: vs Central Regional, 7 p.m.
Sep. 30: vs Colts Neck, 7 p.m.
Oct. 7: at Toms River North, Time TBA
Oct. 14: vs Brick Township, Time TBA
Oct. 21: at Southern Regional, Time TBA
Summer roster
No., Name, Position, Year, Height, Weight
1 Daniel DiPaolo CB, QB Sr. 5'7" 155
5 Matthew Coon DE, TE Sr. 6'3" 200
6 Ryan Bianco CB, WR Sr. 5'11"
7 Dominick Perrone FS, RB, KR Sr. 5'8" 140
9 Jimmy Farmer QB So. 6'0" 162
9 Nicholas Maertens FS, QB Jr. 6'0"
13 Carmelo Diaz WR Sr. 5'10" 155
15 Rocco Armato FS, WR Sr. 6'2"
17 Aaron Tobia CB, WR Jr. 5'10" 160
17 Tony Carpino TE So. 6'0" 170
19 Diego Wolf LB, WR, K Sr. 5'10" 170
21 Logan Brash DB, WR Jr.
22 Zach Brewer CB, WR Sr. 5'9" 170
24 Jayden Martins CB, RB Sr. 5'9" 145
26 Nicholas Locha CB, WR Sr. 5'7" 140
27 Nicholas Stanziani FS, RB Jr. 5'11" 170
28 Javir Askew-Mayweather DB, RB, KR Sr. 5'8" 160
29 David Raabe CB, WR Jr. 5'7"
31 Dan Watkins FS, WR Jr. 5'8" 160
34 Trevor Santucci FS, WR Jr. 6'1"
35 David Wilson LB, TE, LS Sr. 6'1" 195
36 Gavino Pezzulla WR Jr. 5'9"
39 Juan Arenas CB, RB Jr. 5'10" 165
40 Ari Ramirez LB, FB, K Jr. 5'8"
43 Joseph Giordano FS, WR Jr. 5'8"
45 Luciano Ferranti LB, FB Sr. 5'9"
50 Brendan Suspie DE, OG, LS Sr. 5'8"
53 Brenden Domalewski DE, OT Jr. 6'0" 225
61 Keith Sullivan DE, OG Sr. 6'0" 190
61 Matthew Maguire So. 5'8" 140
64 Brody Sager DE, OT Jr. 6'1"
72 David Vargas DE, OT Jr. 6'3" 233
73 John Mariconda NG, OT Jr. 5'9"
74 Jesse Laird DE, OG Jr. 5'9"
76 Patrick Luca DE, C Sr. 5'11"
80 Brian Caufield LB, TE Jr. 6'1"
81 Charles Smith Sr.
82 Joseph Meireles DE, WR Jr. 6'4"
83 David Golini SS, WR Jr. 6'1" 155
85 Santos Wolfe CB, WR Jr. 5'6" 125
88 Ayden Cottrell TE, MLB Jr. 5'10" 170
89 Shane Trangone SS, WR Jr. 5'11" 165
Samuel Lockwood Jr.
Anthony Alers 5'10" 138
Corey Smith So. 6'0"
Connor Simonson So. 147
Dan Dipaolo Sr. 5'8" 138
Matthew Maguire So.
Mike Seeley So.
Antonio Carpino So.
Joey Belo So. 5'10" 147
Nick Locha Sr.
Landon Raabe So. 5'10" 150
Aidan Wallace RB, LB So.
James Miserdino So.
Javir Askew-Mayweather RB Sr. 5'8" 170
Shaun Chornobroff contributed to this story.
Intern Kaitlin Balasaygun is a rising senior at Ramapo College and expects to earn degrees in journalism and photography in 2023. She is captain of the school's NCAA Division III swim team.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Lacey Township NJ high school football 2022 season preview