HHS 2014 Football
Cooz Someone who is working hard in the off-season will probably emerge.
Look at how Brian Wickkiser burst upon the scene in his junior year, should be an example for these guys.
They've got nowhere to go, but up.
Good luck, it's a season of opportunity for whoever seizes it.
Andy Loigu 
Clyde Potts Hope they do well - I will cheer for them all - but a little bit harder for #20 😉 go tigers
Tigerfan Heard they have a transfer from Pope Pius and one of the 6'3" basketball players Can only go up
Yeah Clyde you are probably right. Maybe it makes them a little more athletic went to a few games last year and the boys played hard but other teams were more athletic
Not right nor wrong. Just thought it was funny a basketball player getting a football team excited. Maybe he's that good.
Here is a link to the express times preview
http://highschoolsports.lehighvalleylive.com/news/article/81984184884675911/football-2014-hackettstown-preview/
It would be great to see the midget program run the same offense and defense as the high school,the boys would be better prepared for high school. Best of luck Tigers,keep punching!
Lobo The problem with that Lobo is what do you do when the high school changes coaches/ offence? The fact that the TSA has a consistent offence throughout the program helps the kids. Having the kids stay in the same type of offense from flag to 8th grade is a Good thing. Having them have to learn a differnt offense every few yrs would be difficult.
Darwin The offensive and defensive schemes should get incrementally more complex as the kids move up. If they are still running the same offensive plays and defensive schemes in 8th grade that the flag football team is... well, that explains the high school's lack of success in recent years.
ianimal its the same concept ianimal. obviously more plays are added each year. not much passing going on in flag.
but you don't want kids going from the power I, to the option, to the West Coast, to ... each year. you want them to learn a basic offence and then add to it each year.
You will never win if you continue to play kids just because they are seniors and not based on their performance. Look for another long season for Hackettstown if they continue to play kids just because they are seniors. This goes for all positions not just QB. If you want to build a successful program you need to play the kids that put you in the best position to win regardless of what year they are in. If that happens to be a freshman so be it. Change the culture of the kids these days who think they are entitled to play just because they are at a higher grade level than the kid competing for that same position or because they played varsity last year. A 1-8 Team should not guarantee anybody's spot...
"There are two younger kids competing for the position, but since he’s the senior he’ll probably get the job.”
Royal16 Take a look at winning programs in the other high schools,simply ask them what it takes to be a winner. Upper classman should play, they paid there dues,we do get a new coach every couple of years though! You can't build a system like that,but I think the town would be happy with a couple of wins.Good luck to the new coach,its a up hill battle to get everyone on the same page ! The good thing, he is keeping politics out of it,I heard him say,that a player earns his playing time!
Play time goes to the best person at the position, For years kids got play time because they were seniors even though they never spent time in the weight room. The best players need to be on the field for offense and defense and not sitting on the sideline half the time because they might get hurt.
wally85 Wally, I don't think you want a 14 year old, being hit by a 17 or 18 year old at full speed who has been working out for 4 years.Some of these towns have a real lifting program,and these kids are stronger then men.Another note, the maturity is not there yet,it takes time to develop. I'm sure the coach is thinking safety first ! Let the coach , run the team,just enjoy the game, that"s what its all about anyway!
I am talking about seniors that were limited to one way action because the coach was afraid of them getting hurt if they played both ways. meanwhile other less talented kids played. This is not rec ball anymore , it is hs. There comes a time when everyone does not get a trophy or play time for showing up. I have also watched seniors that could not bench their own weight get play time over kids that busted their butts in the weight room and were better players.
Wickkiser was the feature back as a junior, Auxence Wogou got carries all four years, Jared Boyd carried the mail a couple of years ... there are three who stand out in my memory as Tigers who got their shot before they were seniors.
Not just Villante, but also the guys who preceded him, went into the season with all sorts of stuff in the playbook ... I've seen the schemes drawn up on the blackboard ... but they had to "dumb it down" because the guys were not executing it.
They didn't want me to be critical on the radio, or in the paper, and I wasn't, but I'll put it as nicely as I can ... Phillipsburg coaches have never had that problem.
Then you have programs like West Morris, North Warren and Lenape Valley, where it is wing-t all night long, all season and pre-season long, and they execute the hell out of it ... and are very successful.
I was in Philly last night and was pretty impressed with how the Eagles are playing their second-year coach's system, but I'll go on the NFL thread with that ...
