Assistant coach Nicholas Carfagno, left, works with the Belleville linemen.
BELLEVILLE, NJ — The Belleville High School football team featured a large group of young players during a pandemic-shortened 2-4 season last year. With those players coming back this season, head coach Jermain Johnson is excited about what his Buccaneers can accomplish.
This summer also proved productive. The Bucs attended a camp in East Stroudsburg, Pa., where they improved their skills.
“We threw a lot of our young kids into the fire last year, so they got a lot of that experience,” said Johnson, who is entering his fourth year at the helm, in an interview with the Belleville Post. “These guys worked hard in the weight room during the off-season, because they know what to expect now. Going up to East Stroudsburg this summer, going up against a lot of good competition from Pennsylvania, helped those young kids even more.”
In addition to the valuable experience and continued development, the Bucs have exhibited great team chemistry, which delights Johnson.
“It’s a close-knit team,” he said. “These guys hang together. They’re close, and that’s going to take us a long way. They have each other’s backs.”
Directing the offense will be junior quarterback Brent Rojas, who displayed much potential last year, said Johnson. James Cook Jr., a senior running back, will lead the ground game, while senior Najee Harris will be a dangerous threat as a utility player, according to Johnson. The vocal leaders will be senior tight end Terence Folkes and senior tackle Eliseo Polanco.
Folkes, listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, also will wreak havoc on the defensive side at an end position. Johnson said Folkes has received serious interest from college scouts.
“Terence has a motor,” Johnson said. “He makes the team go. He has the coaches’ respect and the players’ respect, and when we play these teams, he is going to have their respect as well.”
Folkes is optimistic about the season.
“I have good feelings about the upcoming season,” he said in an interview with the Belleville Post. “We want to prove a lot of people wrong and have a good season.”
Hard work and dedication will be key factors in achieving a good season, Folkes said.
“We were really young last season, and, throughout the off-season, everybody hit the weight room and got stronger, bigger, faster, more athletic. We gained a lot of experience. We just have to compete, have good practices and practice good habits.”
Senior wide receiver/defensive back Al Horne echoed those sentiments.
“I think this season is going to be great, because we have great leadership, and everyone has a good head on their shoulders, and we can make it to the championship,” Horne said in an interview with the Belleville Post. “It’s going to take heart, hard work, and blood, sweat and tears.”
Markeith Stevens and fellow senior Jacob Santodomingo are solid inside linebackers, while seniors Chris Vitale and Brian Dessources will lead the secondary.
Belleville produced a memorable season in 2019 — Johnson’s second year as coach — as the team started 5-0 before finishing 7-3. However, for the most part, the program has struggled for the past several years. When Johnson took over the program, his mission was to establish a winning culture.
“We’re starting to turn that tide a little bit,” Johnson said. “The kids are starting to buy into the system; kids are starting to understand what we want done around here.”
The Bucs are especially motivated to beat their archrival, Nutley. In last year’s season finale, Nutley beat the Bucs, 42-7, to cap an undefeated 6-0 season. The Bucs open the season at Barringer and will face Nutley in the second game of this season in their home opener, at which they will unveil their new turf field at Municipal Stadium’s Doc Ellis Field. The last time Belleville defeated Nutley was in 2008. Nutley has won the last nine meetings. The teams did not meet in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
“Our kids are very hungry for this game,” said Johnson of this year’s matchup with Nutley.
From there, the Bucs will take a one-game-at-a-time approach, as they set their sights on qualifying for the postseason. The state playoffs were not held last year due to the pandemic.
“We want to win our first game, beat Nutley, take one game at a time, and, obviously, our goal is to get to the state playoffs this year,” Johnson said.
The Bucs this season have been moved to the American Red Division of the Super Football Conference. Last year, they competed in the Freedom White Division. The American Red Division includes Belleville, Nutley, Barringer, Millburn, Orange and West Essex.
Schedule
Sept. 3: at Barringer, 7 p.m.
Sept. 10: vs. Nutley, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18: vs. Millburn, 7 p.m.
Sept. 24: at East Side, 7 p.m.
Oct. 1: vs. Orange, 7 p.m.
Oct. 9: at West Essex, 1 p.m.
Oct. 15: at Passaic, 7 p.m.
Oct. 22: at Kearny, 7 p.m.
Oct. 29: vs. North Bergen, 7 p.m.
Photos by Joe Ragozzino
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