Panthers Football Players Determined To Become Contenders

Despite the discomfort of the sweltering heat and the perspiration dripping at John Basilone Memorial Field, the Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers don't rest. They know what's at stake.

The team members know their football coach, Scott Bray, and his staff demand hard work and, most of all, teamwork. They know what lies ahead this season with encounters with Westfield, Immaculata, Phillipsburg and many others on the schedule.

So with every push-up, sprint and mistake corrected, it's about the big picture as the season closes in, with the Panthers beginning the year with an at-home game against Hillsborough Sept. 10.

"We're looking to replace what happened last year," said senior linebacker Kyle Paustian. "It's a big step and we started off at a level set for ourselves, and now we're starting to work up."

"We're starting to come together as a team," he added. "We're doing some good things offensively and defensively that could work, and we can improve upon what we did last year."

Last year, the offense was under the steady hand of quarterback Collin Clifford, but waiting in the wings is starting quarterback candidate junior Ray Mastroianni, who's battling senior Jamar Archer for the position.

"Collin was a great quarterback," Ray said. "Last year, on the sidelines, I watched him and, in practice, I became a better quarterback, learning the reads and just doing the best I can."

The key target for the quarterbacks will be senior wide receiver Derek Beck, who's bound to see plenty of blanket coverage from cornerbacks and roaming safeties throughout the season.

"I'm going to try my hardest and I know Ray will give me the ball," Derek said. "So I'm going to have to catch it and get as many yards as I can after the catch."

Execution is key, but leadership is as well, and Kyle is responding well to becoming the anchor on defense.

"We learned from the previous group of seniors," he said. "The past two years, I've learned a lot from watching them, and a lot of good things. It's not only helped my game, but the team as well."

Derek said he believes that with the time the team members are putting in, they will reap the benefits during the season.

"We started out rough and rocky, but we're coming together now," he said. "We're doing the best we can to replace what [seniors] left last season, but it's on each of us to raise the level."

Ray said this attitude was instilled in them last year.

"We have to play as a team first and foremost, and we got that winning mindset last year," he said. "We want to continue with that."

One thing is certain that through the grueling practice sessions, the Panthers team members are building the team piece-by-piece, drill-by-drill and, most of all, teammate-by-teammate to become contenders in the packed schedule.

"You see a lot of great programs like Phillipsburg and Hunterdon Central," Kyle said. "We've lost to those teams in the past few times, so it gives us more of a fire, more of a passion to want to go out and defeat those teams. We are very proud to compete against teams like that, and it gives us motivation to push ourselves to the state playoffs, and work toward a state championship."