Wikkiser and Wagou are prime examples, two high quality athletes that never saw a snap on defense. In any other program they would have never left the field. Justin Goodwin played both ways , need I say more?
The mere idea that a pre-conceived playbook independent of available personnel is ridiculous. The youth level should be worried about teaching the same verbiage, technique and foundational skills across all of the levels rather than a playbook. Never heard of such a thing. If the foundation and verbage are the same across the levels, the simply selection of a playbook is not that big of an adjustment. No one does that. No one. Formations and play books are designed based on the strengths and weaknesses of a team. And as far as Hackettstown is concerned, the youth levels don't play what the high school does anyway. Additionally, the coaches tend to move up with the team, so to illustrate that the kids are changing from year to year is misleading.
ETWickkiser played linebacker ... a lot ... called his name on plenty of tackles.
He and Wogou also both played special teams.
The Tigers have also had some underclassmen who played both ways on the line as sophomores and juniors. There are some guys you just are compelled to play, no matter what class they are. AJ Tatarka is another guy who played multiple years. Called him "the tank" while Wogou was "the diesel."
Heck, I'll always remember my instructions when I stepped onto the field for the first time in a varsity game as a sophomore ... "see that number 55. I want you to knock him on his butt." Coaching was real sophisticated back in 1965.
You see a lot of quarterbacks who don't play defense, with good reason.
Didn't do the radio last year, so I just saw two Tigers games, Dover and Warren Hills. That was enough.
I'll say this much for Villante ... he's been accused of having favorites, but I didn't see it.
He's a Pittsburgh Steelers fan (he wanted to take my head off for wearing a Ravens hat in the locker room but discretion prevented him from doing it) .... he wanted the Tigers to play that Blitzburgh defense.
He wanted the opposing team to never know where the rush was coming from on the next snap. That system needs 11 guys on the field who can bring it.
Unfortunately, it seemed like most of the time he only had one or two.
If you could put the heat on the QB, you played. No matter what class year you were. He wanted to win.
I'm like Bob Uecker when it comes to my high school football experiences. The coaches always thought I should have been the most dominant player on the field and kept trying to "light a fire under me." But yelling never worked.
So one day, down by about three or four touchdowns, totally frustrated, coach calls me over and says real slowly, "Andy, it's OK -- to get mad out there. It doesn't make you a bad person, if you get mad on a football field."
You've got to know how to talk to your players, and each one has a different personality.
Well wing T is what the midget program runs, so why not the high school? You can not compare the West Morris program,or Lenape, or Phillipsburg, to the Hackettstown program! They run the same offense and defense from flag on up to varsity midgets.The high school gets these boys and they know what to do,just add the polish and some new wrinkles.There also is mandatory lifting program,through out the year,have you ever seen our weight room? Hackettstown was a power house many years ago,ask the senior citizens,there are far less Alumni showing up at the games.When a high school coach has to show a kid, how to block, and tackle,how to catch,and teach quarterback skills,to a kid who has played from flag football to varsity,someone is missing the boat.Let's face it, it is hard to catch up .
It's not only playing the best kids but putting the kids in the right position. You have the fastest kid on the team playing wide receiver for a team that throws the ball maybe 4 times a game and completes 1 pass. He's the same kid that ran a kickoff back for a touchdown last year by using his speed and running ability. Wasting his talent by having him run wind sprints at wide receiver.
Royals16 Good to see H'town back running the Option Offense - i played on the last undefeated/untied regular season team & last state championship team.
We ran maybe 10 different plays during that time - has nothing to do with the complexity of the offense it's all in the execution. There is not a better offense to run in high school or college - can't be stopped if run well.
Think it may be too difficult for grade school kids to run the option - you need QB who can read the defense & pitch the ball and somebody to catch it - hard to get the timing down plus you need kids who can stalk block - not easy.
RU If the midgets run it, might as well do it with the high school, too. If I was head coach (don't mean to second guess anyone) I'd go to clinics and learn it, because I'm sure it's tougher to move the ball against bigger high school athletes. But if the kids are used to running it, it is a foundation for taking it to the next level.
A play they might want to put in that actually worked against me - The smallest kid on their team caught a short pitch and dropped to the ground in the fetal position right in front of me. As I started to reach down to slap him on the back to "down" him, he sprang right up and went past me for a 15 yard gain. Good thing there was no You Tube in those days.
