Sal Marchese has put together a long and successful coaching career at Delsea Regional High School.
This year, he passed his mentor, John Oberg, to become the school’s winningest football coach. He’s won nine sectional championships.
But now in his 30th season, Marchese has overseen just one undefeated team – the 2005 squad went 12-0. If the fourth-ranked Crusaders defeat fifth-ranked Old Tappan on Saturday in the first-ever NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics Group 3 state final, they will become just the second undefeated team in Marchese’s tenure.
The Crusaders would also become the eighth undefeated team in program history – though three of those teams finished with a tie. The 2022 squad would be the first to go 13-0 in the first year of honoring state champions.
Going back to the 2020 season, Delsea has won 28 of its last 29 games - the most successful stretch in program history.
Asked if he remembered the 2005 team, Marchese said he did.
“They were the same type of kids as this team - character, work ethic, competitive,” assessed Marchese.. “These kids are just resilient. They just find a way to win. We lost our quarterback (Zach Maxwell) in the playoffs, that was a big blow. Jimmy (Reardon) stepped in and did a pretty good job. The kids knew they had to step up.
“It’s tough to go undefeated especially playing the type of schedule we play. We tend to start slowly. Thirty years of coaching, we’ve had a lot of championships but only one undefeated season. Up until this point it’s been a special season.”
Delsea hasn’t joined the recent trend in appearing in showcase events like the Battle at the Beach or the Rumble at the Raritan, so for the last 13 years they’ve exclusively played teams from the West Jersey Football League and a few playoff games against Shore Conference opponents. The last opponent that didn’t come from one of those two leagues was Salesianum (Del.) in 2009.
But Marchese didn’t feel unfamiliarity or playing in a large venue like Rutgers’ SHI Stadium would impact the Crusaders.
“This group is very even-keeled, they won’t get too high or too low, they just want to compete and they just want to win,” said Marchese. “This is it now, it’s win or lose. We’ve gotten to this point and I don’t think we’re over-confident, but we’re a confident group. We’re very excited to play, it’s a great opportunity to play for the first state championship ever.
“Sometimes it’s tough to gauge (teams on film) when you don’t know the teams they’re playing, but our coaches have been around a long time. You know a team is good when you see them. I don’t think they’ve played anybody like us, but Old Tappan is very, very well-coached, very good offensively, disciplined defensively. They’re about what you expect a team to look like when you’re competing for a state title.”
A sophomore, Reardon has started the last two games in place of Maxwell, and Marchese said he gave the young signal-caller more responsibility in the second half of the state semifinal as Delsea rallied from a 14-0 deficit against Camden.
With two more weeks of practice, Reardon and Marchese expect the offense to hum at an even better pace.
“It’s pressure, but it’s not bad when you have a team and coaches supporting you,” said Reardon. “I’ve always been ready for this spot. I am more comfortable (than two weeks ago). We’re confident in all our plays, we can run anything, perform it the right way and we can open the playbook. We’ve been practicing to play a top opponent. I think we’re ready.”
Said Marchese: “Each day at practice he gets better and better at what we do, running option, the mesh and reads. The big thing for us is being able to run option, and the last week-and-a-half since Camden he got a lot better. He’s very cerebral, a gym rat. He plays different sports, he’s pretty heady, and runs fairly well.”
Reardon scored the game-winning touchdown in the final minute against Camden, set up by junior Dom Teti’s interception.
Teti has been the Crusaders’ Johnny on the Spot. In his first start last year, he returned an interception for a touchdown to break open a game against Delran and earlier this season his kickoff return for a score snapped a second-half tie with Winslow.
“He’s a very talented kid that has a knack for making the big play,” said Marchese.
Whether it’s Teti, Reardon, Jared Schoppe, Ashton Blose or a number of other talented, gritty Crusaders, they are one win away from a historic victory for the established program.
“This feels great, it’s the first (state final) ever, we’re very excited and the team’s ready, we’re just ready to go,” said Teti. “I just go out there and play and whatever happens happens, do what the coaches tell me and when the opportunity is there I make a play. But the game doesn’t end when you make a play. You have to finish the job.
“We haven’t thought about (history), we just want to keep playing and finish the job.”
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Bill Evans covers the West Jersey Football League. He can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BEvansSports
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