Is guiding a revamped coaching staff

Deon Candia feels strongly that Linden football will once again be a player in the Watchung Conference this fall.

"My goal, and that of the entire staff, is to win right away," said Candia, who was named Linden's new head football coach at its May board of education meeting.

"There's no excuses," Candia continued. "This will be no rebuilding year. That was last year. We have a coaching staff that can get it done.

"I'm not going to cop out and say this will be a rebuilding year. We are striving to win right away."

Joe Stinson was let go after a 1-9 season that saw the Tigers tie Dayton for giving up the most points of any school in Union County at 321.

Candia is Linden all the way, having played for Bucky McDonald and having coached under him for four years and also under Stinson last season.

For those concerned that he may continue Stinson's one-year run-and-shoot offense, relax. That's not going to happen.

"We're striving to be a lot more competitive," said Candia, who is employed at Soehl Middle School in Linden and who has taught 7th grade language arts there the past five years.

"The kids are upbeat and know that last year's 1-9 record doesn't represent who we are."

Candia is a 1991 Linden grad, who played quarterback his junior year in 1989 and running back his senior year in 1990, in addition to defensive back.

After playing at Division 2 American International College in Springfield, Mass. and also coaching there, Candia came back to Linden in 2003 and sought to help McDonald with that season's squad.

"I got into coaching after playing in college," Candia said. "It goes along with teaching and I got into that aspect of the game.

"When I came back here I just wanted to be involved with the kids in the community. Then the first year with Bucky I became a volunteer, doing things like passing out the equipment. I started coming every day and learned a lot and it piqued my interest.

"The following year he found a place for me and it took off from there."

Candia was a full-fledged coach for McDonald in 2004, 2005 and 2006, which were all North 2, Group 4 playoff seasons for the Tigers. They went a combined 20-12 in that span, including a 1-3 playoff mark and a big upset win at Piscataway in the 2006 playoffs after losing road playoff games to the Chiefs in 2004 and 2005, both by shutout.
Candia coached the defensive backs and wide receivers and last year under Stinson also coached special teams.

"I've always invested in the kids," Candia said. "I still live in Linden and have a tie with the kids and their families.

"It was an unfortunate thing that happened, but when the job came up - just knowing that the seniors will now have their third head coach - I felt I had a lot to offer for the kids, so it wouldn't be like them starting all over again.

"There will be different things to learn, but they need someone familiar and, at the same time, I wanted to step up and take a leadership role as the head coach.

"After an unfortunate situation, I felt that I could step in and have an immediate impact."

Some coaches return and some are new. Craig Taylor returns as the running backs coach and is the co-offensive coordinator with new coach and quarterbacks mentor Asad Abdul-Khaliq, who led Elizabeth to the 1997 North 2, Group 4 championship his senior year at quarterback and who also had a fine career at signal-caller for Colonia native Glen Mason at the University of Minnesota.

The new defensive coordinator is former Elizabeth and Rutgers standout Jamil Jackson, who was the defensive coordinator at Elizabeth under Jeff Wiener.

Albert Chiola and Mike Sellari are returning coaches, with Chiola in charge of the wide receivers and Sellari the offensive and defensive lines.

The freshmen coaches are Kenneth Freeman and Leon Devero, with Robert Zarowski taking over as the 8th grade coach and Monty Brooks assisting.

"I feel confident in the staff I have," Candia said. "We're going to make it happen.

"We geared away from the structured things that made us competitive. We're going to bring that back and want the kids to understand that.

"There's a big buzz around town. A lot of people are coming out to see what we're about. We will grow and be productive."

After McDonald ran the Delaware Wing-T offense during a successful tenure that lasted from 1985-2006, Stinson came in last year and tried to implement the run-and-shoot with a team hit very hard by graduation.

"A lot of time was put into the run-and-shoot, but we won't be running the same formation," Candia said. "We may run a form of that, but we'll be a running-based team. We'll be running a triple-option, similar to what the Air Force does.
"I always thought we had good running backs and want to bring that back, but we also want something for our quarterback and the others that we have that can throw the ball."

One of Linden's leading returning starters is junior southpaw quarterback Trell Myers (6-2 1/2, 180), who put up some pretty good numbers last year once he became the full-time starter.

"He's a lot stronger and grew an inch or two," Candia said. "He dedicated himself in the weight room. He has a lot of natural strength and ability.

"Trell has matured some - he's always been a quiet leader - and is starting to understand the role of a quarterback. He leads by example."

Candia was contacted immediately by McDonald when he was hired.

"Our styles are probably about as opposite as can be," Candia said. "I'm more of a teacher, a technician and detailed.  He showed me a lot of the game and I observed how he did things and how professional he was. When I got the job he told me how proud he was of me and also what to expect. He's there for me and I will call on him for things I need to know.

"Terry Hanratty, who was here my first year back, is also someone I can reach out to after all of the success he's had at Governor Livingston."

NOTES: Candia started for three years at American International, playing running back and slot back. During two seasons as a graduate assistant, he worked with the defensive backs and also helped out with conditioning in the off season.

Linden's game-scrimmage is at Middlesex County foe Monroe Sept. 5 at 6 p.m.

Linden will open at home against non-conference foe Barringer Sept. 12.

Barringer replaces Old Bridge as Linden's non-conference opponent for 2008.

Linden played at Barringer last year in a North 2, Group 4 consolation game and was defeated 35-28 in Newark.

The season will start a week later than it normally has in the past, which will be not be on the same weekend that the NFL opens.

Not all Watchung Conference schools will be opening Week Zero (Sept. 12 and 13). In addition to Linden, Union will host Irvington Sept. 13 and Plainfield will play at Watchung Hills Sept. 12.

Watchung Conference schools opening on Week One (Sept. 19 and 20) include Elizabeth at Linden on Sept. 19 and Scotch Plains hosting Irvington on Sept. 20.

LINDEN COACHING STAFF FOR 2008:
Head coach: Deon Candia.
Offensive coordinators: Craig Taylor
and Asab Abdul-Khaliq.
Defensive coordinator: Jamil Jackson.
Wide receivers: Albert Chiola.
Offensive, defensive lines: Mike Sellari.
Running backs: Craig Taylor.
Quarterbacks: Asad Abdul-Khaliq.
Freshmen: Kenneth Freeman, Leon Devero.
8th grade: Robert Zarowski, Monty Brooks.

LINDEN TIGERS
2008 SCHEDULE
Scrimmages:
Aug. 25 Millburn, 6 p.m.
Aug. 29 Bayonne, 6 p.m.
Game scrimmage:
Sept. 5 at Monroe, 6 p.m.
Regular season:
Sept. 12 Barringer, 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 Elizabeth, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 at Westfield, 1 p.m.
Oct. 3 at Shabazz, 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 Irvington, 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 Newark East Side, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 at Scotch Plains, 1 p.m.
Nov. 27 at Union, 10:30 a.m.