As Columbia football prepares for a new season, the focus is not only on what the team can accomplish on the field, but on the program they are building around it. Led by Coach Lys Rubens Blanc, the Cougars are entering the season with an emphasis on discipline, connection, and developing players at every level. As the season takes off, Columbia is not just preparing its players for the games ahead, but shaping the identity of the program they want to become.
Football has shaped Coach Blanc’s own path long before he began trying to reshape Columbia’s program. Blanc played football for much of his life before moving into coaching, eventually building a reputation at Hillside for helping players reach the College level. Now in his second season at Columbia, Blanc is focused on creating a stronger foundation for the program and changing what it means to play Columbia football.
When Blanc took over Columbia football, his first priority was not immediately changing the team’s record. “Last year, we were establishing that we were a team that was just not going to quit,” Blanc said. “Regardless of the scores, we were gonna play to our best ability, no matter what.” Now in his second season, Blanc believes simply refusing not to quit is not enough. “This year, now we’re going for a team that’s competing every game.”
That shift has come with a noticeably more demanding program. Blanc said offseason workouts increased from roughly two or three exercises to five or six, alongside speed training, heavier conditioning and mandatory tutoring twice a week. The goal is not just to prepare players for this season, but to create a program that can sustain success after the current roster graduates.
Photo by Daniel Khulman
For senior Dylan Graham, the standard he brings to his final season comes from the moments when Columbia needed someone to change the energy of a game. Against Bayonne last season, with the year nearing its end, Graham made a one-handed interception in the end zone that gave the team a needed shift in momentum. “I gave us a little spark,” Graham said, calling the play “definitely one of the highlights of my career.” For Graham, his final season is about taking the flashes he has already shown on the field and turning them into the kind of consistent effort his team can depend on.
Despite the loss of their two key Seniors in Running Back Jasiel Phair and Offensive Lineman Hans Archer, Blanc stated that he plans to have a rush heavy attack throughout the season, with All-Conference Senior Dylan Gilyard at the forefront. “Every year we are going to lose somebody.” Blanc said. “It’s just an opportunity for someone else to show up.”
Photo by Daniel Khulman
The biggest surprise for the Cougars is out of the quarterback room, where the loss of Tenzin Armacost and Eli Angleou has given way to Tight End convert Kasper Schmiedl. Initially a quarterback, he moved his Junior year, trying “anything to get on the field” before moving back his Senior year. “I loved it, but I needed to come back to (quarterback),” Schmiedl said.
One of the major issues regarding winning at Columbia was their lack of a feeder system, which changed with the institution of a program for students at Maplewood and South Orange middle schools, finally putting Columbia on par with the biggest teams in the state.
While the Freshman of years past had little to no experience on the field, this program will teach them how to play while offering a much better experience if they choose football once High School starts. “By the time you’re a Sophomore, you pretty much know what to do,” Coach Blanc said. “You’re not waiting until your Senior year to figure it out.”
The first game of the season (Aug 28, 6:00 PM) happens to take place against Blanc’s former team, the Hillside Comets, where he was an assistant under Barris Grant for several years. Blanc made it clear during the interview that Hillside’s faithful have been anything but hostile since he left. “There’s going to be a lot of trash talking, but after the game, you’ll see everyone come up and hug me,” Coach Blanc said.
For years, Columbia High School has been at or near the bottom of New Jersey high school football rankings, but through various new programs, a revolutionary new coach, and a new crop of players hungry to succeed, it’s no surprise that the majority of the brass believes they can make a run at the playoffs, if not further.
