Coach: Nick Delcalzo, 33rd year
Last year’s record: 11-0
Last year’s ranking: No. 8
Rearview Mirror: Hasbrouck Heights couldn’t have had a better year in 2016. Literally. The Aviators won the inaugural NJIC championship, the North 1, Group 1 championship and finished the season undefeated. They boasted one of the highest-scoring offenses in North Jersey and a defense that rarely faltered.
COMPLETE RANKINGS: Top 20 countdown
Looking ahead: The Aviators should be in for another stellar season, although they do have to replace QB Frank Quatrone, a dual-threat signal-caller who threw for 797 yards and rushed for 1,416. The task of replacing him will go to senior James Klenko, who’s a different type of QB than Quatrone was, but he has a strong arm and will be up to the task of running the offense. It also helps that he has one of the most athletic WRs around in junior Jasiah Purdie, who caught for 534 yards and six touchdowns in 2016. Hasbrouck Heights figures to have a strong ground game again with the return of junior RB Nick Monahan. The Aviators lost some key pieces on defense, including LB John Iurato, but they still have a lot of talent back, including senior DE Jordan Wexler.
Bold prediction: Hasbrouck Heights wins the NJIC championship for a second-straight year.
