Breakout Belinfanti

Woodstown junior running back was going to play a big role in offense this year, but comes into his own a year ahead of schedule

NJSIAA GROUP I SEMIFINALS
Friday’s Games
Glassboro Bulldogs (8-3) at Woodstown Wolverines (9-2), 7 p.m.
Shabazz Bulldogs (8-3) at Mountain Lakes Herd (9-2), 7 p.m.
Championship game
At Rutgers
Nov. 26 or Nov. 29 (if Shabazz wins North)

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN — Bryce Belinfanti came into his junior season expecting he would be an important part of Woodstown’s offense, with a larger role at the start of the year already mapped out but ultimately as a complementary piece when record-setting running back James Hill returned from rehabbing his knee injury.

It was going to be a chance to show everyone the kind of back he could be and he’d continue in that mindset once Hill returned even if it were in a reduced role as he waited for his chance to be the Wolverines’ full-time lead back next year.

Well, next year came a lot faster than anyone thought.

Hill was expected to return in the third game of the year, but the week he was due back he hurt his other knee in gym class and eventually would undergo another season-ending surgery.

Fortunately for the Wolverines, everyone, including the running back himself, had gotten comfortable with Belinfanti in the role as lead back, so there really wasn’t much of a transition as much as it was keeping on more of the same. If anything, it removed any doubt about the distribution of carries and Belinfanti has emerged as the back he always thought he could be.

He has gone on to have one of Salem County’s most productive rushing seasons in the last 15 years. His 1,641 yards eclipsed the Woodstown school rushing record Hill set last year and is the fourth-best year by a Salem County back since at least 2010 when best records are available. He certainly will add to those totals Friday night when the Wolverines host Glassboro in the Group I state semifinals.

He is the most prolific running back left in the Group I playoffs and the second most prolific running back left in the state playoffs in any classification to only Trashon Dye of Group V Passaic Tech (1,849).

“I came into the year looking to prove myself, to show that I can play, too,” Belinfanti said. “They knew I could play, but I could be a running back, too. I knew when James came back I was still going to get a good amount of touches and we were going to run different formations and all, and I was excited because it would be hard to stop the two of us.

“When we got that news (of Hill’s new injury) I was sad because I love playing with James. When I knew James was out I knew that I didn’t want to let my teammates down, that I didn’t want them to feel like (it) was going to affect our season and feel down on themselves. I just knew we had the offensive line to do it and I always knew I could do this. When it was time, I was just ready to work, ready to play, to show who I am.”

The plan all along was to have Hill and Belinfanti in the backfield at the same time, a sort of thunder-and-lightning duo with complementary running styles, so teams couldn’t key on one over the other. They started sliding pieces of that plan into the offense as early as late last season when the two flipped positions, with Hill moving to slot receiver and Belinfanti to running back to get him experience in that role.

But it’s funny how fate has a way of intervening sometimes. What is it they say about the best laid plans? When thunder-and-lightning became a rain of one, the Wolverines incorporated some schemes to take advantage of Belinfanti’s vision and skill set.

“We were really gearing to do a lot of things with them in the backfield at the same time, to open it up even more because who are you going to key on,” Wolverines head coach John Adams said. “When James went down it was (to Belinfanti) you’re in the role we were going to start to use you in just full-time now without another guy to share the handoffs with and he’s done a great job.

“He’s been a guy that we always knew could run the ball. He has been one of those kids who growing up you knew he had it and he was just waiting for his time. He was a really, really good back when you watched him in elementary school and middle school growing up and (when his turn came) he really stepped up.”

Belinfanti carried the ball 10 or more times only twice in his varsity career prior to this season, but proved capable of handling a bigger load in the first two games when he had 20 carries in each game and went for 132 and 186 yards. Hill was expected back the next week against Deptford, but was held out after hurting his other knee in gym class earlier in the week. The Wolverines only needed Belinfanti for a half and he had 92 yards on six carries. 

When the word came down on Hill it saddened everyone. It was all on Belinfanti’s shoulders now, but he never wavered. He had every confidence he’d deliver in a role “I’ve been waiting for my whole life.”

