UPDATED: HS football preview: Belleville looks to keep improving this season

BELEVILLE, NJ – Entering his second year at the head-coaching helm, Jermain Johnson is preaching to his Belleville High School players the importance of learning the game of football.

Johnson and his coaching staff are teaching the aspects and what it takes to succeed on the field.

But does Johnson feel his team has potential?

“Absotutely,”  Johnson emphatically answered. “I think there is a lot of potential. We have some athletes. We got some big guys. It’s just a matter of these kids learning the game of football. It’s the little things that are going to put us over the top.”

Last season, Johnson couldn’t have asked for a better start, as the Bucs won their first four games in convincing fashion. The Bucs defeated Dickson, 37-6, at home; East Side, 50-12, in Newark; Ferris, 50-0, at home; and Kearny, 24-0, in Kearny, to race to a 4-0 record.  But the Bucs couldn’t keep the winning momentum, losing five straight to end the season at 4-5, ending with a 20-13 loss at rival Nutley. It marked the first time the Bucs faced Nutley since 2015.

This season, Belleville will be led by a group of seniors: offensive guard/defensive end Adam Ruales, offensive guard/defensive tackle Christopher Freid, tight end/middle linebacker John Castenada and offensive tackle/defensive tackle David Peterkin.

Junior Anthony Cecere and senior Arturo Barley were battling for the quarterback spot.

The Bucs defeated Tenafly, 17-14, Sept. 6 at home in the season opener.

Derek Leigh ran for 216 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries and Ben Polk had 65 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

Berly passed for 37 yards on four completions.

Pedro Almieda hit a 29-yard field goal and made two-of-two extra points. Ray Leak (13 yards), Terrence Folkes (12 yards), Justino Cincere (6 yards) and Leigh (6 yards) each had a catch.

Regardless of the win-loss record, Johnson wants to see his team continue to learn and improve while showing a never-quit attitude.

Said Johnson, “Our expectations are to go out and beat the teams we’re supposed to beat, not to give up and play hard in every game, constant learning each week, and never quitting.”

Schedule

Sept. 6, Won, Tenafly, 17-14

Sept. 14, at Dickinson, 1 p.m.

Sept. 20, Newark East Side, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28, at Ferris, 1 p.m.

Oct. 4, Kearny, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12, at Newark West Side,  1 p.m.

Oct. 18, Barringer, 7 p.m.

Oct. 25, Orange, 7 p.m.

Nov. 1, at Millburn, 7 p.m.