MONTVALE -- With a 2-8 record last year and a combined 6-24 ledger the past three seasons, it has been a rocky road for the Pascack Hills football team. This year, the Cowboys have a new head coach in Brooks Alexander, who will begin the process of raising the program back to respectability. Alexander takes on his first head coaching job after spending the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach at Park Ridge. Prior to that, he spent three years as an assistant at Oneonta, New York.

He steps into a program that plays in the highly competitive NBIL, and the "Boys have suffered from low roster numbers."

They will once again be thin in numbers, and they must start the year without what many perceive as their top player. Senior Rob Kaufman suffered an eye injury during summer baseball, and that will likely keep him out of the first four or five games of the season. Last year, Kaufman scored five of the Cowboys' 10 total touchdowns and also added a two-point conversion while running for almost 500 yards, so his presence or lack thereof is a big factor.

"He is by far our best athlete," Alexander said, "but we know he isn't going to be there to start the season, so we need others to step in and get the job done."

That puts some added pressure on junior quarterback Steve Mougis, who got a taste of varsity action in a few games last year and had a pair of touchdown passes. He will be in charge of the I-formation offense for Alexander.

Sophomore Frank Toscano will take Kaufman's place at the tailback, while junior Mike Millett and sophomore John Macaluso will work out of the fullback spot. Senior Adam Szuch is back at wide receiver along with senior Chris Flores and junior Mike Pasch. Junior Dan Wallace is the tight end, with sophomore Keith Hejna backing him up and coming on in two tight end situations. Szuch is also the back-up quarterback.

The offensive line sports five new starters, with sophomore Eric Giammini at center. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior will be flanked by senior Adam Kamhy (5-10, 185) and junior Kevin Mantovani (5-9, 215) at the guards, while senior David Revie (6-1, 175) and junior Bob Palumbo (6-2, 175) are at the tackles.

The Cowboys will play out of a 5-2 defense most of the time, with Giammini at the nose guard, Mantovani and Kamhy at the tackles and Palumbo (who had an interception return for a touchdown last year) and sophomore Josh Wilson (5-10, 160) at the ends. Revie is one of the linebackers, and Macaluso and Millett are battling for the other spot. Mougis and Wallace are the cornerbacks, though Kaufman will step in there once he's ready to go. Flores is also a possibility on the corners.

Szuch and Pasch are dueling for the free safety position, and Toscano (who also returned an INT for a score in 2000) is set for the strong safety. Pasch will do the punting, while Mantovani is back to do the place kicking. He hit on 6-of-9 extra point tries last year. The Cowboys open their season at home on September 15th with a game against Northern Valley/Demarest before hitting the road for a Friday night contest at Indian Hills.

"With only five seniors, we are a very young group," Alexander said. "We've pretty much gone back to ground zero, with two new systems to learn, but these kids are working hard and they understand the big task in front of them.

"The attitude has been excellent, and they are a very coachable team. Right now, one of the keys is to change the perception of Pascack Hills football, and that isn't something that happens overnight. It's one step at a time, and we're building the foundation."