VERONA-CEDAR GROVE

State of the Program: Verona football continues run as traditional contender

An off season with transferring players, a hired coach leaving after just a month and a still fractured fanbase made Verona football an intriguing team to watch in 2018.

A terrific season showcased a talented senior class while making new stars and uniting a town that was one season removed from turmoil with their head coach.

Kevin Batty is the man at the helm of the Hillbillies now and has already brought back the culture that has made the program one of the most respected in Essex County. 

Verona football coach Kevin Batty addresses the team after a season opening victory over Caldwell.

A Verona High School alum, Batty has brought his 25 years of experience at various programs back home, where the Hillbillies are back to a perennial contender. 

The Hillbillies were the third overall seed in North, Group 2 and took the second spot in the North 2 bracket. Verona was one win away from their first sectional final berth since 2015, losing a shootout to Lyndhurst.

The tradition 

Across 80 seasons, Verona has an all-time record of 450-279-11. That leaves Verona averaging around 5.5 victories per season for their entire existence. Verona has had just one losing season across the last 16 years, a 4-6 season in 2016.

Verona prepares to shift divisions in 2020, moving from the National White to the National Red division of the Super Football Conference. Verona will stick with division rivals Cedar Grove and Shabazz and join a division with rival Caldwell, the longest rivalry in program history.

A former Thanksgiving Day rivalry with the Chiefs that dated back to 1939 and has reignited recently, last year's season opening win over Caldwell was the first Verona win over Caldwell since 1986.

The challenge

A run-based offense from a season ago, leading rusher Nick Riggio has graduated after running for 1,571 yards last season. The Hillbillies return another Riggio in junior Frank Riggio, but offense may shift to flowing through sophomore quarterback Cael Zebrowski.

Zebrowski was thrust into the starting lineup as a freshman after Tom Sharkey's transfer to Wayne Hills. Zebrowski got better as the season went along and completed 50 percent of his passes for 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns. A strong run game meant Zebrowski could develop on the fly, which he did, but the 

Expectations

The Hillbillies remain a playoff team as they were a season ago. They'll take a step back from last season, when Verona was a favorite to reach a sectional final. A great deal of senior talent is gone and Verona is still talented enough to contend, but might be a year away from being seen as a serious contender. Consider the Hillbillies a dark horse in their sectional bracket with a ceiling making them capable of a title run ahead of schedule.

2019 schedule

Sept. 12: at Caldwell

Sept. 20: vs. Boonton

Sept. 28: at Newark Collegiate

Oct. 4: vs. Shabazz

Oct. 11: vs. Weequahic

Oct. 18: at Hoboken

Oct. 25: at Cedar Grove

Nov. 2: vs. Glen Ridge