The Wolverines played Glassboro the next week and the Bulldogs kept Belinfanti out of the end zone while winning 13-7 in overtime. (The Bulldogs will be Woodstown’s third straight regular-season rematch when they play Friday). It was the last time anyone kept him out of the end zone. In the seven games since he hasn’t rushed for fewer than 140 yards and scored at least one touchdown every game. 

He had a season-high 203 yards against Woodbury on 30 carries – a load that even caught Adams by surprise – in the regular season and scored four touchdowns (five, if you count his TD catch) against Dunellen – all in the first half – in the opening round of the playoffs.

He carried it 27 times when the Wolverines played Woodbury again last week, breaking the school record with a 182-yard game to lead the Wolverines to their first South Jersey Group I title in school history. He didn’t know about the record until they told him in the locker room after the game.

“It’s unbelievable what he’s been able to do this year,” senior quarterback Max Webb said. “I think his mindset has always been the same. Everybody wants to be that guy. Even though the first two years he wasn’t very that guy because we’ve had James, but he’s always kept that mindset and he was ready for the moment.”

By all accounts it has been a breakout year for Belinfanti. Riding behind the fire trucks in last week’s victory parade through town was a fun memory he’ll never forget, but there’s still one thing missing. That would be the prize that awaits the winner of the next two games.

“The big gold trophy, that’s what I really want,” he said. “I feel like my life would be complete if we got that.”

Belinfanti’s Breakout Year

OPPONENT	ATT.	YDS	TDS
Haddon Heights (W 34-7)	20	132	2
Paulsboro (W 28-7)	20	186	2
Deptford (W 49-7)	6	92	2
Glassboro (L 13-7)	18	85	0
Salem (W 27-0)	17	160	3
Woodbury (W 27-21)	30	203	2
Haddonfield (L 48-16)	19	147	1
Penns Grove (W 21-6)	19	141	2
x-Dunellen (W 42-6)	8	168	4
x-Penns Grove (W 34-14)	16	145	2
x-Woodbury (W 21-14)	27	182	1
TOTALS	200	1641	21

Salem County 2023 Rushing Leaders

PLAYER	TOTAL
Bryce Belinfanti, Woodstown	1740
Bryce Wright, Penns Grove	1278
Pop Jackson, Salem	1245
KaRon Ceaser, Penns Grove	1085
Reggie Allen, Schalick	836
Sky Eppes, Pennsville	802

Salem County 1,000-Yard Rushers
(Since 2010)

PLAYER	TOTAL	YEAR
Jonathan Taylor, Salem	2815	2016
Zaire Jones, Salem	1792	2017
Bryce Belinfanti, Woodstown	1740	2023
Nicholas Bard, Pennsville	1657	2017
James Hill, Woodstown	1636	2022
Nasir Robinson, Penns Grove	1618	2019
Jonathan Taylor, Salem	1383	2015
James Hill, Woodstown	1374	2021
Nick Elmer, Penns Grove	1341	2012
Nasir Robinson, Penns Grove	1295	2020
Bryce Wright, Penns Grove	1278	2023
Dylan Cummings, Pennsville	1248	2013
Anthony Robertson, Penns Grove	1244	2012
Kenai Simmons, Schalick	1225	2022
Tyreese Snipe, Schalick	1215	2017
Michael Johnson, Schalick	1210	2011
Dione Alston, Salem	1199	2014
Samej Moore, Penns Grove	1148	2016
Nasir Robinson, Penns Grove	1141	2018
Tyrell Hart, Schalick	1137	2012
Zaire Jones, Salem	1106	2016
Tyrell Hart, Schalick	1105	2013
Craig Ransome, Penns Grove	1103	2014
KaRon Ceaser, Penns Grove	1085	2023
Nicholas Bard, Pennsville	1083	2016
Samej Moore, Penns Grove	1082	2017
Tyreese Snipe, Schalick	1065	2016
Zaire Jones, Woodstown	1062	2015
Kyle Philo, Schalick	1053	2010
Craig Ransome, Penns Grove	1035	2013
Dione Alston, Salem	1030	2013
Jay Brown, Penns Grove	1021	2010