Football Season Preview: Aviators Ready for Falcons in Opener

It should not take much to get the 2011 Hasbrouck Heights football team ready for Friday night.

Not only is it the regular season opener, but also the time is playing against Saddle Brook.

In the 2010 football regular season opener the Falcons handed it to the Aviators, 21-0, and some of the members of the Heights football team admitted later that they were not ready for Saddle Brook.

"Saddle Brook is a real good team and they have a Division 1 player," said Hasbrouck Heights head coach Nick Delcalzo regarding Falcons linebacker/running back Steven Longa. "We got to be ready for them."

That loss to Saddle Brook was the start of a difficult season, relatively, with a 6-4 record as Heights just missed making the state playoffs.

The 2011 Aviators team will be looking to finally score on the Falcons, but will have to do it with a couple of new running backs. Gone from the 2010 team are Heights top two backs in Matt Galassi and Kevin Condal.

Delcalzo will have a trio of backs getting the bulk of the carries in senior David Im, sophomore Darren Iurato and senior Mike Pikowski who moves from quarterback last season to slot back. "He runs the ball well and can catch the ball well out of the backfield," said Delcalzo about Pikowski. "He's tough and can run counters and sweeps well."

The leading candidate to replace Pikowski to start the 2011 season at quarterback is junior Anthony Seidel who filled in the last six games last season after Pikowski went down with an injury. "He's matured a lot and is a good runner," said Delcalzo about Seidel. "He's improved on his passing."

Seidel could share the time with the likes or Iurato or junior Joey Crabbe.

When any ofthe  three is throwing the ball, the top receivers are senior wide receiver Chris Abramo and junior tight end James Fitzsimmons.

And the skilled players on the Aviators will have their hands full against Saddle Brook especially their linebackers in seniors Longa, Joe Camilleri and Mike Donnarumma. Both Longa and Camilleri are four-year starters for the Falcons and led Saddle Brook in tackles last season with 81 for Camilleri and 76 for Longa. Donnarumma led the Falcons in tackles with 15 in the victory over Heights in 2010.

For the Aviators to be successful against the Falcons and for 2011, they will need effective play upfront on the offensive line which was also hit by graduation. Delcalzo has two back in senior tackle Mike Pasqualone and senior guard Chris Connors. Senior Dan Manigieri is slated for the other guard spot while the other tackle position is between senior Conner Blake and junior Chris Golio.

On defense Hasbrouck Heights will have to stop the likes of Saddle Brook's Longa, who is also a running back and the leading Falcons runner coming back. Also, they will need to stop Saddle Brook quarterback Andrew Caravaglia who threw one for a touchdown in last season's win over Heights.

Delcalzo has implemented a 4-4 defense and that is the case this season with Pasqualone at one defensive tackle while the other tackle position could be filled by Manigieri and sophomore Justin Porzl.

Leading the way to get to Caravaglia will be junior Matt DeSimone and Fitzsimmons. In the defensive backfield, Pikowski and senior Chris Abramo anchor at cornerback while Iurato is at safety.

To start the season Heights has a tough back-to-back scenario. After Saddle Brook the Aviators must travel to St. Mary another game that varsity members who returned this season will remember a difficult 22-21 loss at home.

Hasbrouck Heights 2011 football schedule
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

Sept. 9      Saddle Brook
Sept. 17    at St. Mary, 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 23    Wood-Ridge
Sept. 30    Wallington
Oct. 7        at Becton
Oct. 15      at Bogota, 1 p.m.
Oct. 21      Lyndhurst
Oct. 28      Secaucus
Nov. 5       at Pompton Lakes, 1 p.m.