Welcome to the Shore: 2024 New Egypt Football Preview
For the first time since 2007, there is a new football program in the Shore Conference.
After competing within the Burlington County Scholastic League and, most recently, the West Jersey Football League for its gridiron squad, New Egypt is officially the 48th member of the Shore Conference of High Schools. For head coach Steve Fence and the Warriors’ football program, it’s a long time coming.
Located just west of Jackson on Evergreen Road in Plumsted Township, New Egypt. which opened in 1999, is a Group 1 high school that has routinely competed against the Shore Conference’s small schools in out-of-conference action. Now they’ll be doing so on a weekly basis within the Shore Conference’s new Class D North division.
Let’s take a look at the 2024 New Egypt football team, which brings back nearly every starter from a season ago and will look to hit the ground running in its Shore debut.
Offense
Senior quarterback Caleb Kowaleski returns to helm the Warriors’ offense for the fourth straight season after throwing for 533 yards and three touchdowns last year. He has a bevy of familiar faces around him with a returning starter at every position in Fence’s multiple-formation offense.
Junior three-year starter Eddie Novatkowski is the running back with senior Brayden Nelson at fullback. The wide receivers are juniors Lucas Burgos and 6-foot-3 Clyde Ferris, and Burgos will also see snaps coming out of the backfield after he led the team in rushing with 490 yards and four touchdowns last season. He is also the team’s leading returning receiver after catching 11 passes for 183 yards and a score last fall. Junior Evan Goldberg returns at tight end.
Having a veteran offensive line is crucial for any team and even more so at a Group 1 school where the margins are much slimmer. All five starters are back with 6-foot-4 senior Hudson Knaup at left tackle, junior Eli Berkowsky at left guard, junior Michael Girard at center, senior Aidan Healy at right guard and junior Sawyer Hughes at right tackle. Senior Morgan Peterson is also in the mix at right tackle.
Defense
Ten starters return in the Warriors’ 3-5-3 defense under coordinator Amani Richardson.
Peterson is the nose tackle with Hughes and Berkowsky at defensive end. Hughes led New Egypt with three sacks and was second with nine tackles for loss last season. The three inside linebackers are Nelson, Healy and senior Stephen Meleg, while the outside linebacker/strong safety hybrids are Novatkowski and senior newcomer Tommy Merlucci. Meleg led the team in tackles (86) and tackles for loss (11) last season.
The secondary includes junior Toby Chao and Justin Kramer as the cornerbacks with Burgos at free safety. Burgos was a ballhawk last season with a team-high five interceptions, which would have been among the leaders in the Shore Conference.
Special Teams
Merlucci will handle both the placekicking and punting duties.
Division breakdown
New Egypt joins a Shore Conference Class D North division that, except for a Group 3 Neptune program that has struggled in recent years, mirrors the traditional small-school division the conference has often used. The Warriors will tangle with Shore Regional, Point Beach, Keansburg, Keyport, Asbury Park and Neptune.
At a Glance
Head coach: Steve Fence, ninth season
Career record: 35-43
2023 record: 3-9
Offense: Multiple
Defense: 3-5-3
Coaching staff
-Defensive Coordinator: Amani Richardson
-Special Teams Coordinator: Alex Sempervive
-Quarterbacks: Devin Tomei
-Running backs: John Marabuto
-Offensive line: Matt Soles
-Defensive line: Alex Sempervive
-Linebackers: Drew Clugsten
-Athletic trainer: Jim Sawicki
2024 New Egypt Football Team Page
Circle the Date: Thursday, Sept. 5 vs. Keansburg
The Warriors officially make their Shore Conference debut at home in Week 1 with a division game vs. the Titans.
Rookie Watch: Tommy Merlucci, Sr., LB/TE/FB/K/P
This stretches the value of “rookie” a bit considering New Egypt’s veteran roster but Merlucci will step into an expanded role on defense as a linebacker in addition to his critical roles on special teams.
Stat to Know
Trinity Hall is the newest Shore Conference school having opened in 2013, but the last new football program before New Egypt was Jackson Liberty, which opened in 2006 and played its first varsity season in 2007. Barnegat opened two years prior in 2004.
SCHEDULE
| Thursday 9/5 | Keansburg | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday 9/13 | @Asbury Park | 6 p.m. |
| Friday 9/20 | Neptune | 6:30 p.m. |
| Saturday 9/28 | @Keyport | Noon |
| Friday 10/4 | @Shore | 7 p.m. |
| Friday 10/11 | Buena | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday 10/18 | Barnegat | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday 10/25 | Point Beach | 6:30 p.m. |
