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West Essex junior quarterback Jake Long (6), who helped lead the Knights to thrilling 20-14 overtime victory vs. neighborhood rival Caldwell in Sept. 13th showdown at Travis Field in North Caldwell, is latest Parisi Fairfield/Sideline Chatter Athlete of the Week. (Photos by Mike Mineo and Sideline Chatter)
NORTH CALDWELL- There has to be some type of baptism – and perhaps not always pleasant - as a first-year starting varsity quarterback, but West Essex’s Jake Long is ready for the challenges that continue to unfold this 2024 season. The athletic 5-foot-11, 182-pound junior signal caller may wish that he could turn back the clock from the Knights’ season-opening 19-7 loss at Old Tappan; however - then again - he would not have gained the valuable experience that is part and parcel of the mosaic for any young high school QB simply going through the process of having to get more reps behind center. He completed 7-of-15 for 114 yards vs. a strong OT team; however, he also threw three interceptions, including an early ‘Pick 6’ that set the tone in the contest. Yet, he was ready to progress to Round 2 in his still-burgeoning run as a first-string QB and he was better in his second start in helping West Essex (2-1) to a 35-14 victory at Wayne Hills. He was an efficient 7-of-11 for 138 yards and had 1 interception; however, it was also an evening when the Knights’ time-honored rushing attack was very proficient, accounting for 291 yards, to help pave the way in a decisive win over the home-standing Patriots. Next came last Friday night’s (Sept. 13) home opener vs. Caldwell. Again, Long did not throw a lot of passes, but in going 5-of-12 he accounted for an impressive total of 163 yards and a TD, plus all five of his completions were for more than 30 yards, and with two leading directly to scores in a hard-fought 20-14 Knights victory. He rushed for two of his team’s TDs in the contest, including a QB sneak in overtime to lift West Essex to a dramatic triumph over its persistent neighboring rival which made the Knights earn every point they produced. For his clutch efforts vs. Caldwell, Long is the Parisi Fairfield/Sideline Chatter Athlete of the Week. The ever-improving West Essex QB has impressed his veteran head coach with week-to-week progress. “Jake is a really hard worker and a tremendous athlete who was not happy with his own performance against Old Tappan,” said 14th-year head man Chris Benacquista. “Obviously, that's a really tough place to get your first varsity start at QB, so once we learned and moved on from the OT game, Jake has gotten his confidence back and it's helped him produce great results in his next two starts. “He’s a very confident kid who just needs experience, and he’s getting it.” For Long, who is following in the footsteps of his brother Sam, who quarterbacked the Knights to a 10-4 record last fall that included a berth in the overall Group 2 state final, it is the realization that everything he is going through right now is simply part of an inevitable process. “I’m still getting my feet wet, which I knew was part of the deal in being a new starting QB, but I also feel that I’m getting better each week, and I’m learning a lot as well,” said quick-ascending Knights field general. “Coach ‘Benny’ is a great teacher, all my coaches and teammates are very supportive, and I am getting more comfortable with every passing day.” Long continues to make his imprint with the Knights as the latest edition in a family tradition that his brother Donnie helped jet-start with his fine career as a running back, including a senior season in 2021 in which he was the team’s second-leading rusher (97 carries for 571 yards and 10 TDs) for a 9-3 Wessex squad that reached the N1G3 final vs. West Morris. Middle brother Sam Long made the most of his one season as the Knights starting QB completing 75 of 133 passes for 1,142 yards and 8 TDs with 5 Int. and rushing for 316 yards and 4 more TDs as the Knights overcame a tough 0-2 start against a rigorous early slate to win eight games in a row while capturing the N2G3 sectional playoff title with a win vs. Passaic Valley before earning a narrow (21-20) triumph over West Morris in the Group 3 state semifinals. The Knights fell to a state-ranked Delran team, 28-3, in the overall Group 3 final at Rutgers Stadium; yet, regardless of the final result, it was a splendid 2023 season for the North Caldwell-based regional high school. Jake, who was 2 of 3 for 8 yards as a sophomore as his brother’s backup at QB, contributed as a young linebacker for the playoff championship Knights, recording 65 tackles, including 8 TFL, with 5 sacks. The Long brothers were brought up in a local feeder program through the North Caldwell Cowboys. The 16-year-old Jake began his gridiron career 12 years ago as a nursery school-age flag football player in a program then coached by his dad Don, who is a former baseball player at Donovan Catholic High School. “We have been fortunate here at West Essex to have a lot of families with multiple siblings pass through and make a huge impact for our program,” said Benacquista. “The Longs are one of those families made up of great athletes and even better people that I have been honored and privileged to have coached.” And Jake Long’s scholastic career received a positive jolt with the way he produced clutch passes vs. Caldwell in last weekend’s much-anticipated local showdown. The Chiefs’ defense limited the usually efficient West Essex ground game, holding the Knights to just 68 rushing yards, but Long came up with big passes, including completions of 31, 31, 32 and 58 yards to highlight the attack. On his team’s opening drive, an, 11-play, 77-yard march, he completed a 31-yard pass to junior wide receiver Justin Perini on 4th-and15 from the Chiefs 36 to set up his first of two 1-yard QB TD sneaks on the evening. “It was a double move and up to Justin to take it in which he did a great job of,” said Long. “I’m fortunate to have some great receivers and my O-Line protected me there as well.” Trailing 14-7, the Knights came through again with the Long-led aerial attack as he completed a big 32-yard pass to star wide out Anthony Drago, who had just the one reception on the night after hauling in 11 passes through the first two games, but the one vs. Caldwell was a big one. “I put it (the ball) out there and Anthony came back to make the catch, which he usually does,” said Long. “He’s a special player and we try to use him to our advantage on both sides of the ball however we can.” Four plays later came Long’s TD strike over the middle to Max Garcia, who executed well on the seam route splitting two defenders and racing to the end zone to complete a 58-yard score and tie the contest, 14-14, with 4:16 remaining in the third quarter. “Jake made big passes while our offense struggled a bit against their line’s push up front, and we weren’t able to run the ball as well as we usually do,” said Drago. “It was great to see him step up the way he did.” Following a scoreless fourth quarter, Caldwell had the first possession in overtime with teams starting at the 25-yard line, but West Essex’s defense pushed back and an incomplete pass on fourth down halted that drive. West Essex made quick order of a winning push forward on its initial possession capped by Long’s TD on third down, his second QB sneak of the night. “I told coach (Benacquista) that I knew I could sneak it in,” said the ever-improving West Essex signal caller, who is also a relief pitcher and third baseman for the Knights outstanding baseball program. “While our offense struggled at times, I knew that we could still make things happen when we had to, and it felt great to get into the end zone there to finally nail down a victory against a really tough opponent. “I’m going to keep working hard each and every day to keep improving and – most of all- looking to lead my team to more victories along the way!” Follow Sideline Chatter on 'X' @Chattermeister *** Parisi Speed School has been empowering athletes for over 30 years, since 1992. As the industry leader in youth performance training in the country, they have successfully trained over 1,000,000 athletes to include schools, teams, youth organizations and individual athletes from 7 years of age to the Pros in MLB, NFL, MLS, NBA and WNBA. Parents and coaches are invited to visit their website for additional information at www.parisifairfield.com or contact their Director, John Cirilo at 973 227-0199.
West Essex QB Jake Long (6) prepares to unleash pass downfield as he was leading Knights to 20-14 overtime win vs. Caldwell. After game he had leg cramp and was attended to by athletic trainer Kevin Gramata. copyright 2005 Sideline Chatter - to comment contact the webmaster
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