SOUTH HUNTERDON EAGLES

Head coach: Toby Jefferis (15th season, 68-70)

2023 record: 9-2

Playoffs: Defeated Salem, 16-6, in the Central Jersey, Group 1 quarterfinals. Lost to Glassboro, 20-0, in the semifinals.

Division: Big Central - Freedom Silver

Key players: Thomas Breuer, Sr., C/DL; Edward Cooper, Sr., RB/LB; Noah Cormier, Sr., OT/DL; McCade Cummings, Jr., RB/WR/DB; Mason Currie, Fr., DB; Ty Dunn, Sr., OT/DL; Kellen Healy, Fr., RB/WR/LB; Tucker Hicks, So., QB/DB; Nathan Lawton, Sr., TE/LB; Deegan Manfready, Jr., OL/DE; Zachary Naughton, Jr., G/DL; Parker Rampell, G/LB/K; Dayton Ratkowski, Jr., WR/RB/DB/P.

Outlook: Few, if any players in the Big Central Conference are as valuable to their team as Edward Cooper is to the Eagles. This season, the four-year starter adds the role of “lead rusher” to his already extensive list of responsibilities as he will be the fullback of South Hunterdon’s Wing-T scheme.

“He’s the guy for us,” head coach Toby Jefferis said. “I say that not only just from a football player standpoint, but from a leadership standpoint as far as everything that he does for us on the field. He’s essentially the coach on the field for us.”

Cooper, who ran for 413 yards and six touchdowns a season ago, will be joined in the backfield by halfbacks McCade Cummings, a junior, and freshman Kellen Healy. Dayton Ratkowski will also see time in the backfield, but is set to be top receiver for the Eagles, with Cummings and Healy also capable of playing out wide. Senior Nathan Lawton is the starter at tight end.

Senior right tackle Ty Dunn, a three-year starter, leads the offensive line as he and senior center Thomas Breuer are back after earning All-Freedom Silver, First Team honors a season ago. Senior Noah Cormier is the left tackle as a pair of juniors are set to start at the guard positions with Zachary Naughton on the left side and Parker Rampel on the right.

The biggest change on offense is at quarterback, where sophomore Tucker Hicks takes over under center following the graduation of Anthony Venettone, who threw and ran for more than 1,000 yards each.

On defense, Cooper returns at middle linebacker, where he was one of the state’s leading tacklers a year ago with 153 to go with three fumble recoveries. Rampel and Healy are set to start on the outside.

Dunn and Breuer are returning starters on the defensive line, which expects contributions from Cormier and Naughton as well as junior defensive end Deegan Manfready.

Ratkowski, who had two interceptions a year ago, headlines the secondary with Cummings and freshman Mason Currie. Hicks could also see some time at defensive back as well.

While this year’s team lacks the experience and age of its recent teams, Cooper, Dunn and Breuer have been a part of three consecutive state tournament teams. This year’s freshman class is one of the largest South Hunterdon has had in recent years, so the belief is that the Eagles can stay healthy, they will be a team that gets better as the season goes along as the underclassmen get better acclimated.

“They got to be the guys to teach some of the younger guys that are going to be starting for us this year to show what it takes to be successful,” Jefferis said about this senior group. “They’ve been around it for the past couple of years and they’ve been doing a good job of helping a lot on the field teaching these new guys because we need everybody to contribute.”

2024 SOUTH HUNTERDON SCHEDULE

Sept. 6: at Dayton, 7

Sept. 13: vs. Middlesex, 7

Sept. 20: vs. Bound Brook, 7

Sept. 27: at Manville, 7

Oct. 4: at Brearley, 6

Oct. 10: vs. Belvidere, 7

Oct. 18: at Spotswood, 7

Oct. 25: vs. Dunellen, 7