BLOOMFIELD, NJ – When it comes to Bloomfield football, Mike Carter can always count on his seniors to provide vital leadership on and off the field.
The longtime Bengals head coach expects this year’s seniors to be no different.
“The senior leadership is developing. I think that’s going to be a positive for us,” he said.
The Bengals hope to build off last year’s 6-5 season, which included reaching the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 5 playoff semifinals.
Returning at quarterback is senior Kyle Tice, who will have a good group of playmakers with which to work. Among the notable returnees are senior wide receivers Will Robinson and Brandon Holt, senior tight ends Andrew Terc and Dylan Coury, and senior running back Joe Orsita.
Other running backs are seniors Alex Daleus, Byron Farquharson and Michael Sangiovanni, and juniors Dante Gibbs, Chris Parisi, and Mohamed Hoque.
Senior James Bonilla and junior Nasir Leonard also will be in the mix at wide receiver.
The offensive/defensive linemen to watch include seniors Xavier Gulley, J.J. Mendoza, and Nate Rodriguez. Nasir Simmons, a junior, is another offensive lineman.
On defense, Coury and Simmons will be defensive ends.
The linebackers will include Terc, Orsita, and senior Schwnelley Payout.
In the secondary, the Bengals will showcase Holt, Robinson, Daleus, Bonilla, Parisi, Hoque, and Leonard.
Peter Kuo and Adam Velin, both juniors, and senior Ethan Whittner were battling for the place-kicking job.
The Bengals recognize the daunting schedule, but understand that hard work will go long way toward achieving a successful season.
“We just talked to the kids today (August 16) about keep working every day to get better and better,” said Carter, who has been the BHS head coach since 1991. “They have been responding fairly well to it, so hopefully we can keep moving forward and improving every day.”
Schedule
August 30, Nutley, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7, at North Bergen, 7:15 p.m.
Sept. 14, at Columbia, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21, at Bayonne, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 28, Orange, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5, Livingston, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13, at Montclair, 1 p.m.
Oct. 19, West Orange, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26, at East Orange Campus, 7 p.m.
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