Benacquista Named North Jersey Section 1 Football Coach of the Year

Congratulations to Football Coach Chris Benacquista! The first-year varsity football coach has been named North Jersey Section 1 Football Coach of the Year by the New Jersey Football Coaches Association following his as Head Coach of the West Essex Knights.

Benacquista was selected by his peers at an annual meeting where more than 60 football coaches in the North Jersey Section 1 picked him for this prestigious honor.

Benacquista is now one of the four finalists for the New Jersey Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year. The winner will be announced at the Association's annual dinner on April 1.

In an interview this week, Benacquista said he was "pleasantly surprised" when he learned of the honor since he was unable to attend the regional meeting. "It was an outstanding season and we had the greatest group of players," Benacquista said, adding his selection is a testament to West Essex, which is known for its outstanding sports programs throughout the state.

"I feel honored and blessed in my first year to be chosen," the coach said. "I have been saying this from the minute I took over...the team was very special.

"It made my job a little easier than it should have been my first year as head coach," he said.

Benacquista, a West Essex High School history teacher and resident of Wayne, has worked as assistant football coach for 10 years until assuming the head coach position this year following retirement from football. Drozjock still teaches health and physical education at the high school and works as the district's strength and conditioning coach.

Athletic Director Damion Macioci commended Coach Benacquista for his successful season and being named "North Jersey Section 1 Football Coach of the Year.”

“It’s an honor to work with Coach Benacquista,” Macioci said. “He is a highly competent, enthusiastic and passionate coach and I am extremely proud of his individual accomplishments as well as the teams’ success this season.”

Coach Benacquista's accomplishment was announced at the West Essex Football Team pizza dinner hosted by the team booster club. The dinner included a "ring ceremony" where players received their championship rings, jackets, senior plaques and team pictures. In addition, the senior honors and awards were announced.

• Players Dominic Valeriani and Stephen O'Neill were named to the New Jersey Football Coaches Association Super 100 All-State Team.
• Dominic Valeriani was invited to play in the prestigious North/South All-Star Game on Sunday, June 24, 2012.
• Thomas Filipow will play football at Florida Tech.
• D.J. Hamker will play football at Montclair State University.
• Ralph Velardi will play football at Salve Regina University.