On the sidelines I said, "what could I do?" and the defensive coordinator said, "I woulda kicked him."
The head coach argued that the kid should have been ruled down, that he gave himself up, but to no avail.
H'town ran the veer option great in 2005, with Max "Rootin Tootin" Newton at QB.
They broke a 12-year losing streak to Warren Hills and then won a playoff game at West Essex. Yeah, I may be a Jersey Shore guy, but I care about this stuff.
On the radio I called it the Cop at the Toll Booth play.
The QB is like a driver coming up to a toll bridge. If the cop is looking you PITCH your change into the bucket. If he's not looking, you KEEP IT and drive on through.
Of course, it takes a special quarterback. Max went on to play at Yale -- enough said.
Well, I can say this about coaches choosing positions for their kids ... I remember when Ridge had this kid (a good baseball player) returning punts, but he was slow. Ridge had a lot of faster kids, so I asked the coach about his choice of return men ... the reply .. "he catches the ball." Yeah, you can have problems if your punt returner can't catch.
Sometimes coaches have to live with the fact they do not have a roster full of Division I athletes ... sometimes a kid who could play somewhere else has to play center, because he's the only guy who can make the snap in the shotgun formation....stuff like that.
About less alumni coming to games, a factor could be that Hackettstown does not have hand rails that older people need to get up and down the stairs.
Big safety issue.
Warren Hills has hand rails.
Andy, good point, that could be the reason!Yes the option can be effective,but you must throw out of it,or they play 9 in the box ! Well let's wish the coach well,and hope someday the youth program and high school program get on the same page!More colleges show up to recruit players,when there is a solid program in place !
True, there is a lot to the option offense. That 2005 Tigers team had receivers and a credible passing game, and the blocking is different than it is for passing from the pocket or running from the power "I of the Tiger" as Harlin Jeffries and I used to say on RNJ.
That 2005 team was pretty versatile. They usually ran up the gut from the I on first down (and it usually gave them about five or six yards) and then you never knew what they were going to do. It wasn't just Max, because they had good players around him ... and when they graduated all at once H'town had a rough go the next year.
Main point though, that team ran multiple formations, which means they really applied themselves in the practices and the off-season.
How many of you guys saw Ridge last year? They ran everything under the sun, spread, power, run, pass, they even lined up in a wing-t now and then. And they went 12-0, doing all that with five first-year starters on the offensive line. Just astounding what they did. With a bunch of "normal kids" who look no different than the kids at Hackettstown, last year's Ridge team did amazing things.
I got to see them at Hunterdon Central and Rutgers. They moved up and down the field at will at Central ... never saw anybody do that before ... Phillipsburg has lots of trouble with Hunterdon Central. Talking with the Ridge coach, after a blowout win, he's going, well, we have to cut down the penalties, execute better, etc. etc.
After winning at Hunterdon Central!!!
Andy, you can do many things with the right coaches,when you see offensive linemen still using the flipper technique,instead of there hands,and linebackers flat footed,thats not the kids.Ridge has a really good program,our coaching staff needs to ask why?Most of your schools now are running, spread, wildcat,pistol etc.These offense systems work with just a few difference players! Also the forty flex defense, the 7 diamond,where you play mass to the ball.Today you can't line up in a 5-4 and think your fooling anyone.Well we could go on and on!Remember the Randolph days, and John Bauer,every play was perfect from flag to high school varsity,from 7 year old players to 17 year old varsity high school, the ran the same program.There winning streaks were amazing!He also never had a big team,his offensive line, fired out in a 4 point stance,to move and get the angle on there bigger teams !
The teams I've seen running pistol had some real good athletes, a lot of them were guys who played basketball in the winter and lacrosse in the spring.
I've seen a lot of high school lacrosse and some of those skill sets transfer well to the razzle dazzle you see from pistol offenses.
No secret why the Service Academy's run the Option Offense = it's the only way they can compete more so Navy & Air Force than Arny but when you have undersized players that's the offense you run.
Just don't think the peawees have the practice time needed to get the timing down & find a QB that can read the defense and attack the DE and either keep the ball or pitch it to the tailback. It's really good when it works well...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXd4EKj3unI
We'll find out how it goes ... since most good players play both ways in high school, they've defended against option offenses, so they should know how it works.
I trust that the coaches know their players, their skill sets, and I'm not going to get involved in any second guessing before the season has even started.
