Eagles looking to take program to next level
Edison hopes to pick up where it left off last fall
BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO Zach TIvald is back to lead the Edison backfield as the Eagles look to continue to progress under head coach Matt Fulham.

EDISON - After ending the 2006 season with three straight wins, including a 29-28 win over crosstown rival J.P. Stevens on Thanksgiving, the Edison High School football team appears poised to put the struggles of its recent past just where it belongs - in the past.

Under head coach Matt Fulham, the Edison program looks to have turned the proverbial corner. In his first year at the helm, Fulham saw just 40 players turn out for tryouts. In 2006 things got better, with 60 players, and this year things look even brighter with 79 students suiting up for the gridiron. Add to this the fact that many of the players from last season's 7-1 JV team are ready to make the move up the ranks, and the result is higher expectations for this season's Eagle team.

The Eagles did take a big hit with the loss of standout wide receiver Mike Campbell. A phenomenal athlete who caught 12 of quarterback Eric Janz's 16 touchdown passes last season, Campbell is playing for Temple University, where he has a strong chance of starting in his freshman season.

The team lost four other players from last season who are all playing at the college level. Wide receiver Terry Roland and lineman Dan Tirado are currently playing for Fairleigh Dickinson University, while fullback Jimmy Cooper and lineman Brian Pascal are at Muhlenberg and Johns Hopkins, respectively.

"It's a great thing to see players move on to college to continue playing football," Fulham said. "My first year here at Edison we had eight seniors on the team, and this year we have 26. Of our 22 seniors from last season, 16 are at four-year colleges and five of them are playing football. That tells me the program is headed in the right direction."

With Janz back behind center, the Eagle offense appears in good hands. In addition to his 16 touchdown passes in 2007, Janz amassed over 1,400 total passing yards to lead the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division.

"Eric is great in the huddle, and he possesses a lot of knowledge about the game and our offense," Fulham said. "This is my first year starting the season with an experienced quarterback, and that's a big plus."

Returning to the Edison backfield with Janz are running backs Zach Tivald and Glen Scott. Both missed some time last season due to injuries, but both came on strong at the close of the season. Tivald alone rushed for over 400 yards in the team's final four contests.

Three-year starter Josh Williams will likely be Janz's new favorite target. Williams will line up at wide receiver and has made the move from safety to outside linebacker on defense.

"We're hoping he can replace Michael and become a serious scoring threat," Fulham said. "He has explosive speed and he did a tremendous job in the weight room during the offseason."

The Edison line graduated three key players from last season, and experienced linemen Chris Pierth and Mohammed Elkattan will be looked to to lead the younger players at tackle and center, respectively.

"In addition to the new linemen, we will have three new linebackers," Fulham said. "We're moving people around and trying to get more speed on the field. A lot of guys are up from the JV level, and we have a lot of competition for positions this year."

The team will kick off the 2007 season at 8 p.m. against visiting North Brunswick.

"We definitely had our best offseason, and we're hoping that the confidence gained at the end of last year carries over," Fulham said. "The goal is to be over .500 and get into the playoffs."