New era for SCCC football

Weldon Braxton’s tenure as head football coach at Sussex County Community College is off to a challenging start, as the Skylanders are 0-3 on the young season.

“While there are certainly weaknesses, we have good players here,” said Braxton, who was the team’s offensive coordinator last year under former head coach James Robertson.

“This year is a transition for coaches and players. The great teams I’ve had in the past always had a tough, physical mindset and the plan is ultimately to get to that point here.”

Having held coaching positions at various levels throughout the country, Braxton, 37, thrived as head coach/offensive coordinator at Itasca (Minn.) Community College from 2017 to 2021.

During his tenure, he won a conference championship, and his team reached its highest ranking in school history at No. 2 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). In 2021, he had the top offense in the NJCAA.

“Sure, we run an up-tempo style and scheme with the best of them, but we really stress mental and physical toughness and hard coaching and some guys have a difficult time with that,” Braxton said. “We look for mentally tough, high-character guys to recruit and that can outweigh talent sometimes.”

Recruiting can be a challenge, especially at the Division I junior college level.

“Sussex is a non-scholarship school and thus far we have played three schools that give out football scholarships,” said Braxton, who works in residential living at Centenary University in Hackettstown.

“We still recruit talented players and remain competitive, as we were up at halftime against Lackawanna College, who was ranked No. 13 in the country at the time.”

After losing to Monroe University, Lackawanna and Georgia Military College to start the season, the Skylanders are hosting Louisburg College at Skylands Stadium at noon Saturday, Sept. 20.

The rest of their home games will be at Skylands.

“When I took over in January, a goal was to improve our character, conduct and discipline,” Braxton said. “I believe we have done that and will continue to build in all facets.”

Last year, under Robertson, the Skylanders went 3-6. In 2023, Robertson’s first season, the team went 8-2.

Robertson now is assistant football coach at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne.