Patriots third in division

The Lenape Valley Regional High School football team placed third in the SFC American Blue Division with a 4-6 overall record this fall.

The Patriots were 3-2 against division opponents.

“Lenape was really the tale of two halves of a season, and the second half of the season the team played with a lot of confidence and pride,’’ head coach Wade Pickett said. “They scored a lot of points and came together as a cohesive unit.

“It was fitting that the seniors beat Wallkill Valley (41-29 on Oct. 25) on their final game on Smolyn Field, and as their retiring head coach, I was never more proud of them for their hard work and grit that they showed throughout the season.’’

Besides the victory in their final home game, two wins stand out for Pickett: against Newton, 19-7, on Sept. 13 and against Sussex Tech, 28-16, on Oct. 5.

“Newton because it was the first win of the season and it was a team that we have not beaten since 2019,’’ Pickett said. “We were able to control the ball and the defensive line of scrimmage, and we put together an entire game on both sides of the ball. We had four takeaways on defense. It was a true confidence builder for the kids.

“The Sussex Tech game was important to our team because it was important that we redeem our loss from last year, and it also was the place where we really established our running game that produced some record-breaking yardage in the second half of the season.’’

The starting quarterback was a leader for the Patriots this year.

“Tanner Gaboda, the senior signal caller, improved throughout the season,’’ Pickett said. “He took more control of the offense and has just gotten better each and every game.

“Kevin Giusti emerged as a true leader both on and off the field throughout the season. Kevin finished the season with 1,245 yards and 10 TDs. He broke a single-game school rushing record at Hackettstown with 351 yards on 40 carries.

“Kevin is a true throwback that lets his talking be done on the field. He had 87 tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble and three tackles for loss. The best part about Kevin is that he is returning again next year.’’

Many players improved during the season.

“The offensive line play just got better and better each game,’’ Pickett said. “They showed so much improvement from the beginning of the year to the final state playoff game. When you can control the clock by running the ball, that is attributed to the offensive line play.

“Our defensive line play got better as the season went on also, which allowed our linebackers to get to the ball in the second half of the season.’’

The Patriots, seeded sixth, lost to third-seeded perennial powerhouse Mountain Lakes, 17-14, in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 tournament.

“We were really playing well at the end of the season and lost a heartbreaker to Mountain Lakes after out-playing the Lakers for 46 and a half minutes,’’ the coach said. “We made our 38th state playoff appearance. Lenape is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.’’

He is optimistic about next year.

“There are only six seniors starters this year,’’ Pickett said. “There were 25 freshmen that finished the season this year, which is the largest class of players since the pandemic.’’