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Sports

Central Regional Football Team Keeps Busy during Off-season

Ten returning starters this season are seniors

Football coaches, including Central Regional’s Vin Casale, feel a team’s success is predicated on what they do in the off-season, especially when they have as many players back as the Golden Eagles do.

"We’re expecting some good things," Casale said. "The kids are working hard and expecting a good summer. That’s the key."

The one noticeable addition is on the coaching staff. Willie Jacobs - a former Central Regional player who later was an assistant Asbury Park coach - has come aboard and moved right up as defensive coordinator.

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"He was a teacher and coach in the middle school and we talked him into joining the staff," said Casale, who is entering his fourth season as head coach. "This is a major change for us."

Another major change of sorts is a new weight room, a storage area in the auxiliary gym where much of the weight lifting equipment from the prior crammed weight room was moved over.

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"It’s a lot bigger and nicer," Casale said. "It helps tremendously."

He has 30 to 40 players are lifting regularly in the spring. Some of them come in after competing in other spring sports such as baseball, volleyball and track and field. Once school closes, those numbers will swell when summer workouts go full steam in mid-June before the preseason begins on Aug. 15

The Golden Eagles open their season on Sept. 11 at Red Bank Regional in a non-conference game. Competing in Shore Conference B South, they will take on division foes Lacey, Pinelands, Manchester, Barnegat and Brick Township.

Jacobs will work with a largely veteran defensive group in a 4-4 defensive formation. At least 14 players on both sides of the ball who started most of the games last season are back and are looking to improve on a 1-9 record. Only defensive back Pat Solomon and end Alex Kwapis graduated off the defense and lineman Joe Schneider graduated off the offense.

"The big things that held us back last year was that we were young and our strength," Casale said.

That will change as 10 returning starters are seniors this fall, led by tailback Kalyph Hardy, who scored 17 touchdowns and rushed for 1,650 yards. He has been recruited by NCAA Division I programs Rutgers, Syracuse and the University of Central Florida as well as I-AA schools Monmouth, Stony Brook and Fordham.

"The biggest thing is that he’s a tough kid who loves to compete," Casale said.

Hardy showed those qualities during the wrestling season when he finished third in the state championships, his only loss in 40 bouts at the 160-pound class. He was Region VI and District 24 champion.

Hardy will get plenty of solid blocking from fullback Keith Stokes, guards Anthony Giordano and Joe Seymour and two-way lineman Albie Labagnara, who will all be seniors in the fall, as well as lineman Jeff Daton, who will be a junior. Hardy’s cousin — Javon Hardy — broke into the starting lineup at quarterback as a freshman for the final three games of last season and completed 60 percent of his passes.

"He did really well and is very athletic," Hardy said.

Casale said he will stick to a multiple-I formation on offense. Other players back on offense are tight end John Azaceta and wide receivers Josh Dwight and Kyle Gordon who all will be seniors this fall. On the defensive side are defensive back Nike Grieco, lineman Jon Garcia and defensive back Kyle Barker who will be seniors this fall.

Two other young players also will utilize their experience at linebacker -- Blake Jambor, who will be a junior, and Abe Hogan, who broke into the starting lineup as a freshman. Austin DeRose is back as the kicker.

The staff also is intact. Walt Ramsay remains the offensive coordinator where he has served the last three seasons and Pat Ramsay is the receivers coach. Mike Casale, son of the head coach, coaches the running backs. Michael Jordan the boys track and field coach in the spring, is offensive line coach. Charlie Monanian is defensive line back and Chris Loveland works with the linebackers.

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