By Jacob Rogovin
Perseverance is the best word to describe the Chiefs 2015 football season, as they have worked hard and never gave up. The Chiefs started the season off on the wrong foot with a 0-3 record. While most teams would have given up on the season at this point, thinking there is no way they could possibly turn it around, the Chiefs did the opposite. They used the tough start as motivation for their next two games, beating conference rivals Livingston and Columbia. When I asked Junior Strong Safety, Gage Andresky, how the team overcame the rough start, he said, “We overcame the rough start by coming together as a unit. Without hard work on the practice field and the extra time the coaches put in creating a game plan each week, getting us ready for whatever the other team might throw at us, there is no way we could have done it. It was especially tough with all of the injuries our team endured.”
When the Chiefs lost their next two games to Weequahic and Irvington, the early November match up against an undefeated Nutley side became a must win in order to make the playoffs. The Chiefs did what was thought impossible and beat Nutley in front of their home crowd on a warm November afternoon.
The chiefs are lead by Brian Clarkin, a Sophomore Quarterback, who now has 571 yards and 7 touchdowns this year. That’s two more passing touchdowns than the team had last year. Junior tight end, John Housel, has been at the receiving end of 5 of those 7 touchdowns. A big key to the Chiefs success is the running game. Senior AJ Curtiss and Sophomore James Miller will be carrying the rock for the Chiefs as the playoffs begin. On a cold Friday night in November, the Chiefs faced their opponents in States, Hanover Park. The match-up proved to be too much for the Chiefs as they fell to Hanover Park in a disappointing 34-29 loss. Despite a valiant effort by the entire Caldwell team, their season came to a close on that evening. We commend the Chiefs for their efforts throughout a hard fought season. Each and every player should hold their heads up high and look forward to next fall. We congratulate the graduating seniors and thank them for playing the game with heart.
