FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[MRMIKESMITH]

Getting closer to the season. Today is Season Ticket pickup day....a huge catered BBQ, meet the coaches and seniors on the team. And a beautiful day with temps only around 80!!

Opening kickoff is right around the corner!!

That's awesome.

[RowanPhan]

It's team picture day in Glassboro... friend sent me this a few hours ago

One week until kick-off!

[RowanPhan]

Listing of some of Rowan's incoming recruits


Name              Position  Height  Weight  School               Notes
Matt Gray         FS, WR    6'0     185     Gloucester Catholic  Three-year starter and team captain, 5 ints (3 in one game)
Thomas Kane       OT, DT    6'3     255     Shawnee              2018 Phil Simms North+South All Star Game
Kyle Murphy       C, NG     6'0     250     Gloucester Catholic  Team leader and top student, two-way lineman, standout offensive guard and defensive tackle
Nick Maniero      RB        5'8     160     Nutley               2018 Phil Simms North+South All Star Game
Jake Schillinger  WR, CB    6'0     165     Shawnee              Adam Taliaferro Foundation Classic invite. He plans on walking on to the Rowan football team in the fall
CJ Barrett        QB        6'1     190     Sterling             Most Valuable Player honors as the White team downed the Blue squad 26-13 in the 28th annual Adam Taliaferro Foundation Classic

Rowan hauled in an impressive group of WR's this year; this group was depleted by graduation and attrition.

New Names include:
Naji Hart, 6'2 WR from Oakcrest HS
Elijah Rehm, DII transfer
Abu Kaikai, 6'4 tall WR from Edison HS
Kazmere Sturgis, 5'10 burner from Washington Twp HS
Jacquey Mendez, 2 sport star from Bordentown HS

Rounding out the Prof recruiting notes based on the latest roster. The cream of the crop in Rowan's 2018 class has to be Jake Krellin, a LB with incredible credentials.  The LB position is loaded with Seniors this season, so I'll be surprised if he gets immediate playing time, but given his abilities, I'm sure he'll see the field at some point!  Go Profs!

Jake Krellin   LB   5'11   215   Middletown, NJ / Middletown S.
Earned All-State and All-Shore honors... named the Defensive Player of the Year. One of the top players in the Shore Conference, junior year in which he earned All-Shore First Team defensive honors, as a junior produced a statistical line that rivaled anyone in the state with 109 tackles – including 45 for a loss – as well as 15 sacks 16 quarterback pressures. USA TODAY High School Sports 2017 American Family Insurance ALL-USA New Jersey Football Team (1st team Defense). As Senior made 84 tackles for a defense that lacked the supporting cast he had in 2016. He had 26 tackles for loss —   all while most teams ran in the opposite direction. He had 11 sacks, 18 quarterback pressures, four tipped passes, one interception, three forced fumbles and a blocked punt.

Lamar Price   DL   6'1   265   Lindenwold, NJ / Sterling   
2nd Team All South Jersey (Off OL and Def), Played three sports (football, wrestling and track) at Sterling High School... placed sixth in states and was a region champion and two-time district champion in wrestling

Pryce Bouchard   OL   6'1   265   Gloversville, NY / Gloversville   
Selected to the All-Star first team, 2017 Section II Class A all-star team 2nd team offense, 2016 Northwest Division all-star second team on offense

Kenny Cockerill   DL   6'1   265   Turnersville, NJ / Washington Twp.   
Top DL recruit. Earned All-South Jersey honors... a two-time All-Conference selection (all-conference second-team)

[RowanPhan]

2018 Rowan Football - Season Preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0OnAla0BjQ

[RowanPhan]

By the numbers.....just for fun. CNU roster has:

13 All-State high school players
4 All-State Track guys
1 All State soccer guy
A bunch of wrestlers
1 All-American track guy
2 transfers each from -- JUCO, D2 and D1
1 Eagle Scout
And an assistant coach who's son plays for the Ravens

(After I was half way through the roster, I realized many were high school National Honor Society members-- but I didn't go back and count. I'm guessing 25-30%)

See -- wasn't that fun!?

Rowan has 13 transfers
D1 - 1
D2 - 5
D3 - 5
JUCO - 1
Prep - 1

Best of the bunch:

Elijah Rehm   WR   Jr.   5'9   185   Clayton, NJ / Clayton   
Transfer from East Stroudsburg University...played in 20 games over a two year span...recorded 31 receptions for 370 yards...scored two touchdowns. HS: All-Tri-County Conference 1st team selection in football and track & field at Clayton ... 4-year starter in football as wide receiver and defensive back

Nick Couzzi   QB   So.   5'11   190   Branchburg, NJ / Somerville   
DII transfer, effective QB at Somerville HS

Brandon Fernandes   TE   So.   6'1   205   Bloomfield, NJ / Bloomfield   
HS: Played football and ran track & field at Bloomfield High School in Bloomfield, NJ. Inaugural All-North Jersey Super Football Conference-Liberty Blue Division First Team Offense, NJSFC All-County (All-Essex County Group 4-5) Second Team. Fernandes put up some tremendous numbers, with 700 yards rushing on 126 carries. He scored 20 touchdowns and had 1,381 yards rushing for his high school career. Selected to play in the prestigious North-South All-Star football game. 2017 JUCO: 1 GP, 1 Tck

Quinton Jenkins   DB   Jr.   5'8   213   Williamstown, NJ / Cherry Hill W.   
Previous School: a transfer from Delaware State University Saw limited action as a true freshman ... recorded one tackle, a solo stop vs. Missouri

Hunter Lechthaler   P   So.   6'1   230   Nutley, NJ / Nutley   
All-Conference first team two times, East squad at the 24th annual Robeson Football Classic, one of Raiders' most consistent kickers in the program's history

[PA_wesleyfan]

Sorry this is out of order. No#1 The E 8 schools have never wanted to plsy Wesley before so I doubt that will happen.
#2 zWesley is no longer in the CAC. They are moving to the new America East conference.

