BRICK TOWNSHIP – Thirty-one.
That is the number of players that missed time last season for the Brick Township football team due to various injuries.
Despite this crazy number of setbacks, the Dragons still managed to finish 2017 with a winning record of 6-5.
“We hit a little bit of a rough patch in the middle of the season, then we got some guys back toward the end and we started to play like we know we can,” fourth year head coach Len Zdanowicz said. “We did get some younger kids some experience last year, which should help us going forward. I think we have a little more depth this year than we had in the past.”
Two key linebackers this year for Brick will be Joe Carchio and Richie Tallmadge, while Cory Englehardt and Christian Malta will line up on the defensive line for Brick. Tallmade and Malta are two-way players, also serving as running backs.
“Those kids have been tough since they were playing as sophomores weighing about 185 lbs.,” Zdanowicz said. “Now, they are both upwards of 220. It’s nice to get the size with them. They are two totally different players. Corey is 6’4,” 230 and Christian is like 5’9,” 220, but they both get the job done. Joe and Richie have been tough football players since the first time they’ve put on pads. They’re very good linebackers and very good leaders. They read defenses and offenses well and they’re two great kids.”
Zdanowicz has known Cole Groschel ever since he was born, having been friends with his father when they were in high school at Brick.
“He’s always been a three-sport athlete,” Zdanowicz said. “He’s always had a ball in his hand since he was little. He loves playing sports and you can see his love for the game of football really shows out there.”
Zdanowicz has known a lot of these kids for years, and to be able to coach them at the high school level is special for him.
“I’ve coached a lot of these kids from when they first put on pads when they were playing in youth leagues,” Zdanowicz said. “It’s been great for me to watch these guys as they’ve grown as football players and as young men.”
When it comes to younger players fighting for spots on the varsity roster, it comes down to competition for Zdanowicz.
“We just want to see competition,” Zdanowicz said. “Right now, we have some competition at some spots with some younger kids, especially on the offensive line. We graduated most of our players last year who were offensive linemen, so that’s where we have the most competition and we have some kids that are really working hard and you can see it. Hopefully, that drives us to have a successful offensive line this year.”
The quarterback battle for Brick is going to come down to senior Jimmy Leblo and junior Anthony Prato, and there’s a chance both will see time under center this season. The team will utilize a multiple style offense, depending who is lining up at quarterback.
Brick will be competing in the Colonial Division this season, and have key matchups against Saint John Vianney, Rumson-Fair Haven and in-town rival Brick Memorial, against whom they will open the season on the road on Sept. 8.
“Playing them in the first game every year really drives what we do in the offseason,” Zdanowicz said. “We have a countdown in our weight room and that game drives our offseason every year. They lost a talented group of players to graduation, but they have their quarterback back and some nice looking players coming up. Our kids are focused on them right now and we’re going to have to worry about them come Sept. 8th.”
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