Big and strong two-way lineman Austin Frank is a key guy in the trenches for the 2010 Linden football team as the Tigers look to be playoff team this fall. (photo courtesy of Linden football)

Speedy junior Jahaad Smith, seen here running 40-yard dash at Linden Team Camp earlier this summer, is slated to be a starting cornerback for the fast and athletic Tigers' defensive unit.

Deon Candia has established a strong foundation as he begins third season as the Linden head football coach, expressing much optimism for the 2010 Tigers. (Photo by JR Parachini)

Strong Group Of Core Players Provide
Extreme Optimism For Linden Football
By JR Parachini
For sidelinechatter.com

LINDEN – The Linden Tigers are in a stage right now where they constantly have to prove themselves.

This is not a program that can just send out a team and easily expect to win eight, nine or 10 games.

After consecutive 5-5 finishes, third-year head coach Deon Candia – a 1991 Linden graduate – feels he has the Tigers on the right path.

“We have a good core of kids buying into our system here,” Candia said. “It comes from the off season, with the kids in the weight room and focused.”

Linden got out to a 4-0 start last year, but then lost five straight before ending its season with a 26-20 home triumph over Union.

“These are my kind of kids,” Candia said. “They want to do the right thing on and off the field and they’re learning to love football.

“They dedicated themselves off the field and that makes me feel good as a coach.”

Jaurice Jones started four games at quarterback last year when Trell Myers was out and he is back for what he hopes will be an outstanding senior season.

“Jaurice has some experience and he’s a great athlete for us,” Candia said. “He gives us an option of running the ball as well as throwing. He’s a super competitor.”

Candia said that Jones has received an offer from 1-AA school Bryant University.

Backing him up will be sophomore Jeremy Stathum (6-3, 195), whom Candia described as more of a drop back signal-caller.

“He’ll stay in the pocket and he’s got a very strong arm,” Candia said. “He’s our future at quarterback.”

After a stellar baseball season, senior Will Ingram returns as one of the top running backs in Union County this fall. He rushed for 1,100 yards and averaged five yards a carry last season.

“Will’s a great leader for us and a very tough kid,” Candia said. “He’s also an honor roll student who already qualifies for a scholarship.

“He also performs well in the classroom and is a great, all-around kid.”

Linden averaged 27.25 points in its 4-0 start last year before falling at a team that was under .500 at the time – North Hunterdon – by the score of 21-14. A 12-7 loss at home to Hunterdon Central followed and then came defeats at home to Westfield 24-7, at Immaculata 42-21 and at home to Franklin 28-21 in overtime in a sectional consolation game.

If Linden is to achieve its first winning season and playoff campaign since 2006, the Tigers must be more consistent on offense.

“We can throw the ball, but we want to build on our running game,” Candia said. “We have a pretty experienced offensive line and running game.”

Another returning senior running back is Kevin Rodriguez, while junior Ruhann Peele is back at wide receiver after starting in the secondary as a freshman two years ago.

“Ruhann is also our punt returner and kick returner and has super endurance,” Candia said. “He can stay on the field all day. He’s a true playmaker.”

Candia also said that Peele received a verbal offer already from Rutgers, with the Scarlet Knights looking at him as a wide receiver.

“He has some work to do academically, but he has a plan and he’s working hard at it,” Candia said. “He went to camp at Rutgers over the summer and they were impressed with what they saw of him.”

One of the top two-way linemen in the county is senior Austin Frank (6-1, 275), who was an All-County selection a year ago.

“He got bigger, had an excellent wrestling season and his working on his foot work right now,” Candia said. “He’s also very intelligent and has attracted looks from Holy Cross and Princeton.

“He’s very competitive and we’re looking for some big things from him this year.”

Frank leads a 4-4 defensive scheme that is concentrating on better run coverage.

“We had some issues last year with the run, with some running backs gaining over 200 yards against us,” Candia said. “We had some breakdowns and we really stressed that over camp.

“We need to swarm to the ball. We’re working on our technique and tackling so that we can cut teams from making big plays.”

LINDEN ’S ONLY PLAYOFF CROWN CAME 25 YEARS AGO

Bucky McDonald, who Candia played for, guided Linden to its only playoff championship in 1985, which was his first year at the helm.

Linden was the second seed in North 2, Group 3. The Tigers defeated third-seeded Scotch Plains 17-0 at home in the semifinals and then went to Long Valley and came away with a 19-7 win over top-seeded West Morris in the final.

In an interview I did with McDonald five years ago, he felt that the 1986 team was even better. That Tiger squad was 8-0 and home as the top seed in North 2, Group 3, but was defeated by Summit 10-7 in the semifinals. Linden rebounded to beat Union on Thanksgiving to finish 9-1.

“I remember those times, 1985 and 1986,” said Candia, whose freshman year at Linden was the fall of 1987, which was the year Linden lost at Union in overtime in a North 2, Group 4 semifinal that was played on one of the coldest days of the decade.

“A lot of the guys that played on those teams come to the field here to talk to the kids,” Candia said. “They had a lot of attitude and worked as a unit.

“We tell the kids now what happened then and how it was able to be done. Our team goals are the same, which are to do what we can do as a team.”

Snapping a five-game losing streak and ending 2009 with a big home win over conference rival Union was the first stepping stone for the 2010 campaign.

“We had a lot of young kids last year that didn’t understand a full season of football,” Candia said. “Now we have kids who are ready mentally and understand how to pace themselves and mature.”

IS THE EAST A DIVISION OF THE MID-STATE 39 CONFERENCE

THE TOUGHEST IN THE STATE?

If it’s not, it’s certainly right up there. The division consists of Immaculata, Watchung Hills and five Union County schools: Union, Elizabeth, Westfield, Linden and Plainfield. For the first time, Plainfield dropped to Group 3. Scotch Plains moved over to the West B Division.

“It’s tough, the teams we play,” Candia said. “We’re preparing our kids for that by letting them know how tough the competition will be.”

Last year’s first Mid-State 39 Conference alignment, which consisted of seven divisions instead of the six that there are for this year, was a one-year format as far as scheduling. Also, not everyone played everyone within each division.

This will be the first season of two-year home and away schedules for each team in the conference, with everyone playing everyone within their division this season.

Linden had to play at Immaculata last year and will play at Immaculata again this year, but will host the Spartans next season.

Immaculata won last year’s Raritan Division, while Westfield captured the Watchung Division.

“This is the old school way of thinking, but if we want to be the best, then to be the best is to play the best,” Candia said. “We have to be versatile and focused and take on the challenge of being competitive.”

Linden ’s non-division matchups this season include Hunterdon Central, Warren Hills and Ridge.

“We’re not looking at us as too high, but we’re not considering ourselves pushovers either,” Candia said.

NOTES: Linden’s first scrimmage is Tuesday, Aug. 24 and was moved from Bayonne to South Brunswick, with a 5 p.m. starting time. The scrimmage includes Linden, Bayonne, South Brunswick and Rahway.

Linden’s only home scrimmage will be Friday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. against Rumson-Fair Haven.

Linden’s game-scrimmage is at East Brunswick Sept. 3 at 5 p.m.

In the regular season, Linden will face three teams with new head coaches, including Elizabeth with former New Brunswick mentor John Quinn, Watchung Hills with former Union mentor Marc Crisafi and Plainfield with former Woodbridge mentor Bill Nyers.

Elizabeth went 1-9 last year, Watchung Hills 2-8 and Plainfield 2-8. Linden will host all three.

LINDEN ’S MULTIPLE-I OFFENSE:

RG Sumir Burns, junior, (6-0, 255)

RT Marcellous Osborne, senior, (5-11, 235)

C Joe Krech, senior, (6-0, 195)

TE Ismail Abdul-Wahid, junior, (6-0, 190)

LG Steven Carabali, senior, (6-0, 225)

LT Austin Frank, senior, (6-1, 275)

WR Anthony Alix, junior, (6-0, 190)

WR Ruhann Peele, junior, (6-1, 175)

QB Jaurice Jones, senior, (6-1, 180)

TB Will Ingram, senior, (5-11, 180)

FB Kevin Rodriguez, senior, (5-8, 195)

PK Yardley Batelus, senior, (5-8, 155)

P Brandon Hutchins, junior, (5-7, 145)

LINDEN ’S 4-4 DEFENSE:

LE Keron Smith, senior, (5-10, 205)

LT Austin Frank, senior, (6-1, 275)

RT Sumir Burns, junior, (6-0, 255)

RE Steven Carabali, senior, (6-0, 225)

MLB Ismail Abdul-Wahid, junior, (6-0, 190)

MLB Will Ingram, senior, (5-11, 180)

OLB Raheem Harris, junior, (6-1, 180)

OLB Anthony Alix, junior, (6-0, 190)

CB Jalil Spann, senior, (6-0, 170)

CB Jahaad Smith, junior, (5-10, 170)

S Jaurice Jones, senior, (6-1, 180)

LINDEN TIGERS

Head Coach: Deon Candia,

since 2008.

Third season: 10-10 (.500)

Conference: Mid-State 39

Division: East A

Section: North 2, Group 4

Linden ’s last sectional title: 1985

2009: (5-5)

Tigers in the 2000s: 49-54 (.476)

Cooper Field: Field Turf.

Deon Candia is a 1991 Linden graduate, who was an

assistant under Bucky McDonald – who he played for –

and Joe Stinson.

LINDEN TIGERS 2010

Sept. 10 at Hunterdon Central, 7 p.m.

Sept. 24 Elizabeth, 7 p.m.

Oct. 1 at Warren Hills, 7 p.m.

Oct. 8 Watchung Hills, 7 p.m.

Oct. 15 at Immaculata, 7 p.m.

Oct. 22 Ridge, 7 p.m.

Oct. 30 at Westfield, 1 p.m.

Nov. 5 Plainfield, 7 p.m.

Nov. 25 at Union, 10:30 a.m.

2009: (5-5)

Head coach: Deon Candia,

third season

2009 LINDEN TIGERS (5-5)

(H) Linden 21, Rahway 12

(H) Linden 35, Scotch Plains 0

(A) Linden 26, Elizabeth 12

(A) Linden 27, Plainfield 18

(A)  North Hunterdon 21, Linden 14

(H) Hunterdon Central 12, Linden 7

(H) Westfield 24, Linden 7

(A) Immaculata 42, Linden 21

(H) Franklin 28, Linden 21 (OT)

(H) Linden 26, Union 20

Head coach: Deon Candia

Section: North 2, Group 4

Record: 5-5

Home: 3-3

Away: 2-2

Points for: 205

Points against: 189

Shutouts: 1

Overtime: 0-1

LINDEN TIGERS FOR THE DECADE

OF THE 2000s: (49-54, .476)

2009 - (5-5)

2008 - (5-5)

2007 - (1-9)

2006 - (7-4), reached North 2, Group 4 semifinals

2005 - (6-4), reached North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals

2004 - (7-4), reached North 2, Group 4 semifinals

2003 - (2-8)

2002 - (5-5), reached North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals

2001 - (4-6)

2000 - (7-4), reached North 2, Group 4 semifinals

Made state playoffs (5 times): 2000, 2002, 2004-2006.

Present head coach: Deon Candia, third year.

Head coaches the past decade (3): Bucky McDonald 2000-2006.

Joe Stinson 2007. Deon Candia 2008, 2009.

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