GARWOOD, NJ- Family gatherings are always great occasions for everyone, whether it be immediate family, teammates, friends or colleagues. Saying goodbye can be tough, especially for the senior Crusader football players. Their goodbye to their football family is very emotional.
“It’s always bittersweet, tonight’s always a tough one because we’re celebrating the accomplishments of last season,” Johnson head coach Anthony DelConte said. “Knowing that this senior class will not return is always tough for me. You grow close to these young men and it’s really an honor. It’s an honor to be with them and watch them grow from little freshmen to seniors who are going to contribute to the world.”
“It’s heart-warming,” he added. “The one thing I hope is that these young men get the values out of the program and that they truly know how much we care about them.”
The Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders held their annual football banquet at The Westwood in Garwood, New Jersey, on Sunday, March 5, 2017. It is a way for the football family to reassemble as one and reflect on their memories and accomplishments of the 2016 football season.
This also included a send-off to seniors Vin Crisafi, Jon Duffy, Brett Roessle, Mike Brennan, Vin Campbell, Nick Fischetti, Ryan Koppel, Joseph West and Franco Scalzulli, who gave so much to the football program in their high school careers.
They had ten athletes on the All-Conference Team, featuring Duffy, Fischetti and Roessle representing Union County in the Snapple Bowl in July. The most emotionally charged part of the night was the final speeches about the senior players. DelConte struggled to talk, holding back tears, stating how difficult this night is to see them leave.
He talked about the great things these seniors brought to the team, leading through adversities, bringing everyone together as a family and leading with integrity and class.
Major figures of the Johnson football family from previous years included former head coach and principal Bob Taylor, Carl Peterson and Vin Albano. They were all thanked for their continued support of the program.
In addition, DelConte thanked his own family for all their support throughout the season.
“We talk about a true Crusader family, that’s what I’m blessed to be around every day,” DelConte said. “From my dad doing a great job filming the games and being in the tower. My mother, who is the President of the Touchdown Club. My older brother, being the reason why I got into football and a spiritual mentor to me.
“My younger brother Joe being the jack-of-all trades, my sister-in-law Katie and my brother Joe’s girlfriend Jen telling me all the weird things I do on gamedays,” DelConte added.
“I may not be the easiest one to deal with on gamedays, I may not be the easiest person to deal with during football, but I appreciate all of your support, thank you.” DelConte said, addressing his family.
He also talked about how all the assistant coaches are truly close friends, working together from game plans, scouting, practice plans week-in and week-out. DelConte said he wouldn’t trade them for the world. The Touchdown Club presented gifts to the assistant coaches, to honor them for their dedication and hard work towards the program.
Andrew Zub, a 2013 Arthur L. Johnson High School graduate and senior at King’s College in Pennsylvania, won the “Collegiate Athlete of the Year” award and spoke to the football players offering words of encouragement.
He told the seniors to have no regrets over anything they’ve done throughout their high school football careers.
There was a particularly emotional moment for Jon Duffy, one of the seniors and co-captains, whose father recently had successful open-heart surgery. He was at the dinner and the football team gifted him with a “Get-Well” shirt.
The team went 5-5 in 2016, clinching a playoff spot for the third consecutive season, winning their last two games to officially lock in as the No. 6 seed in their bracket. Their playoff run ended with a close, first-round loss to Manasquan High School, before losing a tough battle to Rahway High School in their annual Thanksgiving Day rivalry game.
The seniors were described as putting others before themselves, both on and off the field.
“It’s a great honor to receive the William Waterson Award,” Vin Crisafi, senior quarterback and co-captain, said. “The story that was behind it was touching and was a good story and I was competely honored to receive this award, receive this scholarship and I want to thank everybody that’s been there.”
The freshman players, important to the football family’s future success, were introduced by coaches Joe Marino and Joe Sortino. They finished their 2016 season with a 6-3 record, a majority of the athletes first-year football players.
Bobby Dante, a sophomore at the high school, was recognized for filming the games and putting in countless hours to tightly editing everything together. He offered copies of the DVDs to the parents and athletes.
Another important component to the football family, the cheerleaders, who arrived following their Group 2 State Championship win, were recognized for everything they do for the players. It proves how they are another integral role to the Johnson football family.
The sophomore players made great strides throughout the season, with some roles expected to become bigger for the 2017 season. The juniors were described as players, “taking the next step,” becoming the main leaders of their football family.
“It’s amazing, it’s such a tightly-knit family,” Mike Brennan, senior and co-captain, said. “I just love how it’s all about togetherness and comradery. I’m just so proud to be part of this organization.”
All the football players showed they could bring out the best in each other by seeing all their “brothers” work tirelessly towards their goals and win the scholarships they did.
The assistant coaches also talked about the seniors, sharing jokes and moments with the other players and their families. They always put their teammates before themselves, showing how much they care about their “brothers.”
Vin Campbell, who was named the Most Improved Player (MIP), says Coach DelConte made a big difference in turning it all around as a player in his senior year.
“It means a lot,” senior Vin Campbell said. “Coach DelConte helped me every offseason and I just knew that going into my senior year, I wanted to be a starter. He could put me anywhere, middle linebacker, outside, throw me at defensive end if he needed to. I went to the weight room, ran, did everything and I’m happy I earned this [award] and showed it on the football field.”
The night concluded at around 7:30 p.m., with the team having one last time together and the juniors, sophomores and freshman ready to take over for the graduating seniors, the home opener against New Providence on Friday, September 8, 2017 on everybody’s mind.
