State Championship on Falcon Football's Radar

Bookends—they generally symbolize a beginning and ending. The seniors on this year’s Jefferson Township High School football team had the beginning bookend in their freshman year, when the Falcons won a state championship. Now, they say, it’s time to add that other bookend with another championship to cap off their senior season.

“We have to bring home a state championship this year,” said senior captain Steve Strumolo. “And I think we have the team to do it. We have the heart, and we have great leadership on this team.”

Strumolo is also looking to achieve his personal goal of a 2,000-yard season.

Head coach Joe Mattessich said the team is also looking for redemption, coming off a 4-6 season where three losses came in the last minute of play.

“This year we’re looking for leadership and understanding from this team,” Mattessich said. “We want these guys to know why these games were lost in the last minute, so that it doesn’t happen again.”

With both halfbacks and the fullback positions returning to the lineup this year, the Falcons believe their backfield looks strong. The rest of the strength, they believe, will come from hard work and intelligence.

“(Quarterback) J.R. (Reese) knows the offense much better this year,” Mattessich said. “He started on varsity as a freshman, and that’s always tough to do. But we can already see he’s come a long way since last year. I can see much more strength.”

And Reese is ready to do his part.

“I really want to lead my team to a state championship this year,” the sophomore quarterback said. “The community deserves it; the fans deserve it.”

Reese will be working with a new offensive line this year, but that doesn’t worry senior captain John Kampas.

“These guys have all been working very hard, and they know what to do. We expect them to succeed,” Kampas said.

While the Falcons are filled with hope for the upcoming season, they know what they are up against in the form of some tough competition.

“We know we’ve got some big Group IV schools like Randolph,” Reese said. “But we can beat anyone we come up against if we have our chemistry together. And we will.”

Jefferson visits Randolph to open the season at 7 p.m. on Sept. 9. The balance of the schedule is as follows:

• Sept. 16: High Point, Away 7 p.m.
• Sept. 23: Mt. Olive, Home, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 30: Spata, Home, 7 p.m.
• Oct. 6: Montville, Away, 7 p.m.
• Oct. 14:  Morris Hills, Home, 7 p.m.
• Oct. 22: Pope John, Away 2 p.m.
• Oct. 28: Vernon, Home, 7 p.m.
• Nov. 5: Parsippany Hills, Away, 2:30 p.m.