Westfield and Long Branch Battle it Out in Scrimmage

After more than a week of opening practice, Westfield football players were anxious to get out and face an opponent for the first time.

Annual scrimmage foe Long Branch ventured to Gary Kehler Stadium in Westfield Tuesday morning to compete against the Blue Devils.

An inexperienced Westfield squad in terms of returning varsity players faced a Shore Conference team that went 7-3 last season and like Westfield also qualified for the state playoffs – reaching the Central Jersey, Group 2 quarterfinals.

Westfield is coming off an 8-3 season where it reached the North 2, Group 4 semifinals and captured a Mid-State 39 Conference-Watchung Division title.

"I like the way we finished, we didn't give up on it," said Westfield fifth-year head coach Jim DeSarno of a rare scrimmage that was played in temperatures that only reached the high 60s and included a misty rain that made it feel more like late October or early November. "We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole early, but the kids fought back.

"We've got a lot of work to do."

Westfield resumes practice Wednesday, with its next scrimmage scheduled for Saturday at Somerville at 10 a.m.

Somerville, coached by Greg Arakelian, went 6-4 last year and reached the North 2, Group 3 quarterfinals. The Warriors – a member of the Mid-State 39 Conference like Westfield is – are situated in Central Jersey, Group 3 this season.

In the conference, Westfield is in the East A Division and Somerville in the West B Division, which also includes Scotch Plains.

"Our kids have to learn the speed of the game and it showed today," DeSarno said.

"They've got to learn it fast. We don't have enough time where we can show up week one vs. Scotch Plains and expect to beat them."

Westfield opens its season at Scotch Plains Sept. 11 at 1 p.m.

Westfield's game-scrimmage will also be at home and against Bergen County foe Pascack Valley, a North 1, Group 3 school that went 8-2 last year and reached its section's quarterfinals after an 8-1 regular season. That scrimmage is set for Sept. 3 at Gary Kehler Stadium, with an approximate starting time of 4 p.m.

"The speed of the game changes from the JV level, it's not even close," DiSarno said.

Team captains this year - as voted on by the players - are seniors A.J. Murray and Jesse DeMartino.

"We'll have a game captain each week too," DiSarno said.

Murray at tailback and senior Dan Kerr at quarterback are the lone returning starters on offense.

The three returning starters on defense include Murray – who moved to inside linebacker – and senior ends Nick Matthews and Garrett Pryor.