Rutherford Bulldogs  

2018 in Review:  

• 11-1 record 
• Beat Kittatinny in the North Jersey Group 2 bowl game  
• Beat Lyndhurst in North Jersey Section 2 Group 2 final 
• Beat Mountain Lakes in the semifinals and Newark Central in the first round 
• Scored 450 points – 37.5 average
• Allowed 192 points – 16.0 average 
• Wins Included: New Milford, Waldwick, Glen Rock, Garfield 
• Losses: Hasbrouck Heights   

Departing Seniors:   

• RB/DB Abellany Mendez – Montclair State 
• OL/DL Lawson Fisher – Montclair State 
• FB/DB Dan Finelli – Springfield (Mass.)   

*The bold print below is a returning starter. This includes one who had playing time and one who started on the other side of the ball only in 2018, with explanation included after their name.   

Offense:   

Formation: Multiple Spread
Returning Starters: 4    

Quarterback:  

• Evan Ward, Junior, 6-3, 175 – projected starter    

Running Back:  

• Kris Guzman, Senior, 5-11, 180 – returning starter, played in the slot 
• Brian Inguanti, Senior, 6-1, 185 – will share duties     

Wide Receiver:  

• Owen Meister, Senior, 5-10, 155 – returning starter 
• Kris Guzman, Senior – will play in the slot when not lined up at running back 
• Messiah Porter, Senior, 6-4, 185 – projected starter  
• Open competition for the other positions   

Offensive Line:  

• Steve Cisneros, Senior, 6-4, 280 – returning starter ta tackle 
• Sebastian Gaeta, Senior, 5-11, 210 – returning starter at guard 
• Robert Chinery, Senior, 5-11, 260 – projected starter at guard – sixth man last year 
• Virgil Minnick, Senior, 6-2, 245 – projected starter at tackle 
• Chris Avramidis, Senior, 5-10, 245 – among those competing at center 
• Jonah Gusciora, Senior, 5-11, 220 – among those competing at center   

Defense:  

• Formation: Multiple 4-3
• Returning Starters: 3 

End:   

• Jonah Gusciora, Senior – frontrunner at one end 
• Open for competition at the opposite end 

Tackle:  

• Chris Avramidis, Senior – returning starter 
• Robert Chinery, Senior – saw playing time 

Linebacker:  

• Sebastian Gaeta, Senior – 3-year starter at middle linebacker 
• Bryan Inguanti, Senior – projected starter at one outside post 
• Christian Goumas, Junior, 5-9, 185 – competing at other outside linebacker 
• Harold Kwon, Sophomore, 5-8, 170 – competing at other outside linebacker  

Cornerback:  

• Messiah Porter, Senior – competing 
• Owen Meister, Senior – competing 
• Doug Russell, Sophomore, 5-7, 145 – competing 

Safety:  

• Kris Guzman, Senior – returning starter moving from linebacker 
• Patrick Cerulli, Sophomore, 5-10, 165 – frontrunner at other safety 
• JJ Herninko, Sophomore, 5-8, 150 – pushing hard at other safety 

Special Teams: 

• Meister is a 3-year starter at punter, while kicker is open 
• Guzman is the primary return man   

Schedule: 

• Saturday, 9/7, at Manchester Regional 
• Friday, 9/13, Palisades Park at home 
• Saturday, 9/21, Garfield at home 
• Friday, 9/27, at Glen Rock 
• Friday, 10/4, Waldwick 
• Saturday, 10/12, at Lodi 
• Bye Week
• October 25-25 – NJIC playoffs/crossover 
• November 1-2, NJIC playoffs/crossover  

Concerns: 

• Inexperience 
• Health 
• Numbers: only 28 are suited up, as opposed to 40 in recent years 
• Relying on sophomores at skill positions: how do they adapt?

Recruiting:  

• Cisneros has interest from Villanova and D2/D3 schools 
• Gaeta has D2/D3 interest 
• Others have a chance to play D3 

Coach’s Comments:  

“We have a good group of kids with a strong culture in the locker room. It’s a closely-knit group, a good football family. We expect to win on Friday nights. We hope this culture carries over from the success of the last two years.” – Head Coach Andy Howell