New Sayreville head coach Mark Poore stands in his office. (Submitted photo)
If there’s one thing Mark Poore knows, it’s how deeply-rooted football is in Sayreville.
Like the sign says, it is Bomber Country.
Not every town in Middlesex County is like that. Sure, they may have long histories, and successful pasts, but football beats through the heart of Sayreville like few other places. You could see it when football helped heal the town after Superstorm Sandy, and a couple of years later when a hazing scandal practically ripped out the town’s heart.
Poore was there well before all of it, and has been ever since. As a quarterback, he was All-Area in 2003, then went on to Montclair State to play in college. Not long after graduation, he was back on the Sayreville sidelines, coaching – and learning how to coach – with George Najjar, Chris Beagan, and finally Don Sofilkanich last season.
Poore was approved last last month by the Board of Education, and already has three assistants. Mike Novak – who recently retired as the Bombers’ baseball coach – will remain on staff, while Poore has already hired Gary Andrewshetsko – with whom he played and coached at Sayreville and in college – and James DiPaolo, who’s been an outstanding ballplayer and coach at North Plainfield.
Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mark Poore talk about his formative experiences at Sayreville, and his plans for the future of the Bomber program: