The high school football season has come to an end, and there’s a lot to cover from the Chiefs’ season as well as a lot to look forward to next year.
Caldwell’s regular season was full of ups and downs, starting with back-to-back losses and ending with back-to-back wins to finish at an even 5-5. It was clear even during the 0-2 start that the Chiefs had the pieces to put together a playoff run, as both were lost by a margin of 7 points or less and featured strong performances for the Chiefs all-around. Sophomore quarterback Adam Sepe completed 13 passes on 21 attempts for 239 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions in the season opener against Passaic Valley. Linebacker Russell Albert made his presence known on the defensive side of the game against Passaic Valley, earning 2 quarterback sacks in his season debut. The contest came down to a 45-yard field goal for Passaic Valley, which just barely passed over the upright to give Caldwell their first loss in the first game of the season.
The game script was similar in week 2, as the Chiefs fell short in a tightly contested rivalry game versus West Essex. The game featured a back-and-forth scoring duel all the way into the fourth quarter, a rushing touchdown for Sepe in the first quarter, a 23-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter and another 17-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, both caught by Junior wideout Santino Russo, were all answered with touchdown rushes from West Essex’s Jake Long. Finally, West Essex took a late lead with yet another rushing touchdown from Jake Long, setting the Chiefs back with an early 0-2 record.
The next 4 weeks were a rollercoaster for the Chiefs, who gained their first win of the season against Westwood in week 3 before being shutout 35-0 by Wayne Hills. Weeks 5 and 6 followed suit, a 29-14 victory versus Cedar Grove was balanced with a 27-21 loss the following week.
Following defeat in week 6, the Chiefs found their footing in the final 2 weeks of the season and showed out with a 42-6 beatdown of Millburn on Millburn’s home field. Adam Sepe lead the way with 3 touchdowns through the air and 1 on the ground, with Nick Moyano emerging for another 2 rushing touchdowns following the season-ending injury of Junior running back Nicco Capaldo. Caldwell earned another dominating win in the final week at home against Nutley, as Sepe’s 3 touchdowns through the air on offense accompanied by 3 sacks for linebacker Matt Murtagh, and 2 more from the rest of the Chiefs on defense. The 4-4 regular season was enough to earn the Chiefs a bid to the playoffs.
The Chiefs carried this momentum with them into the postseason, where they opened with an impressive 44-22 pummeling of Dumont at home, powered by a strong 190 yard, 3 touchdown performance from Senior running back Nick Moyano. Unfortunately, Caldwell’s run came to an end in the semifinal round of the playoffs, suffering a 24-8 loss against Westwood.
That brings us to the end of the 2025 season. The Chiefs finished with an even 5 wins and 5 losses, leaving lots of room for improvement next year. As the Seniors move on to bigger and better things, they make way for Junior standouts to become leaders of the team. Caldwell looks forward to seeing the progression of Adam Sepe as he enters his third year of play and seeing the team make another playoff run next year.
