By Tom Szieber
Posted: Monday, December 8, 2014 12:45 pm
Check out more of Mark Wyville's outstanding photos of St. Peter's Prep Athletics.
Another high school football season has come and gone, but there is no doubt 2014 went out with a bang. Finals weekends gave us some memorable performances and exciting moments that are sure to be talked about for a long time.
Take, for example, the outing by freshman quarterback George Pearson of Matawan. The ninth-grade signal-caller threw for 198 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Huskies to a 27-7 victory over Carteret in the Central, Group 3 final. The Ramblers led, 7-6, early in the second thanks to an 18-yard scoring sprint by running back Ra’Keem Bennett, but Pearson took the game into his hands, hitting Justin Ferrara for a score later in the period to allow Matawan to reclaim a one-point edge. He and Shawn Ramcheran then hooked up twice in the fourth to ice the victory. There’s no doubt the Huskies will be a team to watch out for as long as Pearson is under center.
The combination of Verona quarterback Frank Ferrari and the Hillbillies offensive line put together a dominant offensive performance that proved to be too much for Cresskill in North 1, Group 1. Ferrari rushed for 130 yards (not to mention two touchdowns), while the Hillbillies as a whole ground out 219. Verona’s run blocking was so effective that Ferrari needed attempt only four passes, as his team beat the Cougars, 20-0.
St. Peter’s Prep proved that there are truly three equal phases to the game of football, as a special teams play served as the catalyst to its 34-18 win over Paramus Catholic in Non-Public, Group 4. Wide receiver Kolton Huber blocked a PC punt attempt and took it 43 yards to the house just a minute before the half, which changed the momentum of a tight, 7-6 game. The Marauders went up by eight and never really looked back, as star quarterback Brandon Wimbush threw two touchdowns and ran for another in the Hudson County power’s first title triumph in nine years.
Shore could be a threat to do it all over next year with running back Doug Goldsmith returning to bolster a Blue Devils team that was just a cut above South Hunterdon in Central, Group 1. Goldsmith’s touchdown and 146 yards on 28 carries was the work of a true workhorse, and led the way to a 42-12 romp. Shore’s defense was stellar, as well, limiting Eagles quarterback Tyler Frazee to just 79 yards from scrimmage—no easy task.
Speaking of defense, Westwood and Waldwick gave a lesson in how to play it. The North 1, Group 2 final was the state’s only matchup of two 11-win, undefeated squads, and both showed they had the stuff of champions. For Waldwick, it was impressive that they were able to force five turnovers of a generally-mistake-free Cardinals squad, but they couldn’t break through offensively. Westwood was stingy, limiting Waldwick—who had scored less than 30 points in just three games all year—in the red zone, and pulled out a gritty 21-7 win for their second straight crown.
Like Westwood, Manalapan used an old-school approach in Central, Group 5 to defeat South Brunswick, 21-7, exorcising the demons of three consecutive finals losses to win a program-first championship. Imamu Mayfield and Ben Sieczkowski had each converted one-yard scores for the Braves, but with a 14-7 lead, the Manalapan “D” was in danger of letting South Brunswick back into its red zone late in the fourth quarter. But defensive back Dan Debner’s interception at the Braves’ five let the wind out of the Vikings' sails, and Dan Anerella and Kyle Mullen hooked up for the game-clincher with just under three minutes to play.
Paulsboro knew the rain would be a factor in its matchup with Salem, but the Red Raiders proved they have more than one means by which to dominate a game. Riding running back De’Shaun Burgess, they parlayed a 188-yard rushing performance to a 21-0 victory in the South, Group 1 final. Defensively, Paulsboro picked up four takeaways and prevented the Rams from ever truly threatening.
River Dell made Sparta work a bit harder this year than it did last in the North 1, Group 3 championship game, but Sparta used its regular formula to win the title, 31-23: a heaping dose of running back Lucas Faria. The senior, who has struggled with injuries, seemed perfectly healthy as he exploded for 239 rushing yards and three scores to push the Spartans to a second straight title. River Dell kept the game close throughout, but simply could not contain the lethal Faria.
Shabazz finally earned itself a sectional championship, an honor they secured with a 14-6 victory over Dunellen in North 2, Group 1. Quarterback Zaire Fogel rushed for a score and threw for another, but the game remained close into the final minute, with the Destroyers taking possession with :27 on the clock. But the Shabazz “D” managed to prevent the game-tying score, despite Dunellen making it as far as the Bulldogs 29-yard line.
Phillipsburg nearly let one slip away, surrendering a 21-6 lead and allowing Colonia to force overtime in the North 2, Group 4 final. The Stateliners kept cool, though, refusing to waste a 173-yard, two-touchdown day from running back Joe Maso. They put together a quick and efficient drive, with quarterback Anthony Guarino picking up two first downs and then the game-sealing score to win it, 28-21. The one-yard touchdown was Guarino’s second of the day.
Like Maso, Pascack Valley running back Jorge Cortes churned out 173 yards on the ground, leading the Indians to a 22-6 win over Paramus in North 1, Group 4. Cortes scored two touchdowns for PV, who got a rushing boost from Cortes’ partner in crime, Rocco Swatek, who tallied 85 yards and hit pay dirt once himself. The championship is PV’s sixth ever, and second in a row.
