NUTLEY — The Nutley High School boys soccer team enters a new era, as Raiders alum Mark Costa has taken over as the head coach.
“I’m beyond excited to kick off a new season here in Nutley as the program’s new head coach,” Costa said. “It’s an honor to take over at my alma mater and lead a program that has meant so much to me and my family.
“I’m a fourth-generation graduate of Nutley High School (Class of 2006) and played four years of varsity soccer here, serving as captain for two seasons. During that time, we helped lead Nutley back to the state tournament after a long drought. I went on to play Division II soccer locally at Caldwell University, so coming back home and taking over this program means a great deal to me.”
Costa spent the past five seasons coaching alongside Joe Pontroriero, one of his best friends, for the Belleville High School boys soccer team. When they played at Nutley, the head coach at the time was Marcellino Marra, who is the current Belleville HS athletic director.
“Joe and I grew up playing together in Nutley, and our dads were our coaches growing up, so getting the opportunity to coach alongside him was pretty special,” Costa said. “Now, we’ll be on opposite sidelines, and we’re definitely looking forward to our matchup in Belleville on October 10.”
Costa worked with the team back in June, as the Raiders had a very successful summer. They advanced to the Belleville HS summer league championship game, losing to nationally-ranked West Orange, the reigning Group 4 state champion. The Raiders also enjoyed a strong showing at the Harrison summer tournament, finishing 2-1 with wins over Rutherford and Ferris, and a tough loss to Princeton.
“Getting to know this group over the past few months has been great,” Costa said. “There’s a lot of talent on this team, and our focus has been on building a system that plays to their strengths collectively. I believe we have a group that can realistically compete for a conference championship and make a run at a sectional title.
“From the beginning, I’ve introduced a mantra to the program: ‘It’s Different Here.’ ”
Having pride in Nutley soccer is also something Costa wants to foster with his players.
“I want our players to understand, embrace and respect what it means to represent Nutley,” Costa said. “This town is special. It really is different here. Especially with the changing landscape of youth soccer in this country, I think it’s incredibly important for these kids to have pride in where they come from and understand that when they put on a Nutley jersey, they’re playing for more than themselves. They’re representing their school, their town and everyone who wore the maroon and gray before them.”
This year’s team has a great core of sophomores and juniors, along with four seniors who are ready to lead throughout the fall.
“Our midfield should be one of our strengths. Sophomore Nate Zerizghi is coming off an impressive freshman season and already found his way onto the scoresheet in our opener, a 3-1 loss to Seton Hall Prep” on Friday, Aug. 28. Seton Hall Prep is another state perennial powerhouse.
Costa also has commended the captains.
“Our captains have set the tone since our first workout in June: senior center back Finn Carney, junior center back Joe Del Tuffo and senior winger Anthony Navarro. Anthony has an opportunity to become Nutley boys soccer’s all-time points leader this season, and I’m looking forward to watching him chase that milestone and take advantage of the opportunities in front of him.”
Other players to watch include sophomore goalkeeper Nick Oramas; junior Dom Hollander, a talented playmaker in the midfield; junior Logan Henriques, who has stepped into our No. 6 role and has the potential to be a real force for the team; and speedy sophomore Sreeyan Bose.
The daunting schedule will prove beneficial to the Raiders’ development.
“We’ve put together a tough schedule, and that’s intentional,” said Costa, who owns a soccer-themed brewery in Bloomfield. “We want to challenge ourselves against some of the best teams in the area because we believe that will prepare us for where we ultimately want to be at the end of the season. This group has shown that it plays up to the level of its competition, and our goal is to be battle-tested and ready to make a run when the state tournament arrives.
“We’re excited to see what this group can accomplish and, more importantly, to continue building something the Nutley community can be proud of.”
Roster
Sreeyan Bose, sophomore D, #13
Omar Sherif, freshman LW, #21
Nathan Zerighi, sophomore CM, #8
Evan Cano, sophomore MID, #16
George Modebadaze, sophomore ST, #25
Evan Caswell, sophomore GK, #0
Jamie Haimer, sophomore D, #2
Nick Oramas, sophomore GK, #00
Mihail Mihaylove, junior MID, #9
Juan Cabrejos, junior D, #11
Logan Henriques, junior MID, #18
Gavin Cerniglia-Rapavi, junior MID/D, #6
Dominic Hollander, junior CM, #15
Joseph Del Tuffo, junior D, #3
Finn Carney, senior CB, #4
Tstone “Sammy” Buzariashvili, senior St, #7
Anthony Navarro, senior LW, #10
Sebastian Heno, senior MID, #17
Ethan Hudson, junior MID, #14
Susuni Soho, junior D, #12
Schedule
Aug. 28, loss, Seton Hall Prep, 3-1
Sept. 1: at East Orange Campus, 4 p.m
Sept. 3: at Barringer, 4 p.m.
Sept. 7: at Columbia, 4 p.m
Sept. 9: Irvington, 4 p.m.
Sept. 14: at West Essex, 4 p.m.
Sept. 16: Bloomfield, 6 p.m.
Sept. 18: North Arlington, 6:30 p.m
Sept. 21: at Caldwell, 4 p.m.
Sept. 23: at Verona, 4 p.m.
Sept. 26: at Kearny, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 30: Elmwood Park, 4 p.m.
Oct. 2: at Harrison, 6 p.m.
Oct. 5: Shabazz, 4 p.m.
Oct. 7: Livingston, 4 p.m.
Oct. 10: Belleville, 10 a.m.
Oct. 12: at West Orange, 6 p.m.
Oct. 14: Montclair, 4 p.m.
Oct. 24: at Cliffside Park, 11 a.m.
Photo by Joe Ragozzino
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