IRVINGTON, NJ — Jeff Bertoncin, the new Irvington High School head boys soccer coach, has high hopes for his team this fall.
Bertoncin has raved about his players since taking over the helm. The Blue Knights have been working out at Irvington Park. The workouts will end August 5, and the official start of practice is August 22. IHS has about 40 players.
“We have a lot of speed and a lot of individual talent,” said Bertoncin, who is replacing Salim Laib, who stepped down after several years in order to spend more time with his family. “It’s just going to be a process of working together as a unit (and) playing together every day that we possibly can.”
In September, Bertoncin will enter his second year as a health and physical education teacher at University Middle School, where he coached the coed soccer team last fall. He also has a strong coaching background in basketball. In addition to working with the boys soccer program, he is running the IHS girls summer basketball team. In the fall, he runs the IHS boys basketball program. Previously, he was an assistant girls basketball coach at Asbury Park High School on the varsity level.
Bertoncin, 33, is excited for his first head coaching opportunity.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” said Bertoncin, a 2007 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft and a graduate of Kean University. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime. This is my first head coaching experience. I’ve been coaching youth sports for about 12 years now. I’m really a basketball guy, but (IHS Athletic Director) Dr. (John) Taylor knew that I was willing to put in a ton of time and he gave me an opportunity. I am very honored and grateful, and just trying to get the ground running and work my butt off.”
The Blue Knights are coming off a strong 10-5-1 season last fall, including finishing in second place at 6-1-1 behind Cedar Grove in the Super Essex Conference–Colonial Division. Irvington has been promoted to the SEC–Liberty Division, which is the second-toughest division in the conference.
Bertoncin’s expectation for the team is to stay in the Liberty Division. The two teams with the worst divisional records at the end of the season move down a division. Bertoncin wants to avoid that.
“We want to stay in this division and compete in this division and prove that we belong in this division, and I want to qualify for the state tournament,” he said.
The Blue Knights will play in their first preseason scrimmage on Tuesday, August 30, at Rahway at 10 a.m and will kick off the season on Friday, Sept. 9, at home against Bloomfield at Irvington Park at 4 p.m.
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