John Policano knew the task rebuilding the Kearny football program would not be an easy one.
But as Policano enters his third season as Kardinals head coach, he and his coaching staff are starting to see the rewards from that earlier work.
With 61 players on the roster, the numbers in the program are as strong as it has been in recent memory. The quality of depth was also shown with a JV team that went 4-2, finishing with a winning record for the first time in more than two decades.
One area where the progress has been slower is wins on the varsity level, but after going 1-7 last year, Policano believes the strides will be evident on the field.
“I think that we are changing the culture,” said Policano. “I think it took a little bit longer than I anticipated, but now it really feels like this year we’ve got our culture in place.
“We feel confident as a coaching staff that we’re ready to really win some games.”
The optimism ramped up to an even higher level this past spring when Rahzir Cooper transferred into Kearny from Weequahic. The 6-foot-0, 235-pound senior will start at fullback in the Kardinals’ Wing-T attack and brings a blend of speed and power that has rarely been in Kearny.
“He’s an athlete. He can throw the ball, he can catch the ball, he can run with the ball,” said Policano. “There is no question that we’ll expand his offensive repertoire as needed as the season progresses.
“I think it will be an asset that we can use when he has the ball and when he doesn’t have the ball because regardless of where he is on the field, the defense has to be aware of him.”
Joining Cooper in the backfield are a pair of speedsters at the wing backs in juniors Miguel Betancourt and Ammar Khalifa. Sophomores Rafael Andrade and Nicholas Coco-Tejada are also in the mix for carries.
New quarterback, sophomore Izael Moya is also sure to be a part of the running game as well
Whomever has the ball, they will be running behind the biggest offensive line Kearny has had in years.
Left tackle Ethan Sanchez (6-0, 270) is a four-year starter on the line. Senior center Giovanni Selay (6-0, 230) and senior right tackle Giovanni Olivo are returning starters as well. Abraham Ramadam (6-4, 215) is an athletic right guard.
Senior Matthew Espana (6-2, 274) is a transfer from DePaul that is expected to make an impact at left guard when he becomes eligible. Another senior, Yan Gabriel is currently set to start at left guard.
Senior Carlos Vazquez, who also is the backup quarterback and Elias Marino are Moya’s top two receivers while senior Diego Villatoro and freshman Logan Kozak are competing at tight end.
On defense, Snchez, Selay and Olivo will start along the front of the Kardinals’ 3-4 scheme with Espana sure to see extensive time as well.
At linebacker Gabriel and Ramadan are set to line up at the edges with sophomore Lyzander Farfan also in the mix. Cooper and Moya start at inside linebacker with Ramadan more than capable of kicking inside and Villatoro also vying for time
Fazquez and Andrade are set to start at corner with Coco-Tejada and Marino at safety. Khalifa, Kozak freshman Darius Adair and seniors Pedro Soares and Davinchy Cabral seeking time in the secondary.
Betancourt along with Khalifa are the top kick returners.
The Kardinals open the season on Thursday, Sept. 4 with a home matchup with North Bergen, followed by another home game on Sept. 12 against Memorial before road games at Dickinson and Ferris.
“We’re very confident coming into the season,” said Policano. “Our expectation is that we’re going to win football 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.)