Stapleton: Knief takescenter stage for Ironmen

RAMSEY – Brett Knief has completed only three varsity passes, so you can imagine how much he had to prove this summer as Don Bosco's newest quarterback.

Not to his opponents, mind you, considering that quest begins Saturday night when the Ironmen take the field just outside of Philadelphia for their season opener against St. Joseph's Prep.

The first challenge Knief faced was trying to make believers out of the players on The Record's No. 1 football team – the guys in his own locker room.

"I can throw the ball and everybody knew I could run," he said, "but I needed to be a leader from the moment I stepped into the huddle as the starter."

The junior paused before adding with a smile: "If you're a leader, people see it."

The Ironmen certainly have seen leadership, which is something they have come to demand from the position through their recent years of dominance.

Their last three starting quarterbacks -- Matt Simms, Mike Teel and Steve Levy -- finished up their high school careers with similar resumes.

All-State honors.

Division I scholarships.

Six trips to the State final and three championships, two for Teel and one for Matt Simms in December. One year after starting his sophomore season third on the depth chart, Knief is poised to follow in their footsteps.

"It's not easy filling shoes like that, it's like joining a dynasty," he said, referring to his three All-North Jersey predecessors. "Being the quarterback at Don Bosco is my life right now and it's a great job to have."

The Ramsey resident is a threat to scramble and go the distance every down, making a potent ground game even more diversified.

The Ironmen return their leading rushers from last season -- senior Guy Germinario, junior Dillon Romain and sophomore Tony Jones -- so the offense has been tweaked to utilize their talent on the field at the same time.

The backfield will be even harder to stop thanks to the addition of a quarterback who can beat the smartest of defenses with his arm and his legs.

"Our defense had personality last year and this year our personality comes from Knief," Don Bosco defensive coordinator Dan Marangi said. "Try defending that offense every day in practice and Knief makes it go. Some guys hit the wall at the end of the summer, but he's gone through the wall and kept on going."

Also a talented outfielder in baseball, Knief has received recruiting letters from schools such as Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech for his prowess on the diamond.

He was set to spend his summer drumming up even more collegiate interest from baseball programs by attending national showcase events, but changed his mind when a knee sprain in June threatened his place on the football team.

That's when the decision was made, the glove and the bat stored away in his bedroom closet.

"We all felt like it was an open race [to replace Matt Simms] and Knief just came out and won the job," Germinario said. "No one thought he was a bad player, but we really didn't know how good he was. I think he surprised all of us and he gets even better every day."

The 6-foot, 175-pound Knief likens holding the reins of what should be one of North Jersey's most productive offenses to waiting at home plate for a pitch from former Seton Hall Prep ace Rick Porcello, something he got the chance to do this spring.

Porcello, a first-round draft pick who has since signed with the Detroit Tigers, tried to beat Knief with a fastball on the inner half during a State tournament game in June.

Incredibly, Knief turned on the offering from the best high school pitcher in America, crushing the ball over the fence for a home run.

"All eyes are on me as the quarterback at Don Bosco just like all eyes were on us when we faced Rick Porcello in baseball and that's exciting," Knief said. "Getting that type of attention is just something that comes with the job."

Knief won't be heading to the batting cages for a few swings anytime soon, however.

Early morning throwing sessions on the gridiron with offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile will have to do, at least until the Ironmen complete what they expect to be yet another State championship run.

"I'm still a baseball player that loves football," Knief added. "But I'll never let anything come between me and winning football games for Don Bosco."

Twelve games and a State title, to be exact.

That's the only standard of success by which quarterbacks at Don Bosco are judged.