August 30, 2010
UC's Matias sidelined
Josue Matias was considered by many to be the state's premier Offensive tackle.
By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director
UNION CITY –The 2010 season for one of the state’s brightest stars may be over before it even begins.
Union City left tackle Josue Matias, considered by many to be the state’s best offensive linemen may not play this season due to an injury to his right patella tendon in the team’s first scrimmage last week.
“I was disappointed for (Josue) because it couldn’t have happened to a better kid,” head coach Wilbur Valdez said. “He worked hard, he’s a ‘yes sir’ kind of kid who hustles his butt off and to know that his senior year is cut short by such an injury is really disheartening.”
Matias suffered the injury on just the third play of the team’s first scrimmage on Tuesday morning. According to the Soaring Eagles coaching staff it was a non-contact injury.
A HCV All-County selection, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Matias had emerged as one of the country’s top offensive line prospects this offseason. Matias was ranked as the state’s No. 6 prospect in the Class of 2011 by NJ Varsity.com. Rivals had ranked him as the country’s 23rd best offensive tackle prospect and the No. 207 on their list of top 250 senior prospects.
Rated a four-star prospect by Rivals, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, Rutgers and Maryland are among the more than 20 schools to have offered Matias a football scholarship.
Despite the injury, Valdez is sure that Matias will receive a scholarship from a top-level school this winter.