State of the Program: Middletown South ready for 'meat grinder'

Middletown South head coach Steve Antonucci won’t mince words. His schedule is brutal.

Playing in the Shore Conference football American Division this fall, the Eagles will play top programs Donovan Catholic, Red Bank Catholic and Rumson-Fair Haven on top of historically successful teams like Long Branch, Manalapan and Wall. After graduating a strong senior class that included starting quarterback Thomas Schork and defensive ace Jack Latore, the Eagles face a big challenge against a tough slate of games.

“We’re just in a meat grinder,” Antonucci said. “The way the scheduling is right now, it’s tough sledding for a public school that’s just trying to do what we’re trying to do.”

Middletown South is coming off a 9-2 campaign – its best season since the undefeated 2016 season – but will have an uphill battle replicating such a successful run that ended in the North 2 Group 4 final against Irvington.

The Eagles had an additional highlight when when the legendary Antonucci eclipsed 200 career wins.

The tradition

Few teams in the Shore Conference have a longer and more storied winning tradition than Middletown South. The Eagles were one of the first dominant programs at the Shore.

Under Antonucci over the last decade and a half, the Eagles have gone 206-60 with six sectional titles and 12 appearances in championship games.

The challenge

The schedule alone is a huge challenge. Donovan Catholic, Red Bank Catholic and Rumson-Fair Haven all finished within the top three in the final Shore Conference rankings while Wall, Long Branch and Manalapan finished in the top 10. Middletown South finished No. 4.

It’ll be even tougher to compete on a roster with a lot of turnover. The good news for the Eagles is they return a lot of experience on the offensive line where they expect to win in the trenches. Tom Whyte and Tyler Addonisio started every game on the line last year and will return, while twins Aidan and Devin Parry will man the left side of the line.

“Up front, we’ll be just as big as we were last year,” Antonucci said. “We feel like where we were last year to where we are now, the drop-off isn’t going to be too significant. We feel good there.”

Jake Czwakiel will replace Schork at quarterback. Czwakiel received a few snaps at quarterback last season and has the potential to add a passing element to Middletown South’s game that could stretch the field.

There isn’t much depth on the roster, so Antonucci needs his team to stay healthy and find that depth with the newcomers.

“Our goal is to keep everybody healthy,” Antonucci. “Hopefully find more guys who can give us significant playing minutes and try to find a way to win some of these games that, on paper, don’t look very good for us.”

Middletown South also returns a few starters on the defensive end. Czwakiel led the team in interceptions last year and will pair with Logan Colleran at defensive back. Collin. Gallagher is back at inside linebacker, and Jason Wagner will return inside.

Expectations

It’ll be difficult for Middletown South to win nine games again. But if the Eagles can make it through the regular season relatively unscathed, they could be a force in the postseason.

They’ll need to stay healthy and maybe steal a game from one of the top three teams. Even A 4-3 record heading into the playoffs could be indicative of Middletown South being primed for playoff run.

“If we do all those things, then we’re looking at a playoff team that can be dangerous because of who we’ve played to get there,” Antonucci said. “We can have an opportunity to go deep in the playoffs.”

Team capsule

Group classification: North Group 4

Coach: Steve Antonucci, 25th season (206-60)

Assistant coaches: Al Bigos (offensive line); Joe Trezza (offensive coordinator/receivers); Marc Tomo (defensive coordinator/defensive backs); Steve Roberts (linebackers/special teams coordinator); Tim Heaney (defensive line); Rod Murchie (defensive Backs/special teams); Mat Walsh (quarterbacks); Sam Dokus (offensive assistant); Kevin Higgins (defensive assistant); Adam Schreck (offensive assistant); Jeff Martin (head freshman coach); Tom Nicholes (assistant freshmen); Tuck Isherwood (quality control); Tom Antonucci (quality control); Stacy White (trainer).

Offense: Multiple option

Defense: 3-4

Last year: 9-2, No. 4 in final Asbury Park Press rankings. The Eagles won the Shore Conference Colonial Division championship. It was their first divisional title since 2016. Middletown South also advanced to the NJSIAA North 2 Group 4 championship game before it was defeated by state-ranked Irvington. It was the Eagles first appearance in a sectional final since 2015. Middletown South's other defeat was to Rumson-Fair Haven. Coach Steve Antonucci recorded career win No. 200 with the Eagles' 27-0 win over Jackson Memorial on Sept. 17. Middletown South has gone 206-60 with six NJSIAA sectional championships and five unbeaten seasons under Antonucci.

Top returning players: Logan Colleran (Sr., WR/DB), Tom Whyte (Sr., OL), Tyler Addonisio (Sr., OL), Devin Parry (Sr., OL), Aidan Parry (Sr., OL), Donovan Summey (Jr., RB), Jake Czwakiel (Jr., QB/DB), Colin Gallagher (So., LB), Jason Wagner (Sr., TE/LB)

2022 schedule

Sept. 2: at Long Branch

Sept. 9: at Manalapan

Sept. 16: vs. Red Bank Catholic

Sept. 23: vs. Wall

Oct. 7: at Rumson-Fair Haven

Oct. 14: vs. Matawan

Oct. 21: at Donovan Catholic

Nov. 24: vs. Middletown North

Danny LoGiudice has covered local sports across New Jersey since 2014. Contact him at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com or @danny_logiudice on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Middletown South football facing 'meat grinder': State of the Program