Thursday, October 1, 2026
With 19 players gone from last year’s roster, it would seem a difficult chore for Calhoun to repeat last season’s 6-3 clip. But the Colts, with their linebacker-oriented defense and star running back Nick Mareska, plan to be solid again.
Calhoun is the fifth seed in Conference II. “We got a higher seed, tougher schedule but we feel pretty good about the guys coming back and coming up,’’ fifth-year head coach Nick Rawls said. “We still have a lot of work to do.’’
In early August, Rawls took a rare, extended vacation to the Tuscany region of Italy to unwind and refresh himself. Conference II2 superpower Garden City looms as the season opener.
“We lost some really good kids and athletes,’’ Rawls said. “The team is younger but a lot of them were on varsity last year. Some of this year’s juniors were varsity as sophomores. They’re not brand new to varsity. Some are. We had a good bench last year and we have some kids who have been on varsity three years.’’
Mareska, a senior who may play baseball in college, is a returning All-County player and excels at both running back and linebacker.
An active varsity performer since sophomore year, Mareska rushed for 621 yards on 70 carries with 6 rushing touchdowns in 2025. “He’s good at everything – fast, got power and can catch the ball out of the backfield,’’ Rawls said. “He brings a lot to the table.’’
So does senior utility man Joe Smith, who will line up at receiver, running back and also play cornerback. He’s started at the corner since freshman year. “He’s kind of like a do-it-all player,’’ Rawls said.
Another huge contributor will be senior middle linebacker/receiver Keith Schaefer. “Keith shines as a middle linebacker,’’ Rawls said. “That’s his strong suit. He’s very smart.’’
Rawls is in charge of the defense and always has a competent unit. Calhoun plays a 3-4 defense, so four linebackers are on the field at all times.
Junior Gianni Capizzi will be an outside linebacker after doing a nice job in spot duty last year as a sophomore after being pulled up from JV.
Another junior, running back/linebacker, John Ruisi, who broke his collarbone in Week 2, will likely rotate between linebacker and defensive back.
Ruisi will also see time at running back. Before his injury, Ruisi was splitting time with Maresca in the backfield.
His twin brother, junior Ryan Ruisi saw action late in the year at receiver and showed promise as a tall, outside threat.
“Our running game should be very good and defensively we did a nice job,’’ Rawls said. “But there’s always things to improve upon.’’
The quarterback position will be something of a mystery. Senior Nic Esposito is a first-year starter and took minimal reps as a junior. He replaces All-County performer, Timmy Lynch.
But he’s got a big arm.
“I’m not overly concerned,’’ Rawls said. “It’s our job to put him in the best situations to be successful. He throws the deep ball very well. He’s got a lot of power and velocity to the football.’’
Will he get proper protection? The leader of the 0-Line is senior Anthony Cespedes, a terrific run blocker who will be a third-year starter at 5-11, 205 pounds.
But Steven Welti and Sean Schettino are first-year starters on the line. Welti is known for his strength. Junior Brandon Roman could also start on the 0-Line but doesn’t have much varsity experience.
Senior Michael Teta, a good route runner, will start at receiver and the defensive line.
Junior receiver/defensive back Aydin Habib saw varsity action last year and will compete for starting spots on both sides of the ball. Junior Chris Kim, talented and hardworking, will compete for a starting position on the D-Line.
Last season, the Merrick program lost in the first round to East Meadow 28-20 after blowing a 14-0 lead.
The Colts should find its way again to the playoffs – with Mareska’s two-way productivity key. Mareska is also the outside linebacker with a lot of responsibility against the run and pass and should make Calhoun very competitive Conference II foe.
To read more from the Herald's 2026 High School Football Preview, click here.
