Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2024: Week 1 Notebook

Photo credit: (Marcus Borden) — Photo Credit: (Marcus Borden)

Week One (August 12 -17) of the Caravan was exciting, and with the weather cooling down significantly after several weeks of 90-degree heat for most of July as well as those dreary rainy days of early August!

Monday morning, I kicked off the 2024 preseason at the South River High School campus, which is under construction along Drew Pearson Hall of Fame Way.

The Rams’ senior leadership is excited to show that its off-season work will be rewarded when they host Point Pleasant Beach on Saturday August 31 at noon in a much different looking Bill Denny Stadium.

Four-year starter Michael Marchesi – the head coach’s son, who led the captains’ practices – will play tight end and outside linebacker. Senior Aiden Velez brings the energy on defense as he will make the calls from his middle linebacker position and will also help carry the football as a fullback.

Returning center senior Karl Nielsen will anchor the middle on offense and defense as the center and nose guard. Ryker Stewart returns for his final season at guard and inside linebacker and he is looking forward to bringing back that South River Ram rich tradition.

Monday’s afternoon stop was at Highland Park’s Joe Policastro Stadium, which was recently re-turfed last year, while also adding new lighting.

The Owls are soaring high since their final regular season game win at Point Pleasant Beach, 46-29, ending the program’s 51-game losing streak, at the time, the longest active skid in New Jersey.

Many of those players were underclassmen who now return with the knowledge of how to win by finishing the game.

Multi-talented senior quarterback Markos Hantsoulis showed everyone that he can beat you with his legs and his arm. His ability to escape pressure while on the run and his pinpoint accuracy will pose problems for the opposition. Hantsoulis’ junior cousins Stamatis and Konstantinos will also make a difference on offense and defense.

Senior Zyaire Holland is excited about the season and believes he can make his mark at running back and linebacker. Brian Mahoney, who returns for his final season at guard and linebacker, brings toughness and discipline after a great off-season in the weight room and in summer workouts.

Tuesday’s 6:45 a.m. practice at Bob Demarco Stadium in Old Bridge was non-stop and well-orchestrated with a plethora of talented players separated by offense and defense on either side of the 50-yard line.

Junior quarterback Brody Nugent returns after being inserted into the starting lineup early in the 2023 season. His 2000 plus yards rushing and passing accounted for 18 touchdowns making the Knights excited about this season’s prospects.

With massive 6’4″, 270 lb. returning senior two-way tackle Noah Balbuena opening holes for Nugent and a host of underclassmen with experience, Old Bridge hopes to continue its improvement as they finished the 2023 campaign by winning four of their last six games.

Seniors Zahmir Evans and Munvy Francois return on defense along with at least eleven other underclassmen having played on either side of the ball.

Wednesday the Raiders of North Brunswick were on the field at 9 a.m. with the music playing throughout the session just like it was the day before at Old Bridge.

I have to say, I rather enjoyed the mix of heavy metal, rap, disco and classic rock. However, I didn’t hear any Bad Bunny, Karol G, Anuel, Myke Towers nor Young Miko…¡tú sabes!

North returns a hungry group focused on the team and what they can do together to finally make a successful championship run. Senior QB Al Trevelise said it best when he touted the newly formed Leadership Council and the importance of key words used as reminder how successful teams work with each other.

The Raiders are one of the winningest teams over the last seven years averaging eight wins and two losses a season. With the likes of seniors Trevelise, U of Penn bound speedster Jahir Dawud, linebacker Abdul Kargbo and strong safety Tommy Koroma, the message is clear: focus and finish.

With a physical offensive and defensive line led by junior tackle Ruhan Sriram, and fellow classmate Anthony Walker making his mark on both sides of the ball, North Brunswick will be ready for their opener in Jackson.

Thursday’s 9 a.m. start in Woodbridge was a bit more humid with a slight breeze in Nicholas A. Priscoe Stadium. I was welcomed by the Barrons’ Dance Team, which reminded me that Halloween will be cutoff weekend for non-public schools for the playoffs.

Woodbridge’s new head coach, Joe George is playing catch-up as he was hired in May replacing Joe LaSala who is now at Fairleigh Dickinson University as receiver coach.

The well-traveled George is no stranger to the Tri-State area, as he has been successful everywhere he has coached.

The Barrons have a strong core of returning players with the Anderson twins, one of the Big Central Conference’s best passing duos. Derek threw for 1,750 yards and 21 touchdowns four of which landed in the hands of twin brother Bryan.

With massive two-way tackle senior Jancarlos Mena leading the way for fellow classmen Jahmir Beal and Daunte DiFonzo at running back, you can expect Woodbridge’s multiple offense to be solid running and throwing the ball.

Bryan Anderson and Beal will return to the defensive secondary along with Senior Tyler Simkovich who has a nose for the football at inside line backer.

Friday morning had the Caravan pulling up to the Southside of Edison for the Eagles 9 a.m. practice. I toured the campus checking out the field turf baseball stadium and ended up at the grass soccer practice field where an encased field turf “E” was on the small hill near Boulevard of the Eagles. Is that field next?

There were nearly 100 players on the field as the humidity was high and the temperature was already rising as the team did a dynamic warm-up. They quickly transitioned to five stations which emphasized footwork and agility by position.

Seniors Justin Boslet and Gavin Bailey return to anchor the offensive line which has size and potential. Junior tight end Robert Roma was impressive as a blocker and receiver.

Quarterback Anthony Calantoni is back for his final season with a year under his belt, bringing athleticism and big play capability when he threatens the edge with run or pass. Fellow classmate Dedrick Harvey will be on the receiving end of Edison’s play action pass attack while sophomore Shaun Garland will align in the backfield as a blocker or runner alongside senior running back Nyekir Eato.

South Plainfield FB — Photo Credit: (Marcus Borden)

The final stop of the Week 1 Camp Caravan Tour was Saturday morning at South Plainfield. The Tigers were in full pads for the first time this season and were greeted by Mr. Ken Totten and his officiating crew to talk about what the players can expect from the officials when they start scrimmaging in the upcoming week.

The return of a veteran senior class led by quarterback Ryan Balent, center Ryan Rizk and tackle Evan Brown has head coach Bill Hamilton excited for the upcoming season. Of course when you add in junior returning running back Dominic Massaro’s nearly one thousand yards rushing for last year, there is reason for optimism.

Defensively seniors A.J. Perales and Jack Jones are both playmakers at linebacker/defensive end with the duo accounting for 31 tackles for a loss between them last year. Massaro shines on defense too, having registered 85 tackles in 2023.

Borden’s Camp Caravan Week 2 Scrimmage Schedule is as follows: