Pioneer Press previews the 2016 Ridgewood football season.
Coach: Don Gelsomino, first season
2015 record: 7-3 (5-0 Metro Suburban East), lost 27-7 to Plano in first round of Class 4A playoffs
Offense: Senior quarterback Richie Zacharias transferred in from Guerin this season, bringing his experience and leadership to Gelsomino’s spread offense. Junior wideout Marco Vitale is dynamic, and senior running back Alex Rice “has speed, good vision, and he can hit a hole hard,” Gelsomino said. “He’ll also put his head down and hit some people.”
Defense: The Rebels will again use a four-man front fueled by the energy of senior defensive end Anthony Giovannielli, “that kid whose motor never stops running,” Gelsomino said. Senior linebacker Jake Karkoszka, senior free safety Cody Frerking, and junior defensive end Jose Bodon will all help lead the defense, which returns five starters overall.
Strong side: Ridgewood returns team leaders on both sides of the ball, and the physical and mental makeup to apply towards another solid season. “Our strengths are toughness and team speed,” Gelsomino said. “We fly around pretty good and we have a good bunch of tough, tough kids.”
Weak side: As a former college lineman, Gelsomino knows how tough it will be to replace the graduated Vinny Scaletta, a dominant presence on both the offensive and defensive lines last season. “We’ll miss him and the biggest piece of our puzzle will be who is going to solidify those positions on the line,” Gelsomino said.
Team tradition: Ridgewood hosts Thursday night team dinners aimed at creating a community and a family feel in the program. Players, and their parents, are welcome. “All the players know it’s our time before the game to sit down and come together,” Rice said. “We have to play a football game on Fridays against a bunch of guys who want to beat us, so it’s important for us to come together and connect on that Thursday night every week.”
Quote: “Even though we’ve got a bunch of new guys coming in, I think they saw what we did last year and they’re hungry to have the same experience,” Rice said. “Our defense as a whole is very strong in a lot of places, and offensively we’re going to try to get down the field quick and score.”
2016 Schedule
Aug. 26, SOLORIO, 7 p.m.
Sept. 2, Maine East, 7 p.m.
Sept. 9, RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD, 7:15 p.m.
Sept. 16, Glenbard South, 7:15 p.m.
Sept. 23, ELMWOOD PARK*, 7:15 p.m.
Sept. 30, CHICAGO CHRISTIAN*, 7 p.m.
Oct. 7, Aurora Central Catholic*, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14, GUERIN*, 7:15 p.m.
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Oct. 22, Walther Christian*, 1 p.m.
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* Metro Suburban Red game
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press