DUI Lawyers in Dunellen, NJ

Ask just about anyone in Dunellen what the initials D.D. stand for relative to that square-mile borough, and the answer would probably be split 50-50 once you cleared up one little geographical detail.

The local Dunkin’ Donuts is actually in neighboring Middlesex.

After that, the response is likely to be Dunellen Destroyers or Dave DeNapoli. And whatever the first answer would be, count on the other one following right behind.

DeNapoli announced on via social media Thursday that he was stepping down as the school’s head football coach after 29 seasons of running his tightly packed double-wing offense for one of the state’s smallest public school programs.

He leaves with a 133-172-1 career record and two sectional final appearances - Central, Group 1 in 2010 and North 2, Group 1 in 2014.

The lifelong Dunellen resident, who still resides on the same street on which he grew up, will continue as the school’s athletic director. That means the former Dunellen QB and 1975 graduate will still be a Columbia Park fixture on autumn Thursday and Friday nights.

“A lot of great memories, that’s for sure. A lot of great times, great kids, great coaches,” the 67-year-old DeNapoli said. “I loved even the coaches we went against; made friends with all those guys. That was fun.”

Coach DeNapoli is so much more than just a coach. He is a Dunellen institution through and through. His love for our school and town is unparalleled. It is exactly what small school coaching is about. Congrats on a great run. We love you DeNaps. https://t.co/LYOQ4JuUvn

— Dunellen Boys Hoops (@Destroyerhoops) April 4, 2025

Dunellen’s 0-10 season was certainly not a ball of laughs for DeNapoli or his players, yet they all fulfilled their duties with grace and with the best they had to offer - whether two-way lineman Luke Pettersen, QB/DB Mark Stein, RB/LB Luke Shealy or RB/DB Jose Marin.

Down seasons such as that have always been a way of life for the sparsely outfitted Destroyers. A big roster for Dunellen is about 25 players.

But intertwined within those struggles have always been pockets of success. The 2023 team was 5-4, the ‘18 squad 6-4, and the five teams spanning 2010 through ‘14 were a combined 43-13 behind the outstanding efforts of Rontik Sadler, Vinnie Grausso, Jeff Puckett, Dylan Hoski, David Johnson, Nassan Anderson, Chiekezie Ogbuewu and brothers Casey and Noah Wenzel.

“I give all our kids credit. They go out there and they’re outnumbered. Through the years, we’ve always been outnumbered, even with our good teams,” DeNapoli said.

“I just give these guys credit, because they know what’s in store for them. When you suit up, you know you’re going out there against teams with two, three times the number of kids we’ve got.”

The combination of tough, eager players and that intricate double-wing offense that almost no one else around ever sees, has helped the Destroyers remain competitive, even in those lean seasons.

Lately, though, most of the players enter freshman year without prior experience in contact football. That has made an uphill battle all the steeper in this flat-as-a-pancake municipality.

“You know, most of the kids coming to us don’t know any football. You’ve got to teach them from scratch; you’ve got to line them up in stances and teach the basics,” DeNapoli said.

“But it’s what we love. Hey, you’re coaching kids. That’s a great opportunity,” he said. “People are letting you coach their kids, and it’s a great game, and I’ve always enjoyed it.

“I love the town; I love the people in the town. They’ve been so good to me. I’ll start crying just thinking of them. Just so many people and parents that I’ve come to know. I’ll miss a lot of the parents as much as I’ll miss the kids.”

DeNapoli is one of those parents, having coached his son Anthony from his 2017 freshman season to 2020. Anthony, like his dad, was a Destroyer quarterback.

It is a fraternity without a lot of throwing experience in that run-oriented double-wing offense. But they’re still plenty good at throwing their weight around at official events and impromptu skull sessions at the Dunellen Hotel.

“We’re always a lot better in those conversations than we really were,” DeNapoli said.

DeNapoli played for head coach Pio Pennisi and assistant Jeff Nelson at Dunellen, then continued his career at Kean following his 1975 graduation.

He played QB for the Squires (now Cougars) under John Allen, then transferred two years later to Trenton State (now The College of New Jersey), where he played for Eric Hamilton.

DeNapoli lost his starting position following back surgery in 1977 and wound up leaving school before earning his degree. He reenrolled at Kean in his late 30s and graduated in 1999.

“My coaches made such a huge impact on me. Coach Nolan and Coach Pennisi, they got me started, they changed my life,” DeNapoli said.

“Johnny Allen was the guy who set me straight. I was a little wild and full of myself back then, and he showed me what I needed to know. And under Coach Hamilton, I learned how to self-reflect and I grew a little more.

“I just love him,” DeNapoli said of Hamilton. “He never gave up on me. That’s a guy that could have discarded me and he never did. He always reached out, always tried to help me.

“I’m forever grateful for having men like that in my life. And that’s how I’ve tried to pattern myself and try to help kids, regardless.”

Mike Kinney can be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @MikeKinneyHS.

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