I don't ever want to be like those townies in the movie Hoosiers, in the barber shop, telling the coach how to do his job.
Well we need to give the coach a chance,he has to deal with my Johnny should play right now! It's hard for these kids who played in the midget football league,because there is no politics now,and the best players play.There is a big difference between high school and youth football.Plus the safety factor,the coach has to make sure the kids are up to date on the latest tackle form,blocking,reaction time.Let's respect the coach for that,it takes a village to raise a football player.
Have to laugh when someone with a screen name RU, is giving advice on winning football lol. The dig is aimed at Rutgers (RU) not at you personally.
When I was a kid, we played a simple T-formation (with some wing-t thrown in) in peewees (8-9 yrs old) and biddies (10-11 years old). There was very little passing, with a QB, two halfbacks and a fullback along with a split end and a tight end. The defenses played either a 5-4 or a 6-3 with only two safeties behind the linebackers.
When we moved up to midgets, we moved to the pro-style offense that the HS ran. WRs split wide on every play, one halfback, sometimes a fullback, sometimes in the I, sometimes split backfield. We still didn't pass more than 25% of the time, but it usually worked when we did.
We played some option teams in midgets as well as high school... we rarely had any trouble with them, most likely because we were simply better athletically than they were, but there was definitely a gameplan that the coaches set up.
Rule number one was that the QB got drilled on every play, whether he pitched the ball or not. The rest was all about swarming to the ball on the front side with the back side staying home to blow up the cut back.
Andy, when did they change that rule? Every level I ever played... you never needed to "down" somebody. Unless they were holding for a placekick, if they had possession of the ball and any part of their body but their hands or feet touched the ground, the play was dead.
Even today, the rule is in effect (as far as I know) everywhere but the NFL. Every season, you run into a rookie DB who lets a WR get up untouched off the turf and run for a TD... because he's never had to down anyone in his lifetime.
Singlemaleinnj I was talking with three recruiters yesterday,kids are so advanced today, they are watching them from pee wee level and up.The top high schools and colleges now are looking for the hybrid player,and as far as offense, The Spread,Wildcat,and Pro Set are what they want.They only have a small window to visit a school,if it's three yards and a cloud of dust, they won't even visit.The average family has one shot to get a student noticed for college , that being the case, do all you can to make sure you support your high school to get the best coaches,and best program they can get.One shot,tough but true.With the cost of college today,do all you can !
ianimal,
That sounds a lot like my experience as well. In biddies we played unbalanced line, T-formation, and I swear Minny had us run the power sweep once per series. The defense was 5-4-2. It was all pretty basic stuff, and the only real passing was either a screen or to the tight end across the middle. I remember that Washington Twp. played single-wing and double-wing.
In midgets, as you said, it was more pro-style with more passing but we still played unbalanced line on occasion. High school (I didn't go to HHS) was straight on pro-style.
Andy,
I saw Ridge play North this past year, and you're right. Very impressive team! Patient, and when the line opened holes the backs EXPLODED through them. They really could execute.
JJB4 Warren Hills looking good this year,went to a couple of there practices,very quick in the holes,good passing attack, off play action.I hope our safeties have speed,and our linebackers can drop into zone coverage.52 oakie is not going to cut it!
iaione is gonna have a huge season for the Streaks. North 2, Group 4 may eventually come down to P'burg and Warren Hills. I don't remember the last time those two schools were in the same section in football... (Warren Hills was in Central 3 last season).
Piscataway and Plainfield are in Group 5 this year... no idea who else would step up: Colonia, New Brunswick?
Morristown? How dem Colonials looking this year, Clyde? (-;
It'll be refreshing not to have to watch P'burg beat Mendham by 39 points in the "championship" game this year, lol.
ianimal, Morristown has a lot of speed,there running veer, out of pro,and I formations,and throwing with two QB'S.up front the have beef.
Spring Fever Saw Morristown last year against West Morris in the playoffs, the Wolfpack held them down in a defensive game.
That play in 1966 was just plain goofy and our coach really gave what for to the referee. As a young player in the heat of the moment, I wasn't sure what to do. The other team was probably counting on that. High school refs are not always on top of the rules, although most of the time they do a stellar job. As was mentioned earlier, the quality bar has been raised for how the game is played and officiated.
Yes, we need more Warren County schools playing each other. The NJSIAA has really made a mess of things.
