Tag: Al Chiola

by Mike Pavlichko

Chiola steps down from Linden, will watch son play at Colonia, still coach Tigers’ flag football squad

Al Chiola won’t be coaching high school football for Linden this fall, but he’ll be watching plenty.

After ten years at the helm, Chiola stepped down in late April.  He says he took a step back after the season and decided it was time, but it doesn’t mean he’s stepping away from football. 

Not by a longshot. 

To begin with, his son, Tyler, will be a senior at Colonia, and he plans to see every game he can. 

And, he says he’ll always root for his Linden family too.  Unless it’s against his son’s team.

Then, in the Spring, he’ll be back to coaching Linden’s flag football team, which he says is quite healthy this year, with a turnout of about 60 girls for the program.

Yes, football will still dominate life for Chiola, just a little differently than it’s been for the last decade, where he steps aside with a 44-49-1 mark, that lone tie coming two years ago against Montgomery.

Click below to hear Al Chiola talk about stepping down from Linden football – and his future plans – with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: 

by Mike Pavlichko

Linden blanks visiting Sayreville for first win of the year behind Hinton’s solid two-way play

Senior Tyrone Hinton earned his first win as Linden’s starting quarterback, as the Tigers defeated visiting Sayreville Saturday afternoon in the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Hinton unofficially carried 14 times for 68-yards – capped off with a ten-yard touchdown with two seconds to go – to ice a 17-0 victory at Tiger Stadium. Hinton also had a solid game on defense at his linebacker spot.

The 5-11, 210 pound senior stays in the pocket more than his predecessor, Tequan Thomas, but he can run the ball, too, and is a more bruising rusher, as well. That proved instrumental in the Tigers’ success Saturday afternoon.

Linden took an early lead at 9:07 of the first quarter on its first possession, a nine-yard run by sophomore Joe Boyd, whose 54-yard run in the middle of the five-play drive was key.

The Tigers added a field goal from 35 yards out by senior Chris Garcia with :05 on the clock before halftime.

In the second half, Linden played bend-but-don’t break defense. Sayreville received the ball to start the third quarter, and methodically marched downfield, keeping the ball entirely on the ground. They went from their own 40 to the Tiger 11 on 13 plays, but fumbled it inside the ten, ending a drive that took 7:36 off the clock.

Linden failed to score, but came up big on their next drive in the fourth quarter with an interception to end another Bomber possession.

Linden improves to 1-1 with neighboring Colonia (2-0) coming in next Saturday, while Sayreville drops to 0-2 ahead of a home game next Friday night with Edison (1-1).

Click below for postgame reaction with Linden head Coach Al Chiola and QB/LB Tyrone Hinton, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Linden seeks bounce-back after tough season-opening loss at Elizabeth

Barring a tie, which is like kissing your sister, one of the two teams playing at Tiger Stadium Saturday will get their first win of the season and even their record at 1-1. The other will limp home without a win in their first two games.

Such is life in the rugged Big Central Conference, and such will be life for Linden and Sayreville, who will square off under the threat of potentially heavy rain Saturday afternoon at 2 pm in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Kickoff is 2 pm, with pregame at 1:45. Mike Pavlichko and Vin Ebenau will be on the call; click here to listen.

That tie isn’t out of the question, by the way. The Tigers are coming off a 6-3-1 season which included a first round playoff loss, as well as a late-season 42-all marathon tie against Montgomery.

This year, they have a new quarterback, as Tequan Thomas has graduated, and senior Tyrone Hinton steps into the role. Thomas was a dual threat with heavy emphasis on the ground game, running for twice as many yards as he threw for. Hinton had a more balanced opener: 72 yards through the air, 88 with his legs.

And on 9-of-18 passing, he got the ball to six different receivers, mixing it up against the Minutemen in a narrow loss.

Click below to hear Linden head coach Al Chiola talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about Saturday’s matchup with Sayreville:

by Mike Pavlichko

Two long TD runs from Thomas help Linden to 28-20 win over Rahway

In Linden’s season opening win against Elizabeth at Kean University exactly one week ago, Te’quan Thomas sensed his team needed a big play, and he ran one in from more than 20 yards out to give his team the win.

This Friday night against Rahway after his team jumped out to a 14-0 lead and then gave it away in the second quarter, Thomas – the reigning Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week – scored a 50-yard touchdown to give his team a 21-14 lead at the break.

Then after a Rahway field goal to open the second half, Thomas responded with a 69-yard score to make it 28-17.

The Tigers (2-0) held Rahway (1-1) to a field goal the rest of the way for a 28-20 victory.

Click below to see postgame reaction from Linden senior Te’quan Thomas and head coach Al Chiola, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Linden’s Thomas has career night, scores game-winning TD in 27-22 victory over Elizabeth

In a game that saw the lead change five times, the last one with 1:41 to go in the game, Linden topped Elizabeth 27-22 in the season opener for both teams. And it might not have happened without veteran quarterback Tequan Thomas.

This is his third year as a starter, and it showed.

His 15-yard run answered Imad Canty’s 71-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, knotting the game at 7-7 less than two minutes in.

He scored again just 45 seconds into the third quarter – and ran it in for two – to give his team a 21-14 lead.

Then, after Elizabeth took a 22-21 lead with 4:56 left, he calmly led his team down the field for a six-play, 66-yard drive that took 3:18 off the clock, and put his team ahead with a 23-yard score. The two-point conversion failed, but it didn’t matter, as Linden held on for the win.

Click below for postgame reaction with Justin Sontupe, presented by SportsPlex at Metuchen:

Linden senior QB Tequan Thomas
Linden head coach Tequan Thomas
by Mike Pavlichko

Linden opens season against rival, neighboring Elizabeth, in first meeting since 2019

The game is a big rivalry, but with COVID and the way the Big Central’s divisions are set up, they haven’t played each other since 2019, the final days of the Mid-State Conference.

That changes tonight when the two teams open the 2023 season at Kean University, in a game that can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe have the call, with pregame at 7:15, and kickoff at 7:30 pm. Click here to listen.

The Tigers are optimistic about their offense, with senior quarterback Te’Quan Thomas (689 passing yards, 1,184 rushing last season) back, along with 6-3 wide receiver Myles Hamilton, as well as Davon McClintock, another senior.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko at Big Central Media Days previewing the Linden season with head coach Al Chiola and senior Myles Hamilton: