Roselle Park Coach Excited
And Optimistic About Panthers
By JR Parachini
For sidelinechatter.com

ROSELLE PARK – The Panthers are coming off a first 0-10 season, have only four returning starters back total and face a very challenging schedule to say the least.

Yet fifth-year head coach James Foy couldn’t be more excited about the present and optimistic about the future.

“We told the kids to forget about last year, it’s over, and we’re moving on,” Foy said. “We, literally, almost have a brand new team out there.”

Roselle Park was last victorious on Oct. 17, 2008 when the Panthers won at Newark Central 28-20. The last home win was earlier that season against Sussex Tech 47-14. The Panthers finished 2-8 in 2008, with the last winning season achieved in 2006.

Returning starters on offense include quarterback Vinnie Brunette and running backs Connor Gabriel and Nick Longo - all seniors – and on defense junior safety Brendan Leary and Gabriel and Longo, who both play linebacker.

“For us to have only four guys coming back from last year after going 0-10 is very tough,” Foy said. “We have taken a different approach this year.

“We’re very young and we’re going to play a lot of sophomores as it turns out.”

Roselle Park ’s first scrimmage on Tuesday, Aug. 24, saw the Panthers host Glen Ridge, Manville and Kinnelon.

“With the first group, we had 5-6 sophomores out there,” Foy said. “There’s a lot of teaching right now, with it being a big adjustment for sophomores to come to varsity and see the speed quicker and the strength of the opponent stronger.”

Compared to last season’s first scrimmage, Foy was very pleased with the performance his young team put forth Tuesday.

“We were definitely better,” Foy said. “We didn’t let up any touchdowns in the two rotations and on offense scored twice and moved the ball well.”

Summit and Dayton both went 0-10 in 2006 and just last year challenged for state championships, with the Hilltoppers winning their first one in 15 years, going 12-0 and finishing No. 1 in Union County. Hillside went 0-10 in 2007 and then improved dramatically the past two seasons, including an 8-3 playoff campaign in 2008 where the Comets were one score away from reaching a state championship game.

“We’re excited about where we’re going to be,” Foy said. “We hope to mature quickly. If the kids understand, we’ll do a little better than last year. How our maturity translates to wins and losses we’ll have to wait and see.”

The most positive number that came out of last season was 33. Foy reported that the Panthers began the season with 33 players and also ended it with 33, despite all of the struggles in between.

“It was real credit to the players that nobody quit and there was no finger pointing,” Foy said.

Last year’s captains helped see to that, including seniors Will Fahoury, Victor Paulino and Ron Valente and Longo as a junior.

“Our kids were focused right to the last week, right up to the Roselle game,” Foy said. “They hung on our every word.

“We still had 33 there on Thanksgiving morning and they did a great job of remaining focused.

“Success can be measured in different ways and that is one of them.”

Longo, Gabriel and Brunette – the only three returning senior starters – were named this year’s captains.

“We’ve talked to them about leading the way and showing the other kids how things are done,” Foy said. “Normally the players vote on who the captains will be, but because we had so few seniors, the coaches decided to name those three right off the bat. We still might name one more.”

Foy said the number of players now is 31, which might increase by a few by the time the season begins.

“With our sophomore and junior classes, we have a nice core of kids,” Foy said. “One of the questions is how quick are they going to mature?

“In our first scrimmage those sophomores and juniors started to get a chance to play for the first time and saw what the competition was all about. How quick they will mature and gel as a team we’ll have to see.

“You need a class to come up and get it done, but our goal every year is to go out and win every game. In 2010 we’re going to go out and play better.

“We’re in a little bit of a down cycle now, but I think we’ll get back up here at Roselle Park. We’re normally a .500 or above .500 team. At the beginning of the last decade we had a down year and then shot back up.

“I think we can find our way back up and I think this is the year we’re going to start to do that.”

Brunette is a two-year starter at QB.

“Vinnie works pretty hard at it and went to a couple of quarterback camps, including Kevin Carty’s for the second year,” Foy said. “He can throw the ball and his reads are better for us, which you would expect with this being his second year.

“He’s progressing like we thought he would.”

Gabriel’s the fullback and a three-year starter.

“Connor has gotten very big and is a very physical type of player,” Foy said. “On offense he likes to have the ball, so you love to have that. He runs people over.

“Defensively, he runs all over the place. He made some nice plays in our first scrimmage.”

Longo is the lead right halfback and a two-year starter.

“Nick is an athlete, he plays three sports including wrestling and baseball,” Foy said. “He’s very physical and has some nice moves.

“On defense he’s pretty quick and a smart player. We moved him outside this year because of all the younger players we have. We think he’ll be more productive there. He showed signs of that in our first scrimmage.”

Leary is also a two-year starter.

“Brendan started at safety for us last year for the first time and is having a nice summer for us right now,” Foy said. “We’ve noticed that he is performing a lot better for us back there.

“We need to put hits on people from the safety spot and he had a couple of nice dings in our first scrimmage.

“That’s good to see because we need to be a physical football team. One of the things we’re trying to preach to the kids is to stop being soft. You have to be physical in order to play this game.”