A Delsea dynasty was officially born over the weekend, as the Crusaders won a high-scoring overtime battle against Allentown, 42-35, to take home their third consecutive South, Group 3 championship. Somewhat symbolically, perhaps, senior running back Isaiah Spencer scored the first two touchdowns of the game for Delsea (from 34 yards out in the first, and 25 in the second), before handing off the scoring load to sophomore Rashaad Washington. Washington broke a 44-yard touchdown run in the third to put Delsea ahead 28-14, and provided the game-winning 10-yard burst in overtime. The continuity in the Crusaders’ backfield made a big difference in the final, and could continue to be a reason why ground-and-pound Delsea remains a force in the next several years.
DePaul running back Kareem Walker broke a 57-yard score on the first play of the Non-Public, Group 2 title game and never looked back. The Spartans routed another set of Spartans, those from Holy Spirit, 42-0, in a game that was never really a game to begin with. DePaul’s dominance showed all game, and its big-play potential was evident as Walker, quarterback Ryan Adzima and wide receiver Hasise Dubois were simply too much for Spirit. DePaul’s three playoff opponents (Gloucester Catholic, Immaculata and Holy Spirit) finished 2014 with a combined record of 8-25.
As dominant as DePaul was, St. Joseph (Hamm.) may have had the most imposing win of championship weekend, crushing St. Anthony, 55-0, in Non-Public, Group 1. It was nothing fancy for the Wildcats, as they simply imposed themselves on the Friars, scoring on each of their first seven drives. Quarterback Salaam Horne threw two touchdowns (to C.J. LaFragola and Ricardo Quirindongo), while LaFragola and A’Laam Horne each rushed for two.
Jackson and Middletown South’s Central, Group 4 meeting was a thriller that came down to a late gamble by the Eagles. Following a Jaguars penalty that gave South a game-tying field goal opportunity from the Jackson 17, the Eagles gambled, going for the win with a fake field goal pass. Holder Nolan Peerless attempted to hit running back Dylan Rogers for the win. The pass fell short, though, with Jackson linebacker Cole Collins protecting the Jags’ end zone. The stop ensured a 21-18 Jackson win.
Of all the weekend’s heroes, Rumson-Fair Haven running back Charlie Volker may have been the biggest demonstrator of perseverance. The senior star runner overcame a lingering ankle injury to star for the Bulldogs in the Central, Group 2 championship, piling up 161 yards and a touchdown. It was business as usual in Rumson’s 21-0 win over Delaware Valley: just a strong rushing performance and stymieing defensive effort that limited the Terriers’ single-wing offense from ever getting anything going.
Cherokee and Rancocas Valley were tied at 10 at the half of their South, Group 5 title game, but the tandem of quarterback Evan Powell and running back Marc Woodard pushed the Chiefs ahead, as they scored 20 unanswered to win the crown, 30-10. Powell, in particular, torched RV on the ground, piling up 166 yards.
Just as he has done all year long, Montclair quarterback Elijah Robinson made play after play for the Mounties, leading them to a 26-14 win over Passaic County Tech in the North 1, Group 5 final. Robinson rushed 39 times for 237 yards and two touchdowns, and receiver Alfred Lumpkin returned a kick 86 yards to the house in the victory. It was the third straight sectional championship for the Mounties.
The Mountain Lakes Wing-T led the way to yet another championship for the Herd, who ground out a 36-28 victory over Lincoln in the North 2, Group 2 final. The star was quarterback Brad Smith, who rushed for three touchdowns, flanked by running backs Bobby Frawley and Brad Landry, who each scored one.
Cranford’s playmakers kept them coming back, but Parsippany Hills ultimately held off the Cougars to win the North 2, Group 3 title, 20-13. Freshman quarterback Nick Verducci got the Vikings on the board first in the second quarter on a one-yard sneak, but Cranford star running back Luke Christiano broke a 72-yard run on the Cougars’ first play from scrimmage to tie the game. Midway through the third, Verducci found wide receiver Andrew Barlotta for a one-yard TD pass, but again Cranford retaliated, scoring on a 91-yard run by quarterback Jack Schetelich. Running back Angelo Gallego ended up scoring the game-winning touchdown from 12 yards out with nine-and-a-half minutes to play, and the Vikings held off the Cougars in the game’s final seconds to win.
It isn’t the fact that Haddonfield won the South, Group 2 title that is shocking, but the fact that the Bulldawgs won in such a dominant fashion—27-0 over West Deptford. The victory gave Haddonfield its second sectional title in a row, and was engineered by a Bulldawg backfield that combined for 246 yards. Mike DeFeo rushed for 143 of them, while Jake Klaus rushed for 103 and a touchdown. Quarterback Mike Alberto rushed for two touchdowns, and threw a third to tight end Ty Klaus.
It was a new finals meeting, but the same result for Shawnee and Timber Creek in South, Group 4. As was the case in 2013, the Renegades defeated the Chargers for the title, this time by a score of 28-7, largely due to running back Jake Parola, who ran the rock 37 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns. The game was a tight 7-0 affair at halftime, but Parola blew up in the second half to push Shawnee to another sectional championship victory.
For the first time in 38 years, Red Bank Catholic earned the right to call itself champion with a 45-20 win over Delbarton in Non-Public, Group 3. It was a hard-fought affair that required efficiency for whoever was to emerge the winner, and RBC quarterback Eddie Hahn delivered, going 9-of-10 (including a perfect 6-of-6 in the second half) for 219 yards and one touchdown.
And Juwan Dolbrice may have been the weekend