Jose Santiago and Carter Stumpf are two of the seniors hoping to leave Bordentown Regional High School as part of history.
They’ve already been part of some big things in their careers, helping the Scotties win seven games in each of the past two seasons, including last year, when they earned their first playoff berth since 2001.
Going into the final regular-season matchup against Camden Catholic, the Scotties had a chance to end an even longer drought. A win in the finale would secure their first division title in 45 years.
“That would be that would be mind blowing,” Santiago said. “That would be something that actually I would hold with me my whole life. I feel like I would never live that down. It’s something that’s a big opportunity for all of us to come together and build a foundation from our youth program and set a name for our youth program also.”
They were part of a class that went 58-6 with five titles in six years in Pop Warner, setting the stage for potential high school success. But that was only potential. They have fulfilled some lofty expectations behind the arm and legs of quarterback Trey Lee, a strong supporting cast and a defense that can’t be overlooked.
“It’s really just about how our team is ran and how we do things at practice, in the weight room, throughout the offseason and in-season,” Stumpf said. “It’s also just how our coaches and our captains, teammates, how we just hold each other to a certain standard. We like to just build off of each year, build off of each game, each practice. Our coaches like to say 1 percent better every day, and I think that’s something I really do live by because even the little mistakes we have in games or practice, we fix them the next day, just looking to get better.”
Bordentown has shown steady development throughout the season. After opening with a win over Florence, the Scotties were short-handed when they lost to Steinert the following week. They reeled off five straight wins to improve to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the West Jersey Football League Patriot Division, setting up a showdown with 4-0 Camden Catholic.
“We’ve had some hurdles to overcome,” Scotties coach Skip Edwards said. “We had a lot of starters that were injured earlier in the year. We took them game by game. Our goal was to be 1-0 each game. So we pretty much accomplished that with the exception of the second game when we had three or four starters out, but that’s the way it rolls. The team’s gonna have injuries, but we’re healthy now and we pretty much have everybody back and I would say that our kids, when they come to play football, they’re focused in.”
In their 28-9 win over Riverside to move to 4-0 in the division, Santiago led a ground attack that amassed 467 rushing yards to complement a touchdown pass from Lee. Santiago rushed for 165 yards and scored two touchdowns.
“He’s just got something that you can’t teach,” Edwards said. “He’s got a whole ‘nother gear and he knows how to run the ball. And when I say that, I mean like he knows when to make a cut if somebody’s coming up or they can catch up to him. He’ll make a cut at that certain time.”
Through seven games, Santiago has rushed for a team-best 553 yards. Lee, a dual-threat quarterback, has added 260 rushing yards, while Demetrius Briggs has 244. Jason Robinson, Jacob Blanding, Lawrence Massaquoi and Stumpf have each rushed for at least 100 yards this season.
Their success is a credit to the coaching staff and offensive line, which has done a good job of recognizing defensive schemes and making the right blocking calls. That has created opportunities for a deep group of running backs.
“I feel like it’s the change in variety,” Santiago said. “We all kind of run differently. And from the other teams focusing on me and relying on me from running the ball and trying to stop me, it opens up other holes for our other running backs with heavy speed and good vision to see the holes.”
On the other side of the ball, Stumpf had a sack and four tackles for loss against Riverside. He and Santiago each recorded 21 tackles, helping hold Riverside to nine points.
“Carter Stumpf is our inside linebacker who’s like the quarterback on defense,” Edwards said. “Carter has been all-division, all-Burlington County for the past two years, so as a sophomore.”
Now a senior, Stumpf finds it surreal to go through each day of the season knowing the end of his high school football career is drawing closer. While Lee directs the offense, Stumpf takes command of the defense.
“It really means a lot to me because, Thomas as the quarterback, he’s getting all the glory, but I think my job is just as important,” Stumpf said. “I’m giving all the play calls. I’m really commanding just where the defense goes, how they line up and stuff. And at the end of the day, defense wins games. So I’m just happy to do my part. I love to help the team as much as I can. And if I have to use my voice on defense and let everyone know to be in the right place to win the game, then that’ll be it.”
Santiago has also given the defense a lift this year. He has moved from outside linebacker to inside linebacker alongside Stumpf. That has enabled the Scotties to move Connor Bramley, who is also their leading receiver with 249 yards, to defensive end, further strengthening the defense.
“Our defense has always been strong,” Santiago said. “Our defense has always been tough and always has never backed down. Throughout the years I feel like we’ve been pretty balanced on defense, like we haven’t lost anything from the years. I feel like we’ve been pretty balanced overall in every position.”
The Scotties are proud that they can rely on their defense just as much as their offense. Strong defensive play has been a staple of Bordentown football for years.
“It’s just our chemistry and our grit,” Stumpf said. “All the guys on that defense, we’ve all been playing together since we were really little, throughout youth football, all different types of leagues we’ve all been in. And to now end it off senior year, I think a lot of guys, we’re just on another type of level with our chemistry. Every day outside of practice, we’re hanging out, during practice, it’s more than just football. At the end of the day, it’s like a brotherhood with all of us.”
The ball-control offense and solid defense have put the Scotties in position for another successful season. They have a deep group of seniors who have experienced winning at every level coming up through the ranks. Before turning their attention to their next sports seasons, Santiago to basketball and Stumpf to wrestling, they are focused on making their final football season at Bordentown memorable.
“It definitely feels different,” Santiago said. “It feels like I’ve taken a lot of things for granted these past few years. Every practice now I feel like I’m looking at a lot more different, and saying it’s coming up to our last practices and I’m gonna miss being with my boys every day and taking all these moments in. It’s slowly getting to me, but I’m hanging in there.”
Both Santiago and Stumpf are looking to play football in college after graduation. They will take with them strong pedigrees built on years of success, with the Bordentown high school team the latest chapter.
“I’m just very grateful and very blessed to be a part of it,” Stumpf said. “Starting off in the youth programs, everyone, the majority of the years it’s always been winning, winning championships throughout the playoffs, all that good stuff. And so coming to high school, we were faced with some adversity going against a harder schedule. And so throughout the beginning of high school, it was a little shaky for us, but I think it really developed everyone’s character on the team. It made them work harder. It pushed everyone to do the best they can do.”
Santiago shares that appreciation for the bonds the players have developed over the years.
“We’ve looked forward to coming back every year to play football and reconnect with the coaches. And I feel like it’s kind of brought us together because we’ve become more like a family outside of football, from film room to team dinners and stuff like that. We’ve become so together that it’s going to be hard to all separate after this.”
The first division title in 45 years would certainly help keep them linked forever.
“It would mean a lot to not just me, my teammates, but really just coaches and everyone that’s been a part of the Bordentown football team,” Stumpf said. “That’s really been the goal, obviously be as dominant as possible throughout the season.”
