Football preview: Falcons should benefit from experience, coach says

In the past few years, the Jefferson Township High School football team has been full of underclassmen, including freshmen.

With only two players graduating last spring, the team now has mostly returning players with experience.

“We’re better because everybody’s a year older and in the same position, and their summer went great,” said head coach Jim Matsakis.

Ten of the 11 offensive starters from last year have returned along with nine of the 11 defensive starters.

Matsakis thinks the combination of so many returning players, the mentality they’ve gained from last season and the chemistry they’ve developed will make Jefferson one of the most dangerous teams in the Super Football Conference (SFC) Patriot Red division.

Last season, the Falcons’ overall record was 3-7, and the team went 1-4 against division opponents, landing in fifth place among the six teams.

This year, Matsakis expects a season full of grit, intensity and hard-fought victories.

The season opener is Friday, Aug. 30 against High Point at home.

Stand-out players

The team has some stand-out players who the coach thinks will dominate this season.

He is confident that junior Connor Consiglio will cement himself as the leading quarterback in the division. He threw 2,600 yards as a sophomore last year.

“Connor, just on statistics, has to be one of the best,” he said. “And the fact that all four of his receivers are back.”

Among the returning receivers are seniors Steven Cruz and Jason Post. Each has at least three years of starting on the varsity team.

Post is a four-year starter who, in Matsakis’s opinion, also is the best outside linebacker in the conference.

Both players are extremely versatile and disciplined and can dominate at a variety of positions. Cruz also plays strong safety, and Post also plays outside linebacker and tight end.

Cruz and Post are emblematic of the style of football that Matsakis is hoping to play: a fast dynamic offense run by hard-nosed, flexible athletes and guided by undeniable talent, such as Consiglio.

This style requires many experienced, reliable players who can affect the field at all different levels - a brand of player that Matsakis is fortunate to have many of.

A big part of this strategy is “stacking the deck,” as he calls it, where the team sets up situations in which three or four of its strongest players are nearby and can exploit mismatches and vulnerabilities in the other team.

Matsakis and the players know that this will be a tough season, facing teams such as Vernon, West Milford and Sparta.

“It’s just a matter of getting them mentally ready to realize that ‘you’ve got to now go prove it,’ ” he said.