With a 28-7 loss Friday to Hackettstown, the North Warren Patriots evened their record at 1-1, but Head Coach Gene Fluri is optimistic as the season unfolds.
“I think our kids played really well tonight,” Fluri said. “We have to take a look at the film. We still have some miscues we need to work on.”
After last week’s 20-0 rout of Whippany Park the previous week, this past Friday’s game against at Hackettstown revealed some weaknesses in the Patriots’ offense.
“We came out here pretty good and had a good first stop,” Fluri said. “We got in their red zone, but you have to put in it. You have to punch through, and you can’t make mistakes.”
A spate of injuries, particularly in the second half, also put the Patriots in a disadvantage. But looking ahead, Fluri said his team will work on the miscues.
“We have some very good players,” Fluri said. “We’re going to regroup for next week so the kids have chance to come back. It’s a long season, and everybody knows you just don’t roll into the next game.”
North Warren meets Parsippany at home Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.
Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer
Joe was lured out of retirement by the opportunity to be a part of The Ridgeview Echo. During a decades-long career in publishing and journalism, he has covered government on many levels from local school boards to the United States Supreme Court.
Along the way, Joe has worked at American Lawyer Magazine, The National Law Journal and The Record among other publications, and as the Press Officer of Columbia Law School. His work has been recognized with several first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New Jersey Press Association.
Being part of the Ridgeview Echo brings Joe back to his roots and the kind of news coverage he loves: Telling the stories of people and local communities as well as keeping an eye on how their money is spent by their government officials.
Joe lives in Blairstown with his wife Rose, the founder of Quilting for a Cause, and their two wiener dogs. He is an artist in his spare time.
