When the 2021 football season opened, the 100-yard landscape at Piscataway High School had radically changed.
Where once stood the No. 1 team in the state (2018) and playoff entrant for a 23rd consecutive year (2019), there was instead a team with almost two years of inexperience, fraught with various shortcomings.
The Chiefs found themselves standing on their own 1-yard line, with their backs against their own end zone, while the rest of New Jersey was standing on midfield and driving. Try as it might, Piscataway could not overcome that obstacle.
The effort of the 2021 Piscataway football team can best be illustrated by a story shared by head coach Dan Higgins, who recalled the Chiefs’ 20-7 loss to Carteret, a game which completed a winless season.
“It was a messy game, pouring rain,” Higgins said. “And there was Rocco Bellamy standing and sobbing, exhausted on the field. He didn’t want to leave the field. He didn't want to let go of hugs. Didn’t want the game to be over, his career to be over. He didn’t want to leave the program without a win in his senior year.”
More:Handy collection of article links for coverage leading up to the Marisa Rose Bowl
That image reminded Higgins of the Vince Lombardi quote: “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour – his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear – is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious.”
While Bellamy and the other Piscataway representatives in this year’s Bellamy and Sons Paving Marisa Rose Bowl – Samir Croley-Battle, Jerrick Hargrove, Jaiden Parks – did not leave with a victory, they did leave something perhaps even more important; a dedication and work ethic of unselfishness that holds over even to this day.
“These guys are totally invested in the program,” Higgins said. “Jerrick and Jaiden were over at the Rutgers 7-on-7 recently just to support the guys there. They came back (in ’21) and gave their very best.”
Croley-Battle, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, faced a multitude of fits and starts, breaking a finger while catching a pass in practice and suffering a concussion while delivering a crushing hit. Both injuries forced him to miss several games. Despite those setbacks, Croley-Battle was one of only five Chiefs to force a fumble during the season.
“He kept coming back from injuries,” Higgins said. “He would not be denied.”
Hargrove, another long and rangy receiver at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, who was limited offensively by Piscataway’s season-long struggles, left his mark on defense by moving to end and registering two sacks, the second most on the team.
Parks, a versatile 6-foot-1, 175-pound athlete, was holding down receiver duties when the call came to help out with punting. He responded by averaging just a tad under 30 yards a kick and ran for a first down in the North Brunswick game.
And then there’s Bellamy. At 5-foot-8, 195-pounds with legs like sequoias, Bellamy was a freshman in 2018 when his older brother, Joey, was a senior helping lead the Chiefs to a 13-0 season.
Rocco’s senior year saw him leading by his unselfish nature, as he played tailback, fullback, tight end, kicker, holder and long snapper.
Of course, his most lasting impact was felt at middle linebacker, where he led the team in tackles, including a career high in his final game.
Given one more chance at victory, the four members of the Piscataway Chiefs football family will play with pride in the Marisa Rose Bowl at North Brunswick High School’s Steve Libro Field on July 21.
John Thompson is a 1982 Piscataway High School alumnus who has served as a volunteer assistant football coach at his alma mater for the past 37 years.
Bellamy and Sons Marisa Rose Bowl
When/where: July 21, North Brunswick High School, 7 p.m.
Who/what: Recently graduated football players and cheerleaders from Middlesex County high schools will participate in an intra-county charity all-star game with all proceeds benefiting the Marisa Tufaro Foundation.
Bellamy and Sons Marisa Rose Bowl
When/where: July 21, North Brunswick High School, 7 p.m.
Who/what: Recently graduated football players and cheerleaders from Middlesex County high schools will participate in an intra-county charity all-star game with all proceeds benefiting the Marisa Tufaro Foundation.
About the game: Formerly known as the Snapple Bowl and Autoland Classic, the contest has raised $715,000 for charity since its inception in 1994.
Practice schedule: Practices will be held at North Brunswick High School July 11-14 and July 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on July 18 at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A walk-through for July 20 is TBD.
Game Tickets: Can be purchased for $10 at the gate on game night or at any of the practices.
About The Marisa Tufaro Foundation: Since its inception less than five years ago, the nonprofit has donated a quarter of a million dollars to assist pediatric patients and underserved children throughout the greater Middlesex County area. The foundation has also donated thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter jackets, baby supplies and other items upon which it has placed no monetary value. The nonprofit has awarded $26,500 in academic scholarships to 38 Middlesex County high school graduates.
About Marisa Rose Tufaro: Marisa survived six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant before succumbing to a rare form of cancer in 2017 following a valiant battle. She was just 13 years old. Despite being hospitalized for more than two years and maintaining hundreds of doctor’s appointments, she lived a vibrant life that inspired.
Marisa Rose Bowl Banquet: Will be held at the Pines Manor in Edison on July 20 at 6 p.m.