Over the past two seasons, the Belleville football team, with its young core, has gained many valuable, if painful, experiences as it attempted to compete against older competition and more established programs.
Now it’s time for those growing pains to pay off.
The younger students have now become juniors and seniors, which, combined with the move to the Ivy White Division of the Super Football Conference, may give the Buccaneers their most successful season since 2021.
“It’s been a lot of fun to watch the development of this group,” said Brian Antab, who has been head coach for three years. “They’ve been through tough times, but they’ve persevered. They’ve stayed together, they’ve worked really hard, and it’s a lot of fun to see that pay off now and see what they’re capable of.”
One player particularly poised to have a big year is star running back Jeremiah Cook (5-8, 190). Persistent injuries prevented Cook from repeating his 1,149 yards from his sophomore year, but now that he’s back to full strength, all the pieces are in place for Cook to become one of the state’s premier runners this fall.
“He’s really excited about this year and can’t wait to get back on the field,” Antab said. “Last year he had a few setbacks, played through some injuries and missed some time. This year we have a more experienced team for him and he’s excited to go out there and really show what he can do as a senior.”
Speedy 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior Demetri Moya, who filled the void during Cook’s absence, is also a returner in the backfield for Belleville. Juniors Josiah Morton and Jaydan McDaniel will also compete for touches in the running game.
For the third year in a row, the quarterback position is a tightly contested battle between junior Jordan Armstrong and senior Anthony Torres. In 2022, Torres got the most snaps at quarterback, but missed all of last year due to an elbow injury, which ended the competition in August.
“They’ve both seen what’s needed. They know what they have to do,” Antab said. “So it’s a unique situation and we’re trying to see how it develops. We’re looking at who can give us the best results.”
Seniors Anthony Giunta and Elijah Pickering are both three-year receivers. Despite playing several games at quarterback, Pickering led the team in receptions last season and is primed for big things as a senior. Sophomore Carlow Colon is another promising receiver who played on the varsity team late last year.
Caleb Love, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior, is back at tight end, and Samad Conway, a first-year junior, is also starting.
All five projected offensive linemen have experience. Senior AJ Ambrose-Clenaghan is a four-year starter at center. Devin Westfield is a returning starter at left tackle and Keith Greeley, who played center in Ambrose-Clenaghan’s absence, is at left guard. Ahmad Manley, a senior, moves to right tackle and Victor Adams is the starting guard.
Antab is confident the Bucs can consistently generate good outside pressure with Love at one defensive end position and Conway (6-3, 220 pounds) on the other. Conway, a basketball player, has considerable potential as he gets more accustomed to the game.
Senior Nick Netzke occupies one defensive tackle position, while Greeley and Adams alternate at the other tackle position.
Morton, Belleville’s top tackler last year as a sophomore, returns to start at inside linebacker, as does McDaniel. Moya returns at outside linebacker after spending time there and as a safety.
“We just wanted to get him a little closer to the ball this year, so we’re trying to roll him downfield a little bit,” Antab said of Moya, whose versatility allows Belleville to play either a traditional 4-3 or an eight-man front on any given play. “He could be that safety, too.”
Freshman Sean Sharpe is expected to fill the other outside spot, with sophomore James Williams and senior Yandel Rosario also in the running for the linebacker position.
Pickering is a returning starter and free safety with Juinta and Torres at corner. Colon and junior Jaden Westfield will also be used as cornerbacks in passing situations.
By moving to the Ivy White Division, Belleville is no longer eligible for the state tournament, but is ready to have success against similarly strong opponents in the fall. Playing against much stronger teams the last two years, the Bucs struggled to a 1-18 record.
The Bucs open the season on Saturday, September 7, against Ferris in Jersey City before returning home to host North Bergen on September 13.
“We are very confident that we will be competitive,” Antab said. “We are not so concerned about who we are playing against. We are more concerned about the performance we bring to the field and how we play.”
Jason Bernstein | Sports journalist at the Observer
Jason Bernstein joined the Observer as a sportswriter in March 2022 following Jim Hague’s retirement. He has extensive experience as a sportswriter, including stints at NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger).
