North needs help. I hope they get it. Would love to watch them win again like in the early 80's.

Until they start letting hiring coaches that don't neseccarily teach in the Middletown Schools take coaching jobs it's a hit or miss. Probably he who kisses the most derriere gets the job not the most qualified.

The past few years the coaching staff did the best they could with the talent they had to work with. Even still their record could have been better. Several bad breaks together with a few bad play calls and injuries to key players made the difference of having a winning record. Not an easy job!

There is a complete lack of fair play when it comes to the two Middletown High Schools. Athletes that are zoned to go to North are allowed to go to South to play football. This has gone on for years. (KNowshon Moreno lived in Belford and should have gone to North). The former athletic director and the Board of Education sat by and let the talent all move to South while the North program fell apart. North parents need to speak up because this practice of sending the "best" athletes to South continues. Both Middletown Youth Football programs send their best players to South every year.
North also needs an established coach who has built a winning program in other places. Another "fill-in" from in the district will result in more 2 win seasons. North needs to build back the tradition of the Vic Kubu days when there was a set program in place and the kids and parent bought into it....like the one that Coach Anonucci runs at South.
Until these things happen, South will continue to win and North will continue to lose and continue to be the 2nd class citizen of Middletown

I Pray to God that North gets Bob Generelli or Chris Barnes. They are two coaches that could turn this program around.Both coaches have proven that they can take average players and make them great. I wish coach Trezza the best of luck!

upcoming talented freshman on the way to North next year. North needs someone who has "Kubu" like integrity and character. Who promotes confidence in his players. And gives "Kubu" like guidance, discipline, and overall team togetherness and determination, to bring back the glory of the 1980's days of North football. Remember "Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it"LH.

Lion King - another in a litany of misinformed infamous Midd North supporters:

Knowshon Moreno did live in Belford - you are quite correct - HOWEVER, he moved there at the beginning of his Senior year with his grandmother. He previously lived in the South sending district of Thousand Oaks in Navesink. He was a senior, had his own car, and provided his own transportation to and from Middletown South. What did YOU want him to do? Play his senior season at a program that has more meddling from outsiders than you can shake a stick at? Get real and wake up.

No matter where Knowshon lived .......North has been the second class citizen for far too long! Now that there will be a new athletic director and possibly some board members who care about both programs equally, we can even the playing field.

Many great names mentioned for coach....Generelli, Barnes, Palmer; any one of whom could bring the program back to respectibility.

With the great kids who are at North and those who are supposed to go to North combined with a real leader as their head coach..........the Lions can start a new winning tradition.

Lastly; I wish South all the best and want them to win as well.....Just want fairness!

I was at every game for the past 4 seasons and There were talented players at North. The problem was too many of them were sidelined or not 100%. But there were not enough players with explosive type speed to keep up with other teams. Look at Manalapan for instance, they had at least 3 running backs plus 2 to 3 receivers that were well above average. Talent in those numbers come from recruiting And The other programs in the area do a better job of recruiting. I wish the best to whoever the new coach may be and i would like to see North win, but it takes more than a few names from the past to bring back the glory days. It will take a concerted effort that includes school officials including the athletic director that should be in touch with athletes and coaches from other sports in the school to find the hidden talent that should be there considering such a large student body.

i think with a respected head coach that has a proven program you will see the players will respond and you will also see the numbers of players increase

AkerBilk is absolutely accurate about Knowshon. In senior his family purchased a home in Belford. And has been the practice for All Middletown students forever he was allowed to remain PROVIDED he transported himself.

RIFFAX
Recruiting????
Better Pop Warner programs. South side is better and they get the advantage of the Navesink kids who play with Atlantic Highlands program - for example, South's brother qbs the past several years and the Pitts and Euell kids

In my opinion both schools are equal in talent.....there hasn't been a Atlantic Highlands pop warner program in many yrs

I understand that South at this time is the better football school, with success that is better then most public schools in that state. However, North had some realy good teams in the mid 90s winning the states in 96 when the shore confrence was a power house. All programs go through tuff times look at Brick.

