NORTH CALDWELL, NJ – The West Essex football team will begin it second season under head coach Dan Fulton with a game at Montville on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
The Knights continued their perennial playoff status in Fulton's first season, recovering from an 0-2 start to reach the semifinal round of the NJSIAA North 2, Group 3 playoffs, where they lost to Summit, 31-28, on a field goal at the gun after being on the wrong side of a couple of very controversial calls earlier in the game.
Like last year, West Essex won't have many breathers along the way in 2026.
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“We have a bear of a schedule,” said Fulton, who came to West Essex from Hanover Park before last season. “If we can make it through the regular season, we should be prepared for the playoffs.”
The graduation of quarterback Jake Long after a tremendous senior season leaves a void at the position, but senior Gaetano Iavarone, who'll take over behind center this season, isn't entirely unfamiliar with the role. Iavarone was a multi-positon threat last year, and he was used several times as a passer on option plays. Iavarone, a very versatile athlete, completed five of seven passes, three of which went for touchdowns, last year.
The quarterback does a lot of running in Fulton's offensive system, so expect Iavarone to tuck the ball under and take off as often as he's putting it up in the air.
Halfback Michael Lozito is the leading returning rusher. He gained 339 yards on 63 carries with two touchdowns last year.
Six different Knights caught at least 10 passes in 2025. Four of them are back, though one of them is Iavarone, who'll be slinging passes rather than catching them (at least most of the time). Wideouts Rocco Pontrella (16 receptions for 10.4 yards a catch) and Luke Kesack (12 receptions for 14.3 yards a catch) and Lozito (12 catches for 9.5 yards per reception) are the others. Senior Anthony Conforti also saw action and will return as another receiving option.
Seniors Ny’shawn Muldrow and DJ Fiore are the returning players on the offensive line. So does junior tight end Frank Iavarone. They'll be opening holes not only for Lozito and Gaetano Iavarone, but also for junior back Anthony Cirigliano.
Frank Iavarone, who'll play middle linebacker, led West Essex in sacks last season with four. Defensive back Conforti topped the team in interceptions with three. Defensive lineman Muldrow had four tackles for losses.
“We return a core group of players and bring up some talented new guys,” said Fulton, mentioning sophomore QB/OLB Ben Cirigliano, junior WR/DB Nick Dungo, junior two-way lineman Luca Cifelli and junior offensive lineman Harry Teaster as some of those promising additions.
“We have a great group of kids that will do everything we ask of them,” Fulton said.
WEST ESSEX 2026 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
8/27 (A) MONTVILLE9/5 (A) CHATHAM9/11 (H) HANOVER PARK9/18 (H) SPARTA9/25 (A) WEEQUAHIC10/2 (H) CALDWELL10/8 (A) NEWARK CENTRAL10/16 (H) WEST MORRIS10/23 (H) NUTLEY