As an unheralded player on a Piscataway High School football team loaded with stars, Joey Bellamy does not frequently get a chance to shine, but made the most of a recent opportunity.
Bellamy returned two punts for touchdowns and caught a scoring strike in a 46-6 victory over Perth Amboy last weekend.
For his efforts, Bellamy was voted MyCentralJersey.com’s Week 5 Greater Middlesex Conference Football Player of the Week, garnering 9,109 (or 59.8 percent) of the total 15,237 votes cast on an 11-player ballot.
Piscataway head coach Dan Higgins couldn’t be happier for Bellamy, a consummate team player who does everything the staff asks in season and out of season.
“Joey is one of those guys that flies under the radar but is the heart and soul of a team,” Higgins said of his 5-foot-9 slot and return specialist. “These are the guys that are difference-makers in great seasons. They don’t need the limelight. They do whatever the team needs. He’s one of those guys that fills a role and never complains."
Bellamy often plays the role of the opposing team’s premier receiver on Piscataway’s scout team as the Chiefs prepare for opponents.
“He’s so selfless,” Higgins said. “He not in it for himself. He’s there for the team. He’s a product of hard work. When a kid commits to trying to be the best he can be for whatever talents he’s been given – maximizing his ability – that’s what we’re trying to get every kid to do.”
Bellamy ran track and did not miss a single weight room session during the offseason. Higgins said Bellamy “has solid grades” and “never gets in trouble,” adding that he’s “the first one in the locker room every day and always has a smile on his face.” Higgins called Bellamy “a pleasure to coach.”
Against Perth Amboy, Bellamy became the first Chief since Tyrell Bush (Sept. 12, 2014) to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game. Bush ran back consecutive punts 50 and 70 yards in the second quarter of a 48-0 win over East Brunswick. Bellamy returned punts for 38 and 64 yards in the second quarter, helping the Chiefs amass 188 return yards on the night.
“He’s a real sure-handed punt returner,” Higgins said, noting Bellamy is a North-South runner who reads blocks well and always looks to gain positive yardage. “It’s nice to see he had an opportunity to take it the distance. We’ve been playing really unselfish as far as kids blocking for one another and doing a good job on the perimeter. He read those punt returns perfectly and the blocking was good. It was a perfect storm on both (returns).”
Bellamy also caught an 18-yard touchdown pass, making a nice adjustment on the ball after making a nifty move on what looked like a fake jailbreak screen on which a defensive back jumped the short route.
“He’s so hungry to make plays,” Higgins said. “He doesn’t see the ball much, so when these (unheralded) guys get a chance, they’re not letting it go by.”
Higgins said Bellamy, who weighs 170 pounds, is a “glue ingredient” to the solid chemistry of a Piscataway team USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey ranks ninth in the state.
“We all give him so much respect because he such a hard worker and how unselfish he is,” Higgins said. “Guys like him are worth their weight in gold.”
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