The solid special teams are led by senior placekicker Robert Warmington, who is one of the best in the Super Football Conference, while junior Chris Mannino has been handling the punting duties.

The Knights bounced back nicely from their disappointing Oct 2nd 32-28 loss to neighboring rival Caldwell at Travis Field when they blew a big third quarter lead.

“We just stopped doing what had been working for us both offensively and defensively and as coaches we just didn’t correct things in time,” said Fulton. “The first thing we told the kids after that loss was that when it’s all said and done we’re going to look back at that game and realize that we learned a great deal from our mistakes that night and that we did a good job fixing them.”

West Essex played one of their best games since that defeat when they played great run defense and posted a hard-fought 19-16 win over always-tough West Morris on Oct. 17th also at Travis Field.    

The Knights finished 6-4 last fall and were edged, 31-28, in the N2G3 semifinals at Summit on a last second 34-yard field goal by the Hilltoppers’ Cooper Smoragiewicz.

West Essex had to replace some key pieces this fall, especially after bidding adieu last June to all-everything QB Jake Long, who passed for 1,359 yards and 15 TDs and rushed for 1,474 yards and 19 more TDs.

But, with a number of different contributors all chipping in, the 2026 season has proven a success so far for the longtime Essex County football stronghold.

“A big reason I came to West Essex is the great interest and solid numbers in football here,” said Fulton, who said when numbers are optimum there are close to 70 players in the upper three grades. “It’s a tremendous place to coach and our team receives terrific support from the school and communities.”

NJSIAA North Jersey Public School Playoff First Round Matchups, Friday, Oct. 30:
North 2, Group 1:
8-Glen Ridge at 1-Cedar Grove
5-Mountain Lakes at 4-Wood-Ridge
6-Dayton at 3-Butler
7-Pompton Lakes at 2-Hasbrouck Heights

North 1, Group 1:
8-Verona at 1-Newton
5-Kinnelon at 4-Boonton
6-Hawthorne at 3-Wallkill Valley
7-Belvidere at 2-New Milford

North 2, Group 2:
8-Indian Hills at 1-Waldwick/Midland Park
5-Becton Regional at 4-New Providence
6-Hanover Park at 3-Bernards
7-Ramsey at 2-Hoboken

North 1, Group 2:
8-Hackettstown at 1-Westwood
5-Vernon at 4-Lakeland
6-Hillside at 3-Rutherford
7-High Point at 2-Caldwell

North 2, Group 3:
8-Weequahic at 1-West Essex
5-Montville at 4-River Dell
6-Somerville at 3-Holmdel
7-Parsippany Hills at 2-Wayne Hills

North 1, Group 3:
8-Paramus at 1-Old Tappan
5-Morris Hills at 4-West Morris
6-Wayne Valley at 3-Shabazz
7-Matawan at 2-Cranford

North 2, Group 4:
8-Watchung Hills at 1-Middletown North
5-Garfield at 4-Teaneck
6-Montgomery at 3-Chatham
7-Mount Olive at 2-Rahway

North 1, Group 4:
8-Carteret at 1-Roxbury
5-Ridge at 4-Middletown South
6-Summit at 3-Morris Knolls
7-Woodbridge at 2-Northern Highlands

North 2, Group 5:
8-Linden at 1-Elizabeth
5-Bridgewater-Raritan at 4-Passaic Tech
6-Ridgewood at 3-Phillipsburg
7-Union City at 2-East Orange Campus

North 1, Group 5:
8-Franklin at 1-Ramapo
5-Perth Amboy at 4-Irvington
6-Bayonne at 3-Piscataway
7-Union at 2-West Orange                          

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