The Hackettstown Tigers are entering a critical juncture as they look to translate recent modest success into sustained dominance.
A Season of Renewal
Junior quarterback Carter Bujno returns for his second year as a starter, bringing notable statistics, while top receiver Kolton Maney rejoins the squad with impressive receiving yards and touchdowns.
The line, however, will be a work in progress; safety Bryce Lambo and middle linebacker Tristan Beam both broke their shins in the same game, leaving the front unit thin.
Coach Mike Arakelian emphasizes internal competition, insisting the team must earn every snap in practice before it is earned on game day, and he has set no explicit win target despite a revamped American Blue league.
Roster turnover is evident; the Tigers lost ten starters to graduation and will field roughly fifty players, including a fresh influx of nine rising seniors and a dozen to fourteen newcomers, many of them freshmen.
Historically, Hackettstown boasts a 544‑358‑37 record since the program’s inception in 1914, captured a lone championship in 1981, and last reached the postseason in 2022, but a sectional final has eluded them since 2017.
The upcoming schedule pits them against familiar foes such as High Point, Newton and Vernon, as well as new league rivals Belvidere, Kittatinny, Morris Hills, Morris Catholic, Jefferson and Warren Hills, promising a demanding road ahead.