VERONA- For the Caldwell Chiefs, the 2026 season offers a chance to improve on last year’s 5-5 record, which saw the Chiefs eliminated in the playoff sectional semifinals.
In Friday night’s opener at Verona (0-2), the Chiefs (1-0) were able to impose their will out of the gate, jumping out to a 23-0 lead early in the second quarter and cruising to a 43-7 victory on a comfortable evening at Thomas J. Sellitto Athletic Field.
Caldwell was able to open up a 15-0 lead before the Hillbillies ran an offensive play.
Starting from their 30, the Chiefs took the opening kickoff and needed eight plays to take the lead. Junior QB Adam Sepe (10-12, 132 yd., 2 TD) found Dante Placenti for 32 yards and a first down at the Verona 12. Two plays later, Nicco Capaldo (11 carries, 104 yd., 3 TD) took a pitch, and rambled around right end for a 12-yard score. After a defensive penalty, the Chiefs went for two and Nico Sozio ran it in for an 8-0 Caldwell lead with 7:43 left in the quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Caldwell got a huge break when the ball hit a Verona player and was recovered by Lucas Alcazar at the Verona 45. A 16-yard scamper by Capaldo moved the ball to the 29, and two plays later Sepe found Placenti for a 22-yard touchdown and it was 15-0 with 5:15 remaining in the quarter.
A long kickoff return by Verona’s Anthony Palma set up the Hillbillies at the Caldwell 38. Palma then burst 12 yards up the middle for a first down at the 20. On 4th-and-1 from the 11, Caldwell’s Logan Arnott stuffed the Verona ballcarrier and the Chiefs took over on downs.
It took just six plays for the Chiefs to increase their lead. Runs of 15 by Capaldo and 13 by Sepe moved the ball to the 39. Sepe then found Erik Gadhok for 11 yards and a first down at the Verona 47. Santino Russo then hauled in a 41-yard strike from Sepe, which set up Capaldo’s second TD of the quarter, a 6-yard burst. Sepe’s 2-point run made it 23-0, 32 seconds into the second quarter.
Verona was able to move the ball in the first half, amassing 163 yards of total offense, The Hillbillies would answer midway through the first half. A 36-yard scamper by Dante Palmer moved the ball to the Caldwell 44. Senior QB John Mcenerney (8-13, 88 yd., 1 TD, 1 INT) then found Palma for 25 yards and a first down at the 14. On 3rd-and-goal from the 8, Mcenerney hit Gerard Barone for the score and it was 23-7 with 7:10 left in the half.
Both teams would threaten on their final possessions of the half. Caldwell was stopped at the Verona 16 with 2:22 left and the Hillbillies got to the Caldwell 28 as time ran out.
The Chiefs proceeded to put the game away with three third-quarter touchdowns. On the second play of the half, Capaldo picked off a pass and went 32 yards for the score. He then went 4 yards for a touchdown, then Sepe and Placenti combined for a 28-yard strike to close out the scoring and ensure a running clock in the fourth quarter. The defense did its part, holding Verona to just 20 yards in the second half.
