Red Bank team still a bit of a work in progress
BY DOUG McKENZIE Staff Writer
Playing in a division loaded with powerful teams like Red Bank Catholic, Matawan, Long Branch and Wall makes it tough to enter a season with a young team.

CHRIS KELLY staff Senior wideout Will Sanbron tries to escape the grasp of a Rumson defender during a recent

But that's what Red Bank Regional head football coach Jeff Mauro has on his hands this year, as the Bucs prepare to face one of the more challenging schedules in the Shore Conference.

Coming off a pair of 1-9 seasons, the Bucs enter the season with a renewed sense of optimism, as the roster includes a slew of new faces, including some excellent athletes who should blossom as the season progresses.

If it's true that playing tough competition only makes you stronger, the Bucs should be plenty strong by season's end.

Offensively, RBR has a new leader in sophomore Colin Lang, who took over the quarterbacking duties once fellow sophomore Jake Kalish, a budding baseball prospect, decided not to play football this year. With a young, inexperienced offensive line, Lang will likely need to air it out quite a bit this year in Mauro's flexbone offense, while the linemen learn their new positions and how to run block. In passing situations, Lang will have plenty of options, starting with senior Will Sanborn, a quick wide receiver with exceptional leaping ability, as well as senior Tim Johnson and junior Akeem Crawford. All three are strong athletes who will help Lang with their play-making abilities, as could tight ends Greg Lucking and Mike Pignataro.

ANDREW MILLER staff Red Bank's Colin Lang looks for an open man during his team's scrimmage against Rumson.

As the Bucs try to establish a running attack, which has failed to materialize in recent years, they will hand the ball to a number of players, such as sophomores D.J. Bacon and Danny DeCristofaro and seniors Alex Carberry and Brendan Piha. Senior Jonti Pazzarro will be providing the lead blocks from his fullback position.

However, the success of the rushing attack will depend largely on the development of the offensive line, which returns just one starter in senior tackle, Evan Card. The newcomers to the line are junior Brendan Quinn at center, juniors Rob Garrison and Colin Mitchell at the guards, and senior Brian Westervelt and junior Christian Chacon at the tackles.

Defensively, the Bucs will feature many of the same players, starting on the line, where Card, Pizzaro, Westervelt join seniors Owen Trapp and Javen Tillman.

The linebackers are Pignataro and senior Nick Lazo, as well as juniors Tony Smith and Lucas Lesbirel.

The secondary has two returning starters in senior safety Bryan Mass and Lucking, while DeCristofaro, Piha and junior D.J. LoBraico will play the corners.

Red Bank's defense will look to keep the team in games early on, as the Buc offense finds its stride, particularly in the running game. RBR is fortunate to be opening with another team, Monmouth Regional, which is a bit of a work in progress after graduating nearly its entire team on both sides of the ball.

Tonight's game will provide one of the two teams with an early lift, and Mauro and company are hoping that a victory over the Falcons will start to change the attitude toward Red Bank football.

Game time is 7 p.m.