NOTES: Roselle Park remained home for its second scrimmage held last Saturday (Aug. 28) with Wallington and Marist The Panthers will also entertain Metuchen, Thursday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. in its game-scrimmage.

The Panthers are also home on opening weekend, hosting non-conference foe Belvidere Sept. 10 at 7 p.m.

Roselle Park is situated in the Mid-State 39 Conference’s East C Division along with Bound Brook, Brearley, New Providence, Roselle and Dayton.

Roselle Park , Brearley, New Providence and Dayton are all situated in North 2, Group 1 for this season.

The Panthers last defeated Brearley and New Providence in 2001, which was also the last season Roselle Park qualified for the state playoffs.

ROSELLE PARK ’S WING-T OFFENSE:

RG Andre Zamora, junior, (5-8, 185)

C D. J. DelRio, junior, (5-0, 180)

LG Rob Bianchi, sophomore, (5-9, 170)

G Ed Castro, sophomore, (5-9, 160)

T Ramon Jenkins, junior, (5-10, 175)

T Eric Romero, sophomore, (5-10, 195)

TE Zak Fahoury, junior, (5-10, 180)

TE Frank Schneeberger, sophomore, (5-9, 165)

SE Neil Patel, sophomore, (5-10, 150)

QB Vinnie Brunette, senior, (5-9, 170)

QB David Heim, junior, (5-9, 145)

FB Connor Gabriel, senior, (5-10, 180)

LHB Brendan Leary, junior, (5-8, 145)

LHB Sergio Escobar, junior, (5-7, 140)

RHB Nick Longo, senior, (5-9, 155)

RHB Samar Branch, sophomore, (5-7, 145)

PK Frank Schneeberger, sophomore, (5-9, 165)

P Ramon Jenkins, junior, (5-10, 175)

ROSELLE PARK ’S 3-3 DEFENSE:

NG Andre Zamora, junior, (5-8, 185)

T Ramon Jenkins, junior, (5-10, 175)

T D. J. DelRio, junior, (5-0, 180)

T Kevin Metellis, sophomore, (5-9, 195)

MLB Connor Gabriel, senior, (5-10, 180)

LILB Ed Castro, sophomore, (5-9, 160)

RILB Juan Carmona, sophomore, (5-10, 165)

ILB Karn Patel, junior, (5-11, 165)

OLB Zak Fahoury, junior, (5-10, 180)

OLB Frank Schneeberger, sophomore, (5-9, 165)

OLB Nick Longo, senior, (5-9, 155)

CB Sergio Escobar, junior, (5-7, 140)

CB Samar Branch, sophomore, (5-7, 145)

CB Vinnie Brunette, senior, (5-9, 170)

S Brendan Leary, junior, (5-8, 145)

ROSELLE PARK PANTHERS

Head coach: James Foy,

since 2006.

Fifth season: 13-27 (.325)

Conference: Mid-State 39

Division: East C

Section: North 2, Group 1

Roselle Park ’s last sectional title: 1993

2009: (0-10)

Panthers in the 2000s: 43-57 (.430)

Herm Shaw Field: Grass.

James Foy is a 1990 Roselle Park graduate who

played for and coached under Roselle Park’s

winningest coach, John Wagner.

ROSELLE PARK PANTHERS 2010

Sept. 10 Belvidere, 7 p.m.

Sept. 16 at Brearley, 7 p.m.

Sept. 24 at South Hunterdon, 7 p.m.

Oct. 1 Dayton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 8 at Bound Brook, 7 p.m.

Oct. 15 Pingry, 7 p.m.

Oct. 22 at Bernards, 7 p.m.

Oct. 30 at New Providence, 1 p.m.

Nov. 25 Roselle, 10:30 a.m.

Head coach: James Foy,

fifth season

2009 ROSELLE PARK PANTHERS (0-10)

(H) Dayton 34, Roselle Park 6

(A) Belvidere 47, Roselle Park 7

(H) Manville 34, Roselle Park 16

(A) New Providence 42, Roselle Park 0

(H) Brearley 28, Roselle Park 12

(H) Bound Brook 33, Roselle Park 6

(A)  South Hunterdon 27, Roselle Park 20 (OT)

(H) Bernards 35, Roselle Park 13

(A) Bordentown 28, Roselle Park 0

(A) Roselle 35, Roselle Park 0

Head coach: James Foy

Section: Central Jersey, Group 1

Record: 0-10

Home: 0-5

Away: 0-5

Points for: 80

Points against: 342

Shutouts: 0

Overtime : 0-1

ROSELLE PARK PANTHERS FOR THE

DECADE OF THE 2000s: (43-57, .430)

2009 - (0-10)

2008 - (2-8)

2007 - (5-5)

2006 - (6-4)

2005 - (6-4)

2004 - (6-4)

2003 - (4-6)

2002 - (3-7)

2001 - (5-5), reached North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals

2000 - (6-4), reached North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals

Made state playoffs (2 times): 2000, 2001.

Present head coach: James Foy, fifth year.

Head coaches the past decade (2): John Wagner 2000-2005.

James Foy 2006-2009.

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