[PA_wesleyfan]

CNU.. Pre NJAC days Wesley used to carry those player numbers in the 200s
I hope to get on here more this year. I suddenly unwilling have a lot if time on my hands. I am looking forward to the new Football season but with  a heavy heart. Mike Drass was a dear friend as well as Chip Knapp is now. I got/get to see them only during football season and in May at the golf outing..We have communicated on line here and there during the off season. That's how at home they made me feel now for twenty one years. But you see I am not one of Wesley's ex players or even an ex student. My son played for Wesley from 1995 - 1999. That is but one story that has been told time and again why Mike was and forever will be An awesome man as well as being a football coach. I have confidence that Chip will keep the program in the upper tier of DIII football. I also know that he will keep up with the
community activities that Wesley has been involved in. It's going to take time for all of us involved in the Wesley community to adjust to life without Coach Drass. We all feel as deep a hurt as one can have losing someone. But as Coach always said "TOGETHER"!! "Let win a game" Go Wesley

[bman]

Sorry this is out of order. No#1 The E 8 schools have never wanted to plsy Wesley before so I doubt that will happen.
#2 zWesley is no longer in the CAC. They are moving to the new America East conference.

To be fair, why would they?

1. Wesley was a pool B for the longest time, so no interconference possibilities, 2. The E8 has generally had a full/set schedule, so why take a game 5-8 hours away? and 3. As mentioned, since they are not close the expenses associated would be higher.   

[RowanPhan]

Rookie question here:  is there a pre-season All NJAC team posted by the conference?

[PA_wesleyfan]

bman
I don't really want to rehash all reasons why those schools wouldn't play Wesley.
I was pointing out that there is no reason to believe that those schools would change their minds or reasonsand now play Wesley. I can say that Wesley tried every conceivable way to get teams in NY and all over the country in those times that scheduling was tough.

[thewaterboy]

Rookie question here:  is there a pre-season All NJAC team posted by the conference?

No. I think they just do a pre-season coaches poll.

bman
I don't really want to rehash all reasons why those schools wouldn't play Wesley.
I was pointing out that there is no reason to believe that those schools would change their minds or reasonsand now play Wesley. I can say that Wesley tried every conceivable way to get teams in NY and all over the country in those times that scheduling was tough.

Yeah it was more than just the E8 that wouldn't want to schedule Wesley when they were independent. They sent requests to just about every D3 school in the country for games and still had a hard time.

Here is some more press leading up to Wesley's season. https://delawarestatenews.net/sport/reluctantly-wesley-moves-on-without-drass/

I think any teams that come to Dover, Delaware will be at a disadvantage. Drass' name is on the field and that is certainly something that will drive the players this season.

[MUC57]

thewaterboy and Wesley fans

Want to wish Wesley the best on the season. Coach Drass was certainly one of the best in the entire Dlll world. I know he will be missed, but he built a tradition at Weslay that will live on.
If Wesley comes to Mount Union and I see a blurry figure pacing the Wolverines sideline, I'll know who it is! Good luck on the season from an old Purple Raider alumnus and fan. ☠🏈

[CNU85]

CNU.. Pre NJAC days Wesley used to carry those player numbers in the 200s
I hope to get on here more this year. I suddenly unwilling have a lot if time on my hands. I am looking forward to the new Football season but with  a heavy heart. Mike Drass was a dear friend as well as Chip Knapp is now. I got/get to see them only during football season and in May at the golf outing..We have communicated on line here and there during the off season. That's how at home they made me feel now for twenty one years. But you see I am not one of Wesley's ex players or even an ex student. My son played for Wesley from 1995 - 1999. That is but one story that has been told time and again why Mike was and forever will be An awesome man as well as being a football coach. I have confidence that Chip will keep the program in the upper tier of DIII football. I also know that he will keep up with the
community activities that Wesley has been involved in. It's going to take time for all of us involved in the Wesley community to adjust to life without Coach Drass. We all feel as deep a hurt as one can have losing someone. But as Coach always said "TOGETHER"!! "Let win a game" Go Wesley

One of the signs of a great coach. It's not about the season and the W's. If you do it right, those things take care of themselves! I know the former CNU coach had ties to Drass and had the utmost respect for him!

[CNU85]

Sorry this is out of order. No#1 The E 8 schools have never wanted to plsy Wesley before so I doubt that will happen.
#2 zWesley is no longer in the CAC. They are moving to the new America East conference.

Any football impact of #2?

[RowanPhan]

Sorry this is out of order. No#1 The E 8 schools have never wanted to plsy Wesley before so I doubt that will happen.
#2 zWesley is no longer in the CAC. They are moving to the new America East conference.

Any football impact of #2?

The Wolverines will remain a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference in football.

Source:
https://delawarestatenews.net/sport/wesley-leaving-cac-new-conference/