Colonials tackle season with an eye on playoffs
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
Freehold Borough has been making steady progress under head coach Mark Ciccotelli.

JEFF GRANIT staff Brian Prisk is back to lead the Freehold Borough offense as the Colonials look to improve on last year's season.

In his first two years with the Colonials, the team has taken steps toward regaining its footing as a winning program. They were a Thanksgiving Day win away from .500 last year.

This fall, in the third year of Ciccotelli's reign and with an experienced team, the Colonials will be looking to lengthen those steps forward.

Freehold Borough has veterans up and down both sides of the field.

"They know now what is expected of them," Ciccotelli said of his 2007 team. "We have some talented young kids who understand how to compete and act because of the peer pressure of the older players."

The older players include the likes of four-year starter Robert James, who provides perfect senior leadership. The team comes first.

James will split the running back chores with Jahquan Fenn and Nick Nicosia.

"They have no problem sharing the ball," noted Ciccotelli. "Robert and Jahquan are big, physical, slashing runners. Nick provides a change of pace."

Fenn and James each had big games last year in a backfield that split time between them and the graduated Terence Howard.

Freehold Borough, though, will be throwing far more than a trio of quality running backs at teams. They will be throwing the football at them.

Two-year starter Brian Prisk is back under center and is much more comfortable running the offense. He has more than just James, Fenn and Nicosia as weapons. He has a pair of receivers who can beat teams down the field vertically. Brandon Brown and Alex Fernandez have proven to be reliable receivers, and Prisk has the arm strength to go deep with them.

Matt Whalen and Tyler Russo are the slot receivers.

"We'll be balanced," Ciccotelli pointed out. "Today you have to be diversified on offense."

Gerry Plescia, who delivered the gamewinning field goal in Freehold Borough's consolation game win against West Wind- sor North last fall, is an additional weapon both as a place-kicker and punter.

Freehold Borough's balance is the result of a very good offensive line that is anchored by two three-year starters - - tackle Brandon Carter, who is a Division I-A and I-AA prospect, and guard Peter Gerbehy. Along with two-year starting center Luis Torres, they are the building blocks for one of the team's strength.

Hudifieh Gregory will start at the tackle opposite Carter, with Rob Weinstein and Daniel Barrow vying for the other starting guard spot.

"It's a solid group that has been together," said Ciccotelli. "They have experience, they're athletic and they're pretty strong. They know how to play together."

Defensively, Freehold returns nine of its 11 starters. The team is stacked here, led by linebackers James, Fenn and Kyshon Richardson, who are all at least three-year starters. They are aggressive, sure-tacklers who cover the entire field and have a nose for the football.

Up front in the Borough's 3-4, Leo Reason is the nose tackle with Carter and Torres as the ends.

Plescia and Russo are the corners with Brown, the free safety.

This is a defense than can hold offenses to three-and-out.

What Ciccotelli sees this year in his veteran team more than any other season is a cohesive unit that plays for one another.

"The big thing is they care about each other," he pointed out. "They all have a huge bond."

The schedule is again difficult, but Ciccotelli isn't concerned about that. It comes down to the Colonials playing their best each weekend and that means avoiding turnovers and penalties.

"We have to control the controllable," he said.

The Colonials remain in the Federal Division, one of the toughest in the Shore featuring perennial state champion Middletown South and annual state contender Ocean among others.

Freehold Borough drew its bye week the opening weekend of the season. The Colonials will not start play until Sept. 15 traveling to Lakewood for a 7 p.m. game.

The schedule will make Freehold Borough road warriors this fall. They are traveling throughout September. Their first home game is not until Oct. 6 when they entertain Central Regional in a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

In all, Freehold is only playing three other regular season games at home. The others are Oct. 27 against Pinelands (1 p.m.) and Thanksgiving Day against rival Colts Neck (10 a.m.).

It may be asking a lot for a team to go from 4-6 to the playoffs, especially with their schedule, but this is a very determined team for which nothing seems beyond its grasp.