Caldwell wants his Bulldogs to compete
HOPEWELL TWP. >> Dave Caldwell has one goal for his Hopewell Valley Central High football team.
“Compete,” said Caldwell, who is now the dean of Mercer County football coaches in terms of continuous service after Jon Adams and Tom Hoglen stepped down.
“The goal is to compete for every game. That’s it. Goal number one. We open up with Lawrence, obviously Rob (Radice) is back, he’s got an excellent staff, kids that love football, he’s got a talented team. Our goal is to go out and minimize mistakes, play fundamentally sound football and see how that goes.”
So, South Jersey Group III state berth, WJFL Valley Division title. Where does that stand on the pecking order?
“Obviously, that would be the ultimate goal,” Caldwell said. “But you better focus on week one before you start worrying about that stuff.”
Hopewell is coming off a 5-4 campaign, its first winning record in three seasons. Several key starters return from that team, starting with an offensive line that features an all-senior group of center Ryan Pisauro, right guard Hudson Hartman, right tackle Cooper Silver, left guard Nick Melillo and left tackle James Stanton. Hartman and Melillo are returning starters, while the other three all saw time as juniors. Sophomore Kyle Pisauro may rotate in at times.
“They’re mature,” Caldwell said. “They know the game, they understand defenses and are good under pressure and with decision making. And they’re seniors so they are leaders.”
Senior Chris Hollander is at tight end, with Trevor Radice (Rob’s son) as his backup. Starting receivers are senior Henry McMahon and junior Devon Higgins, while Nick Gayda will also see time.
Brett Confer returns at quarterback after starting the last five games last year due to injury. Confer threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns, and had some growing pains with five interceptions.
“He throws the ball really well,” Caldwell said. “He understands the position. He’s able to take the lead in the offense. He can make all the throws. He’s a year-round quarterback, mechanically he’s solid. He makes good decisions and can read defenses. We’re looking for a big season from him.”
Senior Mike Randazzo is at fullback and senior Henry Lewis is the running back. They are backed up by running back Tommy Belsky and fullback Terrance Peterson. Lewis is the team’s leading returning rusher with 160 yards last year.
Junior Colt Pinto is the place kicker and Confer will punt.
Although the positions aren’t set on the defensive line, the starters look to be Hartman, Melillo, Peterson and Ryan Pisauro, while reserves are Silver, Kyle Pisauro and junior Mike Bates. Linebackers are senior Christian Cacciabaudo, Randazzo, Hollander, Belsky and sophomore Dylan Eng, while the secondary includes starters Higgins, McMahon and Gayda and backup juniors Jarrett Sharp and D.J. Hunt.
“Defensively, we want to be fundamentally sound and play disciplined football,” Caldwell said. “We’re able to align properly, get off blocks, pursue the football and tackle. We really do put a big emphasis on setting the edge, pursuing the football and tackling.”
Once again, Hopewell has a number of players going both ways. Caldwell estimates “we’ll play about 15 to 17 guys on a Friday night.”
The coaching staff takes that into account during the offseason and practice.
“We get really good numbers, the kids are really committed to the offseason, so anyone not playing another sport is typically with us after school in the winter and the spring,” Caldwell said. “We get good numbers over the summer too. Our kids are pretty committed and we control the tempo of practice, so we can get a good feel on whether or not they have their legs behind them. It’s a balance between pushing them, making them mentally tougher and keeping them healthy.” So what’s it all add up to? “We’ll compete,” Caldwell said. “It’s always fun to compete.”
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