By Jeff Appelblatt
Just weeks before the 2016 high school football season began, Woodbridge High School head coach Kevin Coleman wasn’t sure who he’d have running things at quarterback.
Last year’s quarterback, Tracy Fudge, graduated before the summer started, and Coleman found himself debating whether a sophomore was ready to fill the critical position or if he was better off moving one of the team’s key players from last year to the new role.
Fortunately for the new coach, the decision wound up an easy one before the team’s first game Sept. 9 down the road at arch-rival Colonia High School.
“It was hard for him in the beginning,” Coleman said about sophomore Donovan Tabon. “I didn’t want to rush him into the starting lineup right away, but he played well in a scrimmage game, and I decided he was ready.”
And the sophomore immediately proved the Barrons’ coach right. He stepped onto the field at the home of the local nemesis, and he led Woodbridge to a 19-14 victory. The sophomore connected on 7-of-11 pass attempts for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, the other quarterback option, Keshaun Henry, found himself in other roles he wasn’t used to against the Patriots — he was one of the club’s main receivers and kicked extra points after touchdown.
Last season, Henry had the main legs on the field for the Barrons. He ran the ball more than 65 yards per game, and all of his touchdowns were on the ground. But against Colonia, Henry caught seven passes. That was as many as the senior pulled in all of last year.
“[Henry] forced a fumble toward the end of the game,” Coleman said, highlighting all Henry did to help the Barrons in the win.
Woodbridge turned it’s running game over to DaAvian Ellington. The 5-foot-10 senior ran the ball 23 times for a total of 104 yards and a touchdown.
One of Woodbridge’s top offensive weapons each year alongside Henry was Quaasim Glover, and nothing’s changed there. Against Colonia, Glover reeled in five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.
With a fumble returned to the end zone by Marquan Payne added in, Woodbridge scored enough to pick up the win. But Coleman isn’t sure 19 points will be enough for his team to win regularly. The Barrons have been considered more of a scoring team in the past, with 26.4 points per game last season, for instance.
Either way, following a win, Woodbridge’s coach isn’t looking to make an excess amount of changes.
“We’re not looking to change many things. We have to execute what we have already,” Coleman said. “Whatever we score, we score.”
He won’t bask too long in his first victory as a coach, but he also won’t forget about the start of the game in Colonia.
“It was a relief for me to get into the game,” he said. “The atmosphere was unreal. The fans for each team were there and behind their teams.
“I just enjoy football. I enjoy coaching.”
Woodbridge’s next game is Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. against Manasquan High School. It’ll be the first home game of the season for the Barrons.