Why is South such a powerhouse? What is the differnece between the 2 schools?

I never said South is a power house at this time. Donbosco is a power house. And the diffrence between North and South at this time is South finds a way to win. They are always fighting for a state championship year after year.

South has been blessed with great coaching along with talent through the years that they were able to build the program around that is just a fact. My only quess at this time would be that North needs to find a head coach that can get the kids to belive in his program. They say winning is contagious.

I agree on north needing a program the kids can believe in. I know south has had a few big name players.....i still think north has had its share of talent.

I agree john doe. I just hope that things work-out for the North players. Administration should start their search for a coach asap. Seniors need to be the leaders and get the players in the weight room. Best of luck Lions.

I'm totally dating myself here BUT when I went to North in the late 80's our football team was awesome!!! Great players and coaches and we always beat South on Thanksgiving Day!! Get it together NORTH!! Beat South WooHoo!!!

I remember those days.....I hope North gets it together, for the kids sake......they are sick of losing

I'm So gald to hear that Trezza is setting down. For the pass 30 years since Vic Kubu have left North. North have not win a State Championship since 1983. I wish the best in MTSN in getting a coach who can take the School to a State Championship. Good Luck.

If the administration waits on getting a coach......they are just hurting the Jrs. and Srs. they need to start interviewing now. All the other football programs are working hard in the offseason.....what are the north players doing......lets get it together now.

While it would be nice for North to get a great local coach. Either union rules or state law requires it to be offered to anyone working inside Middletown North. Many schools have had good coaches from the outside only to be bumped by some one who works inside of the school.

please hire the most qualified person

good luck to coach trezza and thanks for the effort he and his staff put forth to turn the program around. The Middletown Board of Ed needs to make the right choice now for the next coach and they need to put some 'Pride' back in the the HSN football program before it gets elliminated due to budget cuts (even if they only win three games a season)!!! The problem over the last few years is not the talent base at HSN it was the reluctance on the part of the past two or three coaches to play more then 16 or so boys for the whole game while the rest stand on the sideline wondering why they did all those two a days back in August. The coach at South gets it and that's why the players migrate there ~ he lets players play because he understands that it is High School Football not the NFL and the boys give 110 percent when they get in the game.

I agree there was some talent on the sidelines that never got a chance to play

the players and cheerleaders say thank you for the pasta parties.

Middletown has a long history in being successful in HS Sports and the nextHSN Football coach and staff need to understand that history and that the Pride will be back no matter what the talent level if they ALL play in Orange and Black ~ Go North Lions

I think Midd North needs to bring back someone with a track record of success. Tony Ciccone was a leader on the state championship team in 96. He was a leader then and is a leader now as member of the townships police force. He also can bring in Greg "Uncle Louis" Buhowski for strength and conditioning. I think that these kids need to hit the weights harder and who better to motivate them then the 1997 Bradlees Employee of the Year recipient- Fight on Midd North

Hire the most qualified please

The board shouldn't hesitate to hire a coach....other programs are working hard in the off season. You just can't throw a team together in a few months.....its not fair that the kids will go into a football season unprepaired.....its not fair and not safe

I have to laugh. Who were the great players at North? How many All-Shore players have they had recently? Do you honestly think that the coaches do not play the best kids??? My kids do not go to North, but when my child did not start I did not blame the coaches. He worked harder and EARNED his position. I did not just expect him to play because he was an upperclassmen. A lot of the better athletes play both ways...in any program. This shows how much you understand about the sport. Look at the better programs in the Shore Conference...they have MANY two-way players. Second class at North??? Not the problem as you want to claim...parents, booster clubs and old timers who want to micro-manage the progam...problem. Unfortunately getting a big name coach at any school is difficult due to the lack of teaching jobs open in the district. Gone are the days of coaches being able to bring in who they want...there just isn't the money or positions available. Having a head coach in the building is beneficial for academic and discipline reasons. Having too many assistants outside the district causes problems with practice times, bussing to away games etc. I always support both schools and athletic programs as I have many friends whose children attend North. I really hope for the sake of the new coach you support him.

Upperclassmen should not automatically get in a game - but let's be real if you have a hard working young man who never misses a practice and works his butt of and still cannot get Trezza attention because he is set on his favorites that stinks. I mean take a chance - i have seen some kids do it all for 4 years and never even get a look by Trezza. Absolutely no development of players - he would have hurt starters and still put them in both ways. Also - if the score in the 4th is 40/50 something to zero - put in a fresh pair of legs. Made no sense.

also no one micro-manage Joe Trezza - he did not allow it. He was not approachable
He would not talk to parents - He would not acknowledge cheerleaders or their coaches - with Coach Trezza it was clear some people mattered and some did not.
He never even gave NOrth principal Dr Cartier the time of day. She was always on the sidelines and he never even acknowledge it.

The principal should NOT be on the sidelines, she should be away from the staff and players during the game. As a parent, the only thing that I would ever approach a coach about is grades and colleges. You make an appointment for that. Cheerleaders and coaches??? Really?? Is a coach supposed to stop in the middle of a game and give a shout out to the cheerleaders??? I think that you have proved my point of micro-managing. I never wanted to be friends with my children's coaches. Coach Antonucci makes it clear that he will not discuss playing time and play calling with a parent at the first meeting.

I like the principle on the the sidelines....it shows support

How do you know the principle even cares about any sports. Did the principal not have a schedule? Or should the coaches have carried her in on a rickshaw? The administration is part of the problem. The administration keeps potential players off the field because of menial things, even outside of the school under the guise of no tolerance. And that's a fact! And the last thing the coach needs to do is worry about the cheer leaders, they have their own coaches and support group. Are you guys saying that we had some running back or receiver that could out run the field, or defensive backs that could cover some of the all shore and all conference receivers that we played against? And then the coaches did not want to play those players? Maybe Trezza did not warm up to you guys for a reason. How about just showing up as a parent and fan. What about the group that tried to form, that excluded Trezza, and they wanted to pull the purse stings on him? I never spoke a word to any coach for the 4 years my son was there. There was no reason to. If that kind of hidden talent is there, then next year North should win the division with the new coach at the helm.

I don't care if the principle knows what a football looks like.....she should show up just to show support for the program. The best players should play it shouldn't make a difference what grade your in. I think there are plenty of quality players on the North roster.... there might not be any super stars....but i think they will do fine in the right system and with support from the administration

The principal can do whatever she wants to just don't blame it on anyone but her for not showing up. As far as the grades of players, you should be standing by the coaching staff, because they certainly did not discriminate based on grade. In fact there were several seniors that did not see much action at all. True you don't need any superstars, but you need players that can cover the superstars from the other teams. And you need some offensive threats to post more numbers. I don't think the coaching staff left those players on the sideline. Do you want the principal to make believe? Who really cares if the principal shows up? The best thing for the principal to do is stay out of the way.

so what your saying is that all the starters deserved the playing time they recieved and there were no players on the sideline that could do the job just as well

There were no stand out players at the Varsity level on the sideline. If a player doe's not stand out in the crowd, then the coach makes the decision on playing time. Are you saying that these players did not get any JV playing time? That's why there is a JV program. Moreover if there are underclassmen players ready to break out, then they will get their chance at the Varsity level and they should come back next year with more determination to win. What i observed at North the last few years was that several underclassmen quit. Not because of the coaches, but because they did not want to wait for their opportunities to play. I remember at least 2 of these players, that if they stuck it out, they would have been starters due to injuries that happened. Some of those players were players that played Pop Warner. Maybe they thought they had a birthright to a position and then saw that they were being challenged. Unfortunately some adults may have put this idea in their heads and they just gave up. You see it's not just about the coaches and the administration. Some of the success of the program has to do with parents being tight lipped around their kids when it comes to any of these issues.

