Ethan Jeros wants West Morris Mendham football to be more competitive
MENDHAM, N.J. — The West Morris Mendham Minutemen saw some tough times in the 2021 football season. But even at 5-8, the Minutemen saw better results than they did in 2020. It is the first step of many towards what head coach Ethan Jeros hopes will be dominance in New Jersey.
Jeros took over the team after it went 2-5 last year. The team has had a rough time competing, and last had a winning record in 2014.
Jeros used to coach the Hightstown High School football team. He had some success with the Rams during his tenure from 2015 to 2018, including a playoff appearance in 2017.
His goal is to change the culture of competition for the Minutemen.
“It’s easy to dislike people and point fingers and all those things losing teams do,” Jeros told the Daily Record. “We have to change that.”
Jeros has been working his hardest to get the team to bond together and work as one.
“The level of really wanting to be together… was higher than I’ve seen since we started in June,” he said about the team as they began playing earlier this year.
He even went as far as to bring in two former New York Giants stars to speak to the team during their preseason barbecue. Lawrence Taylor and O.J. Anderson talked with the players about the importance of working together.
The team also had another special guest on hand for a scrimmage at the start of the season. Author Kate Leavell Conordl spoke with the team about how to create positive change and to stay strong. She has written books about teamwork and how teams can work together and even visited Mendham last season.
Jeros has been heavily inspired by the athletes on his team and wants to learn from them. One player he is inspired by is Shane Sullivan, a team member who is legally blind.
“He is the first to volunteer to do anything that is asked of the team,” Jeros said about Sullivan.
Jeros’ desire to change the team’s attitude has paid off, as the 2021 Minutemen went 5-8. This season was the first one since 2014 that the team won at least five games. The team also won a playoff game against Voorhees.
The West Morris Mendham Minutemen have high hopes for going far and being more successful in the future. The work of Coach Jeros will be influential to how well the Minutemen can compete and how they move forward in the standings.
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