Jason Marasciulo gives Cliffside Park/Ridgefield an advantage it never had in its four seasons as a co-op football program:
Marasciulo is a returning quarterback last year who threw for more than 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns last season.
Now Cliffside Park/Ridgefield must develop a running game to complement the passing attack, one season after the team posted a record of 3-6 in the Development Ivy Division of the Super Football Conference.
“This year we want to try to establish the running game first to open up the passing game,” said veteran coach Tom Mandile. “Last year it was a bit the other way around, where we had to throw the ball to open up the running game.”
Marasciulo was one of many juniors who played regularly last season and is expected to improve the seniors’ leadership skills and ensure continued success. Senior Eddie Schaefer is one of the experienced 12th He will be the primary running back and also a returning linebacker.
“Last year we had a lot of juniors competing, and for some of them it was their first time playing football and being on a varsity field,” Mandile said. “Hopefully this year will bring that experience.”
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The tradition
The NJSIAA introduced sectional playoffs in 1974, and Cliffside Park, a mid-sized school, won its only sectional title in North 1, Group 3 in 1977. Ridgefield was previously a member of the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference for small schools and has never won a sectional championship.
Mandile, a 1998 graduate of Palisades Park, is entering his fourth season leading Cliffside Park/Ridgefield after leading Cliffside Park’s solo program for the previous four seasons. His career record is 26-32, including 12-15 with the co-op program at the Ivy.
As a member of the Ivy League, Cliffside Park/Ridgefield is not eligible for the NJSIAA sectional playoffs, but is eligible for the Ivy Championship.
The challenge
While the offense will be exciting, the defense still needs to improve. Last season, Cliffside Park/Ridgefield allowed 26 points per game. “Fortunately,” said Mandile, “we have some big guys on offense this year who will hopefully step up.”
A 4-2-5 defense could rotate up to nine linemen, providing fresh players to stop the run. Senior Clayton Cabrera is a two-way lineman who is among the many faces expected to compete for playing time on the line.
“There may still be people competing for spots, so it’s hard to say who will secure a permanent spot as a starter,” Mandile said. He added: “We need to put more work into getting people on the field this year.”
Expectations
Cliffside Park/Ridgefield is a rare co-op program in the large-school Super Football Conference, so there is the added challenge of pairing players from different schools together. Still, Mandile’s teams have all been near .500, with successful seasons in 2019 and 2022.
Marasciulo and his passing game give Cliffside Park/Ridgefield the ability to make big plays and a chance for a puncher. His favorite targets should be senior Chris Gregory and two juniors, senior Thomas Espinal and junior Sebastian Hernandez.
When asked if Cliffside Park/Ridgefield could qualify for the Ivy League playoffs for the second time in three years, Mandile said, “We try not to look too far into the future, but that’s definitely an expectation we could have foreseen, especially with the kids we have back and some of the talent we have assembled on the field.”
schedule
5 September: in Ridgefield Park
14 September: against Dickinson
19 September: at Ferris
27 September: against Belleville
October 5: in North Bergen
October 11: at Kearny
October 18: vs. Monument
October 25: To be announced
November 1: To be announced
