Rebound year for Bound Brook football finds Crusaders 4-1, but biggest tests lie ahead

The first half-plus of the 2025 high school football season if off to the best start in five years for the Bound Brook football team.

Considering where they had been – winless in 2022, 2-7 in 2023 and 1-8 in 2024 – their 4-1 record through five games gives them more wins than they’ve had the last three years combined.

The remarkable turnaround is the result of a number of factors.

Numbers are up, from about 18 at the end of last year, where head coach Dave LePoidevin says the team was using trash cans as tackle dummies, to now having 41 on the varsity roster midway through the season.

There was a determination by a dedicated senior class to not go through another one-win season. Being determined is one thing, but following through is another, and they’ve done that.

The third was the hiring of former St. Joseph-Metuchen head coach Rich Hilliard as the offensive coordinator. Last year’s team rushed for 1,037 yards and threw for 717 in nine games. This year, they’ve rushed for 100 more yards and thrown for 515 in just five games.

They’re also scoring 32 points per game, including their season-opening loss to North Warren. Last year, they were averaging 14. Spotswood coach Chris Meagher – whose team will host Bound Brook Friday night – says he can see Hilliard’s influence.

LePoidevin will first point to his players, and their resolve to not repeat 2024. Or 2023. Or 2022, for that matter. And so far, those seasons and this one look light years apart.

Senior quarterback John Archer has passed for 554 yards (and 4 touchdowns) and run for 432, putting him just 14 away from 1,000 yards of total offense so far. Senior runningback Jake Markey has carried 61 times for 468 yards. Both have a half dozen rushing TDs.

Zahmir Moore has been big on both sides of the ball, LePoidevin points out. The junior has 15 catches for 189 yards and two scores, while also logging 29 tackles, 17 solo, three TFLs, and three interceptions. He also had a fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown last week to open the scoring in a 28-27, fourth-quarter, come-from-behind victory over Belvidere.

Even special teams has gotten into the act, according to LePoidevin. Zion Quesada had hit on 17 of 18 PATs – never a sure thing on the scholastic level – while his twin brother Xavier has been helping the Crusaders win the field position battle with his punting. Both are seniors.

Now, however, comes the most challenging part of the schedule. Starting Friday, the Crusaders not only begin a three-game road stretch, but three of their last four opponents all enter Week 5 of play with unblemished records.

First, they get Spotswood, which is 5-0. After a trip to Middlesex next week for a key division game, they’ll visit New Providence (4-0) on October 17, then close out back at LaMonte Field on the Friday of Cutoff Weekend in a game that – should they beat Middlesex – would decide the Freedom Silver Division title.

Making the playoffs still won’t be easy. The Crusaders currently sit 17th in the South Group 1 supersection playoff standings. Even with a win over Middlesex, they might need to knock off one of those unbeatens.

Manville is a big rivalry game. Even if it’s not for the division, a lot could be on the line, and anything can happen in those type of games.

LePoidevin says his players were determined not to have a repeat of 2024 in 2025. Manville trounced them last year 42-3. And you can be sure they don’t want a repeat of that either.

If it goes as well as the rest of the season has gone, we could very well see the Crusaders playing meaningful November football.

And that would be a win all on its own.

Click below to hear Bound Brook head coach Dave LePoidevin talk about the 2025 Cruaders’ success with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: