Little room for error for Roberto-led Bulldogs
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

Rumson’s Michael Roberto (above) has shown a knack for putting points on the board over the course of his career, while Eric Lubin (r) has emerged as one of Roberto’s top targets at wide receiver.

Nobody needs to tell the Rumson-Fair Haven football team how important each game is this season.

In each of the past four seasons, the Bulldogs have posted 6-2 records by the cutoff date for the state playoffs, only to fall short due to a lack of power points. Playing in the Shore Conference’s National Division, Rumson plays several Group I schools throughout the season, thus keeping the potential for power points at a minimum.

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So as head coach Shane Fallon’s team prepares for the upcoming season, the squad has set its goals rather high.

“We know that we have to go 8-0 or 7-1 in order to qualify for the postseason,” Fallon, now in his eighth season as head coach, said. “We can only control what we do, and you can only play with what you’re dealt.”

While the team’s schedule tends to work against it, this year’s Bulldogs squad has plenty going for it, starting with one of the top quarterbacks in the Shore Conference.

Senior Michael Roberto has put up some gaudy statistics over the past two years, establishing himself as one of the top play-making threats in the Shore Conference. Teams game-planning for Rumson-Fair Haven start with how they’re going to slow down the athletic signal-caller.

“I think that he and [Raritan’s Andrew] Mandeville are the top two QBs in the Shore,” Fallon said. “Raritan has been very successful as a team, so [Mandeville’s] gotten a little more exposure throughout the state, but in my eyes, Michael doesn’t take a backseat to anyone.”

What really impresses Fallon is his quarterback’s desire to win.

“Michael’s already accomplished everything he needed to statistically,” the coach said. “He’s got the school’s career passing record and the season record. But all he talks about is how he wants to end his career here with a division title and a trip to the state playoffs.”

For his prowess on the field, Roberto has earned the interest of several Division I programs, and will certainly have plenty of choices as to where to play during his college career.

“The Ivy League schools are all over him, as well as schools like Boston College, Louisville, Rutgers and Villanova,” the coach said.

But for right now, Roberto is concentrating on the upcoming high school season, where he hopes to lead the Bulldogs to their finest campaign in years.

And he has plenty of help on offense. Senior wideouts Ryan Finnegan and Eric Lubin are both back and will be Roberto’s main targets down the field, along with senior tight end Joe Binns. Senior James Armstrong will also see some time at wide receiver.

Senior Drew Morris has moved from tight end to fullback, where he will be making holes for junior Wes German, a JV player last year who Fallon said is “very shifty with good vision.”

The offensive line is a work in progress. While senior center Brooks Robinson, a three-year starter, is back, the rest of the line is new. Junior Ryan Schumann is at right guard, junior Tyler Hawley is the right tackle, senior Dave Ballatori is the left guard, and senior Tim Sharkey is at left tackle.

“All of these guys have waited their turn to play,” Fallon said. “They haven’t started before simply because we were a senior-dominated team last year.”

The defense is in a similar predicament, with four new linemen without varsity experience.

Senior Ray England and junior Kyle Phelan are the defensive ends, with seniors Kevin Wong and Keith Johnson at defensive tackle.

The linebackers are Morris, senior Travis Conley, junior Jordan Farber and sophomore Matt Feiring.

In the secondary, Lubin and senior Ryan Carroll are the safeties, with senior Drew Mumma (a three-year starter) and junior Brian Sharkey at the corners.

A look at the lineup shows few two-way players, which Fallon feels will work to his team’s advantage.

“We have 56 kids on our roster, and another 26 freshmen playing,” he said. “In the National Division there are a lot of smaller Group I schools, so hopefully we have enough players in the program that we can wear some of those teams down.

Through the preseason, Fallon liked what he saw from his team.

“They’ve gotten better every week,” he said. “We lost some key offensive and defensive linemen, so answering the questions there has been our main concern. We’ve got plenty of skill position players back, so we should do well there. If the play on the lines improves, we should do well.”

But well enough to finally make the playoffs?

“It may take an 8-0 or 7-1 record just to win the National Division this year,” Fallon said. “It’s going to be very competitive. Point Pleasant Borough is the defending champ and the favorite, but the one thing we know is that we’ll put a competitive team on the field every week.

“Our big thing is just getting improvement with each week,” he added. “When you’re dealing with a lot of young kids who aren’t experienced, you need to get that improvement each week. As a coaching staff, we need to be patient early on because some of the mistakes we’re seeing are due to a lack of varsity experience and just not being on the field enough.”

There will be plenty of kids learning on the fly for Rumson this year, but with some excellent senior leadership there to help them, the Bulldogs could be a force by season’s end.

The education process begins Saturday at Mater Dei in Middletown. Game time is noon.