By Kevin Coughlin
Morristown High School’s 2016 football varsity will be hard-nosed, focused…and fun.
That’s the promise from new head coach John Power.
MorristownGreen.com sat down with Power in May, shortly after it was announced that he was coming from Columbia High School to succeed Chris Hull, who has stepped down after 11 seasons as MHS coach.
Power said the Colonials will be prepared for their Sept. 10 opener against Roxbury.
“We’re going to be a hard-nosed, fundamentally sound football team,” he said during our 10-minute video interview.
“We really have to come out of the gate strong and have a great summer. Really, you win the games in the off-season. Once September comes, it’s late.”
In two seasons at Columbia High in Maplewood, Power took the Cougars from a 1-9 record to a playoff berth.
Now he will try to improve upon Morristown’s 3-7 record from 2015.
“We just have to tweak some things. Chris Hull did an outstanding job. He’s left the program in good shape. We have to tweak some things, but we’re ready to move forward.”
Power said he has inherited “hard-working kids that are coachable. They listen, they pay attention, they want to do the right thing. They want to succeed.”
The Berkeley Heights native has been a program coordinator at the University of Georgia, a recruitment coordinator at Penn State, a head coach at Hillside High, and a championship high school quarterback.
Power sought the Morristown job–edging out nearly 40 applicants–because of the school’s tradition, he said.
“Football means something here,” he said.
Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin
His greatest football thrill, he said, was turning around a winless Hillside team, by getting the players to believe in themselves. That’s what he aims to instill in the Colonials.
“The most important thing is working hard. And dedication. You’re going to face adversity, and you have to battle through that and keep on going. That’s the big thing you get from football. There’s a lot of times you do get knocked down, and you have to get back up in order to succeed.”
“High school football is outstanding. It’s a great time in their lives. But this can’t be the pinnacle of their life.”– John Power, new MHS football coach
Being in the moment is crucial, Power said.
“What they have to understand is, every day they’re here, whether it’s football or life, they have to try to pursue excellence every day.
“A lot of times guys are looking to the future, or looking to the past, and what really matters is what’s going on right now, that next rep, the fundamentals you’re working on, whether it’s that drill, or the play you’re about to run. You have to focus on that.”
Morristown will need all the focus it can get in a reconfigured conference that includes larger schools such as West Orange, Westfield and Power’s former Columbia squad, as well as perennial rivals Randolph and West Morris. (Schedule below.)
At the same time, fun must be part of the equation.
“You have to enjoy what you’re doing,” Power said. “It cannot be drudgery.”
Underlying all of this is Power’s commitment to the players’ academic performance. It’s a core belief he shares with his predecessor, Chris Hull, and it’s a key reason cited by MHS officials for hiring Power, who will teach special education classes in addition to coaching.
“Academics are first and foremost. At the end of the day, football is going to end for everybody,” Power said.
Colonials players “have to understand that high school football is outstanding. It’s a great time in their lives. But this can’t be the pinnacle of their life. We have to prepare these guys to go on to be great husbands, to be great fathers, and members of the community.”
UPDATE: After sizing up his troops during summer drills this week, Power praised their work ethic. “We’re going to improve every week,” he said. “We should be a competitive team.” The Colonials may be tested out of the gate by forces beyond their control: Unsafe bleachers could force them to play some of their homes games in Madison.
MHS Colonials Varsity Schedule 2016
(Home games in BOLD; subject to CHANGE!)
Pre-season:
Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016
Scrimmage 11 AM Saint Joseph’s Metuchen, Morristown Turf Field
Friday, Aug. 26
Scrimmage 10 AM Away vs. Summit Summit High School, 8:30 AM
Friday, Sept. 2
Scrimmage 4 PM Away vs. Passaic Valley, Passaic Valley High School
Regular season:
Saturday, Sept. 10
Game 2 PM Roxbury High School, Morristown Turf Field
Friday, Sept. 16
Game 7 PM Away vs. Randolph Township School District, Randolph High School
Saturday, Sept. 24
Game 1 PM West Morris Central, Morristown Turf Field
Saturday, Oct. 1
Game 2 PM Away vs. Columbia Columbia High School
Saturday, Oct. 8
Game 1 PM West Orange, Morristown Turf Field
Saturday, Oct. 15
Game 1 PM Montclair ,Morristown Turf Field
Homecoming
Friday, Oct. 21
Game 7 PM Away vs. Livingston, Livingston High School
Saturday, Oct. 29
Game 1 PM Away vs. East Orange Campus, East Orange Campus High School
Saturday, Nov. 5
Game 2 PM Bloomfield, Morristown Turf Field
