Coach Joe Martucci offers hope and confidence for his football players at Saint John Vianney High School.
Martucci, who is in his first year coaching at the Holmdel school, is a wise veteran skipper who compiled a successful tenure as the head man for years at Matawan Regional High School.
“I told them, ‘We are not the Vianney of the last couple years. Those kids all graduated,’” Martucci said after Saint John Vianney fell to Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, 43-6, on Sept. 7. “It’s just a matter of these kids keeping their heads on straight and working hard. It’s a tough schedule but the kids have a good attitude. As I told them, ‘You can only go up from here.’”
The inexperienced Lancers, who return just three starters from 2017, have lost their first two games by a combined score of 84-20.
Before the result last Friday night, Saint John Vianney had not lost to Rumson-Fair Haven, a Shore Conference Colonial Division rival, since 2013. Before their season-opening loss to Red Bank Catholic High School on Aug. 31, the Lancers had not lost a Shore Conference game since 2013, either. Saint John Vianney entered the season with a 38-game conference winning streak.
Just one season ago, St. John Vianney rung up a 10-1 record and reached the NJSIAA Non-Public, Group 3 playoff semifinals, where the Lancers fell to DePaul Catholic High School. The Wayne school wound up winning the state playoff title.
Saint John Vianney will bid to win its first game after the 0-2 start when it plays at Brick Township High School on Sept. 14.
But the Lancers still have talent, and can still make a run this year. St. John Vianney’s struggles are due, at least in part, to a string of unexpected absences. The Lancers were missing five starters, three linemen, safety/running back Damon Washington and quarterback CJ Duell, on Friday night.
Four of them should be back soon, though one lineman is out for the season.
Martucci’s best option is junior running back Kavon Chambers, a 6-0, 185-pound foot.
But Chambers had little room to run against Rumson-Fair Haven,, gaining just 28 yards on 16 first half carries. He did rush three times for 22 yards and a one-yard touchdown on the first drive of the second half.
“Kavon is a top running back. We just couldn’t get things going, especially after we lost (offensive lineman) David Glass and (offensive lineman) Jack (MacCutcheon),” Martucci said. “So we got two guys on the line that got experience, and you can’t just keep running at them (Rumson). We tried to do a couple different things. They didn’t work.”
“Rumson is a very good defense,” Martucci said.
Martucci knows that he must guide a young but eager squad.
“We have some young kids who are just learning how to play the game at this level. It’s a lot different from freshman or JV,” Martucci said. “When you’ve got experienced kids who you’re playing against, if you don’t do the right things like putting your hands on people and getting up field in the gaps, they will take advantage. They are experienced. They are good.”
