Middlesex football coach Bobby Swercheck was hired to coach the Blue Jays in 2024 in June of last year, which didn’t give him a lot of time with the team before preseason camp. Yet, they went 6-4 and made the playoffs.
This year may be an even bigger challenge.
There is not much returning in terms of pure statistics. Over 1,000 passing yards and nearly 900 rushing yards from quarterback Dom Parenti are gone to graduation. Jax Jarvis and his more than 900 yards combined receiving and rushing are gone. A total of 79 rushing yards and 371 receiving yards remain.
The cupboard is hardly bare, just figuring out how it all will work is the challenge.
There are some good pieces, though. Junior Julian Samuels is the top returning offensive player, statistically, with 371 yards and three scores on the receiving end. He also had 71 rushing yards.
Marcus Lavronia and Dominic Long – both excellent on the 2025 Group 1 state title baseball team – will contribute on offense, and bring a championship mindset. And Swercheck likes his quarterback, Matthew Petti, Jr., even if he is just a sophomore.
Defensively, it’s much of the same story. The Jays expect some growing pains, but also success, as they play physical and swarm to the football.
All that will be needed in order to come out with a win on Week Zero, when Middlesex opens the season at Spotswood in the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Kickoff is slated for 7 pm, pregame 6:45, as Mike Pavlichko will call the action with guest color commentator Ben LaSala, the current Big Central Vice President and former Colonia football coach and Athletic Director. Click here to listen.
Click below to hear Middlesex head coach Bobby Swercheck talk about the Blue Jays and their season opener at Spotswood with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:
