Eagles chasing history as state’s top team
Middletown South hosts Long Branch in Friday opener
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff There’s no denying the greatness of Middletown South tailback Knowshon Moreno, the top high school running back in the state, and the key ingredient to the Eagles’ consecutive state title runs.

There’s not much you can say about the Middletown High School South football team that hasn’t already been said.

Their exploits are pretty well-known at this point.

Having won consecutive Central Jersey Group III titles, and 24 games in a row overall, has put this particular group of Eagles up there with the greatest teams in Shore Conference history.

And speaking of history, head coach Steve Antonucci’s squad has a chance to alter the record books this year. If the Eagles win their first 11 games, they will break the Shore Conference record for consecutive wins — 34, set by both Pt. Pleasant Boro (1966-1970) and Manasquan (1998-2000).

In addition, the Eagles enter the season as the top-ranked team in the state, which is exactly where they finished last season, and will attempt to join Don Bosco Prep (2002-2003) as one of just two teams to earn that honor in consecutive years.

With such lofty expectations looming, some coaches would be concerned that their team would get lost in the hype, leading to a slip-up along the way.

Antonucci doesn’t think that way.

“It’s not a concern being ranked No. 1,” he said. “It’s an honor. We’re just hoping to play at that level again. We hope to be as successful as we’ve been in the past.”

With a slew of returning starters on both sides of the ball, Antonucci has plenty of reasons to be confident that his team will respond well to the hype.

Middletown South has a swagger about it, but it also carries maturity onto the playing field.

If there is anything that worries the head coach, it’s a lack of overall depth — an area where the Eagles usually hurt their opponents.

“Our depth isn’t what is has been in the past,” Antonucci said. “You’re going to see guys playing two ways a lot more than in the past.

“We lost some quality people that were two- and three-year starters to graduation last year, but we’ve also got some quality players coming back.”

How many, you ask?

“Enough,” the coach responds.

Unless you’re new to New Jersey high school football, you know about Knowshon Moreno.

The All-State tailback has put up some ridiculous numbers through his first three years (4,534 career rushing yards, 96 touchdowns, 584 career points), and is closing in on several school and state career rushing marks.

He enters the season 1,999 yards shy of the state rushing mark set by Keyport’s Kenny Cattouse in 2003, and just five touchdowns shy of the career mark set by Paulsboro’s Kevin Harvey in 1996.

He will also challenge Harvey’s mark for career points, needing just 72 points to set the new record.

To put in perspective his chances for breaking all of these marks, all you have to do is look at his numbers last year — 2,003 yards and 40 touchdowns. Another season like that, and the next phenom to come around will be chasing Moreno’s marks.

With all the publicity that Moreno receives both for his play and what is becoming an increasingly heated recruiting process, it might be easy to lose focus.

But again, Antonucci is not concerned.

“He’s done a pretty good job of keeping the two separated,” the coach said. “He’s already got a couple of visits out of the way, and is starting to get a feel for what he wants to do.”

As far as when to expect a decision, “probably not until after the season,” the coach said.

Opponents will be hoping the process becomes a distraction. It may be their only hope of slowing him down.

The problem is, you can’t key on Moreno because there are too many other talented players on Middletown South that can hurt you. Take for example, senior Trent MacCray, a talented tailback who most opposing coaches agree would be the featured back on just about any other team in the Shore.

Throw into the mix junior Dave Dosil, senior Eric Daneman and senior Keith Heaney, and the Eagles have at least five dangerous players they can throw at an opponent out of the backfield.

Senior quarterback Matt Walsh, who started four games for the Eagles last year, where Antonucci said he did a “real nice job”, gets to lead the offense, and has a pair of dangerous wide receivers in senior Mark Longo, and junior Dayon Lane, a speedy transfer from Red Bank Regional.

Up front on the line, the Eagles return seniors Bob Haspel, Dan Merker and Jon Mercer, and will also feature juniors Brian King and Greg Sullivan.

Defensively, many of the same players make up one of the state’s elite units. Haspel and senior Andrew Paulson are the defensive ends, with senior Howard Barbieri and junior Alec Bay at the tackle positions. Daneman is the safety, with Longo and Lane at the two corner positions.

The strength of the defense is at the linebacker position, where senior Nick Macaluso, another big-time Division I prospect, and Heaney control the inside, and Moreno and MacCray cover the outside.

South’s defense recorded six shutouts last year, and should be as good if not better this season.

It all adds up to a top-ranked team. Middletown South can put up big numbers against the best of defenses, and can shut down even the most high-powered offenses.

They open their run at a third straight perfect season on Friday, when they host rival Long Branch at the Swamp in Middletown. Long Branch should be one of the more difficult games on the Eagles’ schedule, as head coach Dan George’s squad returns some excellent athletes at the skill positions.

Should the Eagles return to the playoffs, they’ll see some different teams this time around. Having moved to the North Jersey 2 Group III bracket this year, South will likely be challenged by New Brunswick for the sectional crown.

But that’s down the road. Right now the Eagles are concentrating on Long Branch.

“It’s a good opener,” Antonucci said. “We’ll find out a lot.”

The spotlight on Middletown South gets turned on Friday night.