Football preview: Patriots’ strength is team chemistry, coach says

The Lenape Valley Regional High School football team is ready to take over a wide-open division this season, said Michael Moschella, the new head coach.

Moschella is a Lenape Valley graduate and former teacher and coach at Hopatcong and Pequannock Township high schools. He succeeds Wade Pickett, who retired after four years as head football coach and 27 years as assistant coach.

The Super Football Conference’s American Blue Division is full of talented and hungry teams, and Moschella believes the Patriots will be able to make a statement among them.

“There’s not a down week in the schedule,” he said.

The Patriots will play their first game against Kinnelon at home Friday, Aug. 29.

Last year, the team’s overall record was 4-6, and it placed second in the division with a 3-2 record against division opponents.

Lenape Valley, seeded sixth, was defeated by third-seed Mountain Lakes, 17-14, in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 Tournament.

Getting to know players

Moschella has spent the summer working with most of the players to keep in shape and set the tone for the season.

The work included a lot of speed training, consistent weight training and technical noncontact lessons on the field. Not only did that help Moschella become acquainted with how each boy plays on the field but who they are as people as well.

A vital step in effective coaching is to understand the personal side of your players and use that to inform how to work with them, he said. “I really spent the summer getting to know the kids.”

That was a big step in developing the chemistry and identity that the team has - one of its biggest strengths, he said, adding that the team is often loud and passionate, with players looking out for each other as friends and peers.

Their clear drive and motivation to stay engaged and improve makes them a fun group of players to coach, Moschella said. Three-hour training sessions that start early in the morning fly by in part because of the consistent organic and fun environment.

“The greatest strength of the team right now is that team chemistry.”

That type of bond can make the Patriots especially difficult to play against, the coach said. They are hard workers who have bought into a system that leans into their dynamic and aggressive playing style.

He devised the strategy in a way that lets him do unique things as a coach while leaning into the collective strengths of the team. In practice, this takes the form of a tighter, more traditional offense that gives players the opportunity to lean into their physicality.

“We have some tough, hard-nosed athletes,” he said. “They’re familiar with the system; it’s what they grew up doing.”

The program is lucky to have players who are flexible and able to make plays all over the field, which is one of their greatest strengths, he noted.

Among the players he is looking forward to watching are senior running back and linebacker Kevin Giusti, senior split end and safety Chase De Oliveira, and senior tight end and linebacker Ben Sumski. Each has ample varsity experience and has stepped into a leadership role this season.