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Redskins look to get better every game
By Dennis Wilson
Compliments of Suburban Life
Numbers are a problem at Parsippany High School as head coach Brad Wilbur's roster
includes 29 players, only six of whom are members of the Class of 2001. In 1998, the Redskins went 9-2 before the
bottom fell out last year as Parisppany posted a 1-9 mark to end the 20th Century.
With a dozen juniors and 12 sophomores on the squad, the future is bright for the Redskins.
"We are a young team and our main objective is to get better every game," said Wilbur. "We don't
have large numbers but everyone on the squad has been working hard to get ready for Friday night's game against
Watchung Hills."
Parsippany will entertain the Warriors from the Skyland Conference in a non-conference season-opener that begins
with a 7:00 PM kickoff in Parsippany on Friday.
With only six seniors, Wilbur will appoint game captains. In fact, only five will suit up for the first game as
Sean Bernard (5-10, 210) will be sidelined until the fourth game if his rehabbing goes according to schedule. At
that time he will join the Redskins up front in the trenches playing on the offensive and defensive lines.
Mike Mansur (5-10, 190) is a two-way returning starter at running back and linebacker.
"Mike has the ability and size to continue his career at the Division III level," added Wilbur. "He
is a hard worker in practice who comes to play."
Mike Stewart (6-0, 210) will start on the offensive line and at defensive end and is another candidate for college
football with a D-III program.
"Mike is fast. He will play defensive end for us but can be a good college linebacker," continued Wilbur.
Adam Arteaga (1-20, 185) will start at linebacker and see action as a running back while Eric Jen (6-1, 200) will
be a situational player on the defensive front wall and also play on the offensive line as will Henry Liao (5-10,
200).
The rebuilding process begins with the junior class and no one will have a greater impact on the team's fortunes
than Dustin Petronaci (5-11, 175) who has won the starting assignment at quarterback.
"Dustin has a good arm and got some experience as the backup last season," continued Wilbur. "He
will also get time in the defensive backfield as he is a versatile athlete."
Mike Fleig (6-4, 205) will be the primary aerial target from his wide receiver post.
"Mike is a fleet one who runs good patterns," added Wilbur. "He will also start in the defensive
secondary."
Klayton Scott (5-9, 140) will fill the shoes of the graduated Clarence Curry who saw action as a true freshman
when Villanova lost to Rutgers on Saturday evening. Scott will handle the punt returns as well as kickoff returns
on the special teams and will line up at wide receiver and in the defensive backfield.
Steve Haralam (6-3, 210) and Matt Graczyk (6-0, 260) are returning letterwinners who will slots on the offensive
line. Haralam will be a linebacker on defense while Graczyk is a down lineman. Mike Sadowski (5-10, 185) is another
letterwinner who will see action in the line on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
Kevin Thorpe (6-4, 205) is new to football but his skills learned on the basketball court give Wilbur reason to
believe he can turn into an outstanding wide receiver and defensive back. Another newcomer is John Cardenas (5-9,
160) who was a soccer all star as a sophomore. He will not only upgrade the Redskins placekicking game, he is also
challenging to varsity minutes as a running back and in the defensive secondary. A third newcomer is Matt Larkin
(6-4, 275) who is labeled a good athlete by Wilbur and is projected to become an important cog in the offensive
and defensive lines as the season progresses.
Robert Campbell (5-8, 135) and Steven Henke (5-9, 155) are candidates for action at wide receiver slots and in
the defensive secondary while Al McDonald (5-10, 180) is up from the junior varsity looking for time at running
back and as a linebacker.
A dozen sophomores will grow and mature as the season passes into October, but Wilbur is looking for several to
make immediate contributions.
Brian Urban (6-3, 220) will be the jack-of-all trades on a roster limited by a lack of numbers. He will serve as
the backup signal caller and see action at fullback when the Redskins have the ball. On defense, he will come off
the bench to fill holes at defensive end and linebacker.
Chris Payerl (5-10, 205) will serve as the third-string quarterback while also learning the tools of the trade
as an offensive guard and linebacker. Wahead Shamsudin (5-6, 160) will see action as a running back on the attack
and on defense will be in action as a linebacker and defensive back.
Joe D'Alessandro (5-10, 155), Dustin Mitschele (5-7, 135), Wayne Wu (5-7, 135) and Justin Zanca (5-10, 150) are
looking for action as wide receivers and defensive backs while Matt Kessler (5-7, 135) is looking for action as
a running back and defensive back.
Picking up experience in the trenches on both sides of the ball will be Matt Borquist (5-10, 205), Alex Fleming
(5-11, 215), Nusret Noorata (5-9, 170) and Joe Sigorella (5-10, 180).
Gone from the Redskins schedule is the annual local battle with Parsippany Hills as the Vikings have moved to the
larger Iron Division of the Iron Hills Conference. Watchung Hills replaces Par Hills and opens the campaign in
Parsippany on Friday evening. The Warriors play in a very competitive Skyland Conference that includes perennial
state power Phillipsburg, but Watchung Hills can be beaten.
It is a game the Redskins can win by focusing on the task at hand - executing their assignments while staying clear
of turnovers and untimely penalties.
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