Andy, maybe they could set up Thanksgiving day games,this could put more Warren County schools together, for some great games !
Belvidere and North Warren were playing a Lions Classic ... they scheduled it for the night before Thanksgiving with the flexibility of moving it to Friday night, if either of the teams made the playoffs and played the previous weekend.
Both teams had good squads after Matt Parzero made North Warren a winner.
And then, when North Warren switched leagues ... the game is gone.
Yet, when Hackettstown left the Skyland for the NWJAC, they were able to keep the Warren Hills game ... and they play the same amount of games.
Someone will have to explain that one to me.
Buddy 
Hack in town They are playing Whippany Park,Hackettstown should win this one !
LoBo
you were saying...............
As I had stated 3 weeks ago its going to be a long season if your fastest kid sits on the sidelines all game and is only utilized on kickoffs and punt returns. Once again this talented and speedy runner ran a kickoff back for a touchdown yesterday on the first play of the year and basically sat on the sidelines and watch the rest of the game. Whippany Park like any well coached team made sure they did not kick the ball to him for the rest of the game....If you want to win you need to put your best kids on the field in the right positions. That seems to be lacking right now and if the coaches continue to play kids just because they think they are "entitled" then the program will never go to the next level and it won't be long before a new coach is walking the sidelines...
They run triple option,and keep there fastest kid on the bench?The option is made for a speedy team! Looks like another 3 steps forward 5 steps back ! Too bad, they do have some talent in this town,Good luck Tigers!
mammadone 
Greg FYI the new band director and band did a great Pre Game show. I am looking forward to the half time show this Friday night they sounded great and the cheer leaders were dancing between the raindrops and having fun time as well.
Who are they playing this week? I hear Hackettstown,has a fast return man, why not use him in the option,would make sense. The offense is geared for fast backs.It is also geared for quarterbacks to get hit every play.They lost both quarterbacks last year early.Let's keep our fingers crossed this year!
michelemorp First home game of year tonight 7 pm. Good luck to the entire team (esp #20) cheer loud girls and looking forward to the half time show. There will be some fun fundraisers going on please support the FFA efforts as well as the Tiger Merchandise table; 50/50 and snack shed. Prediction: 1st win of season 20-16 may be a closer game than expected Parsipanny is an improving program. If you can't make it broadcast live play by play on WRNJ.
God Willing this will be a great season and tonight we will win big!!
Go #84!! we will all be watching you!!
Go Tigers!!
H-town Mama Nice solid victory 24-0 tigers good balance on offense excellent job on defense overall nice win glad my prediction of a closer game did not happen. The half time show was fantastic and it looked like the fund raisers and snack shed were busy. Next week home again 7 pm vs Morris Catholic.
Great win! Good morale booster and the whole place was buzzing with excitement and energy last last night both on and off the field!!!
H-Town LAX parent 
Photos taken last night while on assignment - enjoy
GO TIGERS!!
http://www.nickscaleraphotography.com/hackettstown-football-1st-home-game-2014/
Nick Scalera Photo 
acl76 Speaking of football, here's some inspiration...
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/09/21/this-high-school-football-player-could-teach-the-nfl-and-all-of-us-a-lesson-or-two/
Tigers VS Morris Catholic, tonight,should be a good one,both run triple option,Morris Cathloic is a much smaller school, but well coached,Home field advantage tonight,Tigers 18 , Crusaders 16, any takers!
I looked at the MC game film vs WP they are pretty athletic at QB and look like 2 solid backs. Quite a bit of play action so Tigers may get challenged via pass. Agreed a bit smaller from what it looked like on film but they seemed to hang around with WP all game. MC took it to the last 2 plays inside the 5 vs Whippany Park only to loose a heart breaker to them. Look to see Tigers open it up a bit via screen pass which was showed last game maybe good time to get speed guy into game flow. Tigers win 2 in row 32-14 on Alumni Night. Good Luck
Nice win vs Morris Catholic. New kicker is very good ands adds new dimension. New quarterback can really throw and will open up offense, Milleli and Renne pulling away as feature backs. Line and linebackers holding their own, Lenape Valley will attack secondary. HHS will avenge last years loss.
Tiger townie Saw Lenape play Hopatcong,Morris Catholic was small,compared to Lenape,linebackers better eat there Wheaties! Nice passing attack,plus Somlyn has over 30 years at the helm.This could be a close one!Go Tigers!
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