There’s no denying that Lyndhurst will have a very different look this season, following the graduation of several key multi-year starters. But while this year’s edition of the Golden Bears is younger and less experienced than recent versions, the expectations remain exactly the same.
“We don’t regroup, we reload,” said Rich Tuero, who begins his 12th season as Lyndhurst’s head coach. “That’s how we feel and that’s the mentality that we have here at Lyndhurst. Whether we’re going to be that great team or not, we’re going into it like that. We have expectations of winning the league and making the state finals. That’s the expectation in our program.”
One major area of change from last year’s 7-2 team is at the quarterback position where the name might be familiar but the playing style is quite different. Junior Jayson Bellenger (5-9, 170) takes over for his older brother, Shawn, who was a three-year starter.
Jayson brings a different dimension to the position as he’s more of an elusive, dual-threat style of quarterback as compared to Shawn who is now at Rochester after throwing 39 for 3,772 yards and 39 touchdowns over his career.
“Shawn and Jayson are two completely different human beings, it’s not even close,” Tuero said. “The one thing that you could say that they’re both the same is that they’re both good at quarterback. But they’re two different styles of quarterbacks.”
Sophomore Filoteo Mosca is set to be Bellenger’s backup.
Bellenger’s ability to scramble will be part of a very different rushing attack for Lyndhurst following the graduation of power back Roddy Morinho, who ran for 2,181 career yards and 33 touchdowns.
Expected to fill a large part of the void is electric sophomore Avery Cano (6-0, 160). Playing primarily at receiver, Cano had six touchdowns of 30+ yards last year in limited action and is poised for big things this fall.
Adding to the speed in the backfield are junior Allen Frias, a 5-10, 185 pound fullback, who led the team in receptions (23), yards (402) and touchdowns (4), and junior Naim Davis (5-8, 165), who has the fastest straightline speed on the team.
“Avery definitely has that second gear,” Tuero said. Allen is so dynamic for us and he’s our fullback. He’s a running back, he’s a receiver, he’s an all-around great player for us.”
Nate Boyd (5-6, 150) and Matthew Jarvis are returning starters at wide receiver with junior Randy Leon also expected to see time there along with Cano.
Jarvis and junior Anthony Ricigliano are the tight ends.
Senior Shadeed Smith (6-4, 280) anchors the offensive line as a returning starter at left tackle and is set to once again be one of the NJIC’s premier linemen. Omar Ali (6-0, 185) is a returning starter at left guard.
The rest of the offensive line is still an open competition heading into its two preseason scrimmages. Nicholas Rizzo, Justin Marmorato and Nicolas Ripher are battling it out at center, while at right guard, junior Krystian Drazek is competing with sophomore Christos Demopoulos. Seniors Ryan Canela and Luciano Riccio are vying for the starting right tackle spot.
Smith was a dominant force as the nose tackle on Lyndhurst’s 3-4 defense, which posted five shutouts before missing the final two games of last season due to a broken leg. Back to 100-percent, Smith can personally wreck an opposing offense.
“He’s a leader, he is a captain, he’s a beast man. He’s unbelievable,” said Tuero, adding Smith can and will play all over the defensive line. “He’s just a force on the field.”
Senior Thomas Awida (6-0, 180) is a returning starter at defensive end with Omar Ali projected to start at the other end. Senior Malakai Hope, as well as Demopoulos and Canela will also see snaps up front for the Golden Bears.
Davis (45 tackles, six sacks) is a returning starter at outside linebacker, as is Frias. Lyndhurst also returns Jarvis at inside linebacker. Ricigliano is set to start at the other inside linebacker spot, though junior Chris Penny is also primed to see significant time as well.
Boyd, who led the team in interceptions last season with three, is a returning starter at cornerback. Leon is set to start at the other corner spot with sophomore James Vuono Reid and seniors Ryli Pineiro and Francis San Martino vying for time.
Da’Veon Stephens (5-9, 160) is a returning starter at safety. With the versatile Rizzo likely starting at strong safety. Senior basketball standout Johnny Chaname, a first year football player, should also see time at safety as could Cano.
Cano, Chaname and Leon are battling it out to be the kick returns, while sophomore Anthony Andrinopolous is back to kick and punt after making 34-of-36 extra-point attempts.
The new-look Bears will be tested immediately as Lyndhurst begins its 100th season of football on Aug. 28 when it hosts longtime Group 2 power, Westwood.
“No doubt about it, it’s a challenge, and we’re excited about it. We want to see where we’re at,” Tuero said. “The reality is we’re going to find out where we are after our first two games.”
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)