Why did Bo Jackson wake up one day and say "I quit" ~ yes football at any level is hard work but because it wasnt fun for him anymore! 50 or more boys come out for North's freshman team 15 or 20 make it to JV and maybe 10 of these make it thru four years while perhaps 8 of them earm their varsity letter for only just showing up - NOTfrom playing. This is the trend which has to be changed with the new coach and staff. At Mondays presentation by the BOE to our 28 Shore Conference Team Members a comment was made about a vacant Guidance Office Vacancy that would used to attract a new Coach which means if the best applicant is a Math Educator they can't hire him or her - how wrong is that?? Last comment relates to the Principal on the sidelines. Why was the Superintendent BOE President Principal and Athletic Director on the sidelines when Knowshawn Moreno was setting shore conference records?? To root him on just like Dr Cartier does since she is HSNs biggest fan ..... unlike some of the coachs' we had recently.

Lets not get off track here people. Dr Cartier is a huge supporter of all of North sports programs - that is a great thing!!!! She wants North to win just like we do.
Trezza was just cold. Never came up with a game plan to develop players.
Let's face it - cheerleader get no respect - but they also work very hard during football season and it was never recognized by Trezza. We had to endure the years of many so called superstars from Trezza that amounted to nothing.
He and is staff only worked with a few players. Trezza obvilously was not there to hang with parents and discuss his methods - but at some point maybe he needed to show it the the kids the players. Just very frustrating.....

Are you saying that the starters did not work hard? Which one's did not work hard?Pop Warner can be of help but it is not automatic that's where all the good players come from. Lets face it the parents and coaches are always fighting with each other even more so at that level. Also being that parents are generally coaching at that level, the players are not necessarily getting the proper instruction. Are there no coaches favorites on the Pop Warner teams? As i said previously, many Pop Warner players dropped out from the North team. And it was not because of the coaches. You can't base what you see players doing when they are playing at age 10-12, and then think that someone at age 14 in high school, that just started playing should just take the back seat. I have seen many tremendous players at age 10 that did no progress any more when they got older, and they get left behind. In this instance,with maybe 1 exception, the local Pop Warner did not help the program.The HS coach doe's not have to have a tactical relationship with the parents.

I really think that the HS coach should be more involved with the pop warner program.....it should act as a minor league for the HS program....go thru the roster and you tell me honestly who didn't put in the work, you seem to know the players pretty good.

I hope coach Trezza doesn't give up on the kids....they will need his help when they start looking to play college ball......also the new coaching staff is going to need his help to...... i know that not an easy thing to do , but its all about the kids.

Still no football coach hired......i feel sorry for those senoirs that have been playing football since the were 5 yrs old....... thier last year of football is going to be ruined, because they are going to be totally unprepaired for the upcoming season.

Best Of Luck to Coach Bush.

Who is Coach Bush is he the new North Head Coach now? Where did he coach before and what school as well.

Are you talking about Reggie Bush if you are your a idiot's.

Why didn't just used he full name in the first place. You said he last Position was with Miami Dolphins I know there wasn't a HC, name Bush with the Dolphins. Get it right

Go to APP.com and view his credentials ..... Go North Lions

All the best to Joe Trezza and his extended family - a great Middletown family stretching way back to the Pop Warner Lions when they practiced behind Leonardo grade school in the 1960s. Best of luck to you and your next team Joe!

Really what year was he a coach with the Miami Dolphins you saying he was a HC, or what and I never been in Manalapan lived in Middletown all my life don't get to go that far west of NJ, Freehold is about as far I been. Try using the person full name next time not their last name went you said bush and mix it up with Miaim Dolphins with I thought you was talking about the RB Reggie Bush who was the RB, for the Dolphins who is now with the Detroit Lions. Oh now his name Stephen Bush with is it Steve or Stephen we all know the name Steve is a short name for Stephen. Like Mike is a Short name for Micheal or Matthew or a short name for Matt. Anyway I really don't care about High school football anymore my kids are pass that.

Sorry Jack. My Post was for the people that know high school football. They would know what i am talking about. Try commenting on articles that you have interest-inn. That way you are not in a fog. Have a good day!

sounds like coach Bush has alot of experience I wish him well at north.