Chargers reflect on season to remember 8-2 team set to graduate slew of excellent players

Chargers reflect on season to remember
8-2 team set to
graduate slew of
excellent players

The 2000 football campaign was one of the most glorious in Spotswood High School history, as first-year coach John Fiore’s Chargers compiled an 8-2 record, winning their first eight games before losing to Monroe, then Delaware Valley in the sectional playoffs.

"This team had a lot of firsts," said a proud Fiore. "And being new to Middlesex County, I didn’t realize the importance of something like beating South River (7-6) and what that meant to the community."

The Chargers were an offense-dominated squad that scored 39 touchdowns on the season, averaged 28 points a game and recorded 3,300 yards total offense.

Clearly the "heart and soul" of the team, as Fiore puts it, was Sal Petruzzi, the 5-6 senior quarterback-cornerback.

"He excelled on both sides of the ball," said the coach.

Overall, Petruzzi rushed for 844 yards and 12 touchdowns, returned a kickoff and a fumble for another score and made one TD catch. His total of 15 was one of the best totals in Middlesex County.

But that’s not all. Petruzzi also threw the ball for 725 yards and another nine touchdowns. The team as a whole threw for 1,100 yards, with the addition of some dazzling trick plays.

Petruzzi, who is eyeing Rowan University, Montclair State University and several junior colleges, goes down in Charger history as Spotswood’s most accomplished offensive performer, with 4,000 all-purpose yards and 60 touchdowns, including his passing, in his career. He’s also the school’s all-time leading rusher.

He wasn’t alone in the superlative SHS effort. Junior tailback Walter Harris (5-11, 190) ran for 720 yards and eight TDs, while 5-5, 140-pound fullback Dane Duckworth amassed 487 yards, caught passes and played cornerback.

"He’s an amazing kid," said Fiore. "Despite his size, I could show you two years of film, and he never falls backward after being hit."

Senior receiver Jeff Terynila (6-3, 185) caught 18 passes for 459 yards and also played quality free safety, while 5-8, 160-pound senior Jason Mundorff showed great versatility.

He threw for 355 yards and five TDs on trick plays, caught 19 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, kicked 20 extra points and averaged 30 yards per kickoff return.

Other key players included four-year captain Stephen Fusco (5-11, 215) a center and defensive tackle who served as the team’s "rah-rah guy," according to Fiore.

On defense, tackle junior Nick De Falco (6-3, 215) led the team with 13 sacks and also played offensive tackle, and middle linebacker Sal Fama (5-11-195) led the team with 142 tackles and doubled at offensive tackle

Fiore, who played his high school football at Neptune, was assisted by Barry Wells, Joe Fiore (his brother), JV coach Jeff Lawton, Ron Raymond (a holdover from last year’s staff), Joe Koslowski and R.J. Dominguez.

All in all, it was a highly successful first year behind the reins for Fiore, and one that Charger players and fans alike will likely remember for quite some time.