Photo by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action The list of veteran starters for the Junior Bulldogs Seniors squad includes left tackle/left guard Jason Scaringi, tight end/middle linebacker A.J. Godsil, outside linebacker and right tackle Jake Regina and fullback/defensive back Patrick Landrigan.

By W. L. Bill Allen Jr.
New Jersey Sport/Action

RUTHERFORD (Sept. 4, 2008) — The year was 1974 and a 9-year-old named Michael Paskas joined a brand new youth football team that came to be known as the Sharks, mostly because Jaws was the most popular movie at the time.

The Sharks, a third- and fourth-grade contingent, joined two other youth teams fielded by the then fledgling Rutherford Junior Football organization: the seventh- and eighth-grade Black Knights and the fifth- and sixth-grade Squires. All three of those teams played their home games on what is now diamonds five and sixth at the Memorial Fields complex.

Little did Paskas, or anyone else at the time, know that more than three decades later he would be helping to plan the 40th anniversary celebrations for what is now known as the Junior Bulldogs.

One of the most successful franchises in the Meadowlands Football League (MFL), the locals boast that entity’s best overall record during the past few years and the Junior Bulldogs will be looking for more of the same when they take to the field to kick off their 2008 slates by playing host to their Lyndhurst counterparts Saturday, Sept. 8, at Tryon Field.

The Junior Bulldogs compete in the MFL/South Division, along with teams from Wallington, Carlstadt/East Rutherford, Lyndhurst, North Arlington and Harrison, while Wood-Ridge, Elmwood Park, Hasbrouck Heights, Saddle Brook, New Milford and Ridgefield Park make up the MFL’s North Division.

All towns in the league field teams at the Senior (7th- and 8th-grade), Junior (5th- and 6th-grade) and Pee-Wee (3rd- and 4th-grade) levels.

When the Junior Bulldogs play Sunday afternoons, the Pee-Wee tilt kicks off at noon, followed by the Juniors battle at 1 p.m. and the Seniors skirmish at 2:30. When they play Saturday nights, games are set for 5, 6 and 7:30 p.m.

“We’re way up in our numbers this year and we couldn’t be happier,” enthused Paskas, the Junior Bulldogs organization’s trustee and also the president of the MFL.

Photo by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action Two Rutherford youth football organization Juniors (fifth- and sixth-grade) team players: Matthew Kelly and Andrew Ortega, battle for the ball during practice Thursday, Aug. 28, at Memorial Field.

“We’ve got about 40 seniors, 28 Juniors, 30 Pee-Wees and, this year, we’ve added a new level for 7-year-olds called the Might-Mites and we’ve got 25 kids at that level, so that’s a great way to start our 40th anniversary year.

“We’re going to be hosting the Meadowlands Super Bowl games and we’ll be honoring our 2005 championship team, as well as past coaches and other volunteers.”

The Mighty-Mites head coach is Anthony Finelli, who guided the Rutherford Junior Football (RJF) flag football all-stars to a 2007 championship. Among the starters for the Mites are quarterback/safety  Sean Moran, fullback/linebacker Justin Finelli, tailback/cornerback Connor Cahill, two-way end Joe Fisicaro and two-way tackle Sebastian Gaeta.

Guiding the Pee-Wee players is first year head honcho Manny Medina, a veteran P-W team assistant. Among the key Pee-Wee players are tailback/linebacker Sebastian Medina, quarterback/defensive back Andrew Brito, two-way tackle Alex Maestre and two-way end John McAndrew.

Last year, the P-W squad went 9-1 overall, beat Harrison in the first round of the playoffs and then lost to Saddle Brook in the semi’s.

Keith Birchby, a Secaucus High alum, is the head Juniors coach and will guide a contingent that includes QB/safety Nick Birchby, tailback/linebacker Matt Vettoso, tailback/linebacker Matt Lambie and nose guard/center Dave Van Winkle. The Juniors went 2-6 in 2007.

The Seniors squad head coach is Mike Micek, a Clifton High alum and former U.S. Marine who guided the ’07 club into the playoffs.

The list of the top Seniors squad veterans includes tight end/linebacker A.J. Godsil, full back/end Pat Landrigan, tailback/cornerback Mike Carey and quarterbacks Rex Macmillan and John Watt.

Heading the more than 150 member RJF cheering corps is Tracy Paskas, a former Slippery Rock State Cheerleading contingent captain. In addition to game day action, the cheerleaders are planning a trip to Disney World this year for a national competition.