After Championship Season, Dodgers Look to New Stars to Emerge

Fans of football couldn’t have asked for a better season in 2010: A school record 12-0 mark and the first NJSIAA North 2 Group II state championship in a dozen years.

As the Dodgers prepare to open the 2011 season at home Sept. 17 against Hackettstown, they will look to repeat their unbelievable performance, just one year later.

But that team isn’t this team, whch is clear from one glance at the roster.

Gone are the marquee seniors such as Matt McHale, Aaron Fant, Colin McLinden, Spencer Waresk, Mike Boardman and Mike Staneart. And in come names like Shone Register, Sean Bradley, Carson Lassiter and Dilan Kluge, ready to make their own impressions on the Dodger faithful.

But not all of the Dodgers have moved on. Head coach Chris Kubik will rely on Justin Goodwin, one of the most exciting playmakers from the unforgettable title run, as well as steadfast offensive line anchors Mike and Steven Finelli; tight end/defensive end Ben Anderson, and linebacker Matt McDonald.

LAST SEASON’S RESULTS:

The 2010 varsity finished with a record of 12-0 and won the North 2, Group II title.

LOOK OUT FOR:

Justin Goodwin, Running back/split end (Jr.) — As a sophomore, Goodwin was a playmaking machine for Madison, regularly putting points on the board. Now, Goodwin will be relied on even more, as Kubik says, “We expect him to step up and carry the load. We still want to give the ball to a lot of different people, but we expect when he gets the ball, he needs to make something happen with it.”

Shone Register, Fullback/Defensive lineman (Jr.) — Register is a big-bodied runner who should be a force blocking for Goodwin, and running the ball between the tackles. Kubik says of Register, “He’s got a lot to show and we’re hoping that we can get him going and involved.”

Carson Lassiter (Jr.) / Sean Bradley (Sr.), Quarterback — The two signal-callers on the roster are competing for the starting job. Kubik says, “Those guys are working real hard, they’re doing good things. They obviously don’t have the experience of McHale, but they’re learning. Matt was a junior at some point, too.”

 Seniors: Sean Bradley, Alex Kern, Nick Evangelista, Matt Qualben, Curtis Hubbard, Jamal St.Germain, Dilan Kluge, Ben Andersen, Connor Higgins, Jesse Ruela, Steve Finelli, Mike Finelli, Kevin Bauer, Matt Welter, Nick LaBarbera, Joe Penney-Hadewycz.

Juniors: Justin Goodwin, Carson Lassiter, Layton Lassiter, Joey Geyer, Brett Spelker, Alex Hyans, Matt McDonald, Devin Koep, Shone Register, Collin Scarpello, Billy Kennedy, Matt Fastiggi, Hunter Matthews, Michael Lebwohl, Nick Lucas, Nick Haboj, John Young.

WHO’S GONE:

Matt McHale: The former Madison quarterback was a team leader on and off the field. With an ability to run and throw, McHale gave opposing defenses fits week in and week out. McHale is now playing football at Lehigh University.

Aaron Fant: Another Dodger captain in 2010, Fant was a threat on offense, defense and special teams during Madison’s impressive season. Not only was Fant a spectacular split end, catching 40 passes and scoring seven touchdowns, but he was also a key to the Dodger state title, returning a 95-yard second-half kickoff for a touchdown to seal the 28-21 win over Cranford in the championship game. Fant is now playing at Franklin & Marshall College.

Colin McLinden: McLinden was Madison’s biggest threat out of the backfield in 2010, amassing over 1,000 yards rushing in his senior season. McLinden is now playing lacrosse at Fairfield University.

COACH’S TAKE:

“[Our mindset] is just to repeat. Try to get better, try and put ourselves into a position to repeat. It’s not going to be easy, we lost a lot of good guys, but we also have a lot of good players coming back, so we’re hoping to not be a one-hit wonder and try to push forward.” — Coach Chris Kubik

THEY SAID IT:

“We’re feeling pretty good. There was a little nervousness at first, but a lot of young kids stepped up in the right positions and we’re looking pretty good. We’re pretty confident as a team, because we see the younger kids filling those roles with confidence. — Steven Finelli

“We lost a lot of guys, but there’s a lot of younger guys ready to step up. [Both quarterbacks] are showing a lot of promise, so we’re pretty hopeful for a good season. What we lost in speed, we gained in power. A lot of the offensive line is returning, we’ve got Shone Register at fullback, we’ve got some big kids ready to run between the tackles. It doesn’t mean we’re going to lose speed, but we’re not going to be only relying on it.” — Ben Anderson

“What we did lose, our JV guys are ready to step up, it seems. They know it’s their turn, and that they’re going to have to contribute to this team. Some of them might have been along for the ride last year, but it’s their calling now. They know what they have to do, and what we have to do, to win a state title. I definitely see success from this team.” — Mike Finelli