Caldwell Veteran Captain
Has Focus On Big Picture

WEST CALDWELL- It might involve something in the aerospace field, or perhaps even working in the intricacies of looking to upgrade an engine in the world of NASCAR.

Whatever field that Caldwell’s Jordan Gruzas finds himself in down the line, the future mechanical engineering major at Stevens Tech will keep his mind fully focused on what's important just as he is doing right now as a standout senior attackman and 2-year captain for the Chiefs lacrosse team.

While the super cool applications in engineering go through his cerebral passages so does formulating the best way to mesh with a relatively young Caldwell lax squad in making the rest of this 2026 season a very productive one, including winning many more games.

The veteran standout who poured in 5 goals to go along with 3 assists in his team’s 13-3 victory at West Essex in the 7th annual Pancake Cup Game held between the two neighboring rivals, is the Parisi Fairfield/Sideline Chatter Athlete of the Week.

And beyond personal accomplishments, such as reaching the 100-point career plateau with a goal and 4 assists in Tuesday night's (April 14) 15-10 loss at West Morris (7-1), helping the Chiefs (2-5) reach a fourth straight Essex County Tournament final and win ECT and state titles are the main goals that remain first and foremost during his final high school season as one of the top attackmen in North Jersey.

“100 points is a big deal for any lacrosse player, but it’s really been the last thing on my mind going into a game we’re playing,” said Gruzas, who scored 36 goals to go along with 20 assists as a junior last spring for a 12-10 Chiefs squad that reached the ECT final for a third straight season, all while finishing as a runner-up to Seton Hall Prep, and lost, 7-4, to eventual Group 1 state champion Glen Ridge in the South Jersey, Group 1 state sectional final.

"For me it’s always about doing my best and my part to help our team.

“I’d be fine with zero points in a game as long as we win!”

Gruzas, who overcame a football-related leg injury as a freshman, has been part of the Caldwell lacrosse varsity squad since his sophomore year when he contributed 13 goals and 5 assists as the Chiefs had one of their best teams ever finishing 20-4 overall and 6-1 in the Waterman Division.

Only a narrow 6-5 loss to perennial state title contender Mountain Lakes prevented Caldwell from winning a North, Group 1 sectional title.
Last year he was selected as a junior captain, a rare honor for a Chiefs lacrosse player.

On and off the field he has continued to set a great example for his teammates. An ‘A’ student with a 4.25 GPA and 1500 on his SATs, Gruzas takes several AP classes at James Caldwell High School       

“Jordan played for us a sophomore in 2024 when we also had reps at midfield and we had a nice run. His brother Jake (now a junior starting long-stick midfielder at Kean University) was also a key player for us,” said Caldwell second-year head coach Nick Esposito, who had been a 17-year assistant at his high school alma mater before taking over for longtime and now retired head man John Timan last spring. “Jordan really came into his own last year as a junior when he also emerged as a great team leader which has continued this season as a valuable 2-year team captain for us.

“His example on and off the field is tremendous as a true student-athlete and the younger guys look up to him as he sets a great example for them to follow.”

Gruzas has 17 goals and 12 assistts through the first seven games. Among his strong performances to date were when he, scored 2 goals and 2 assists in Caldwell’s season-opening 9-4 victory over Pope John (5-3) back on March 28th, then had 3 goals and an assist in a tough 6-4 loss to a solid Sparta team (3-1) on April 2, and tallied 4 goals with an assist in a rough 13-5 setback to state-ranked Scotch Plains (6-1) on April 9.

Now he looks to help his Chiefs head back on the high road with eyes on the upcoming ECT which should be a more wide open tourney this spring since 12-time defending champion SHP has elected not to enter the event and instead concentrate on other prime independent showcases.

“We are always looking to learn from our mistakes, get better and move forward,” said Gruzas. “I have great faith in my teammates as we all continue to work hard while looking to win as many games as we can the rest of the way.”

NOTES- In addition to his high academic success that also includes being a member of the National Honors Society, Gruzas is also very active in serving his community. He graduated from the fire academy and is a volunteer firefighter with the Caldwell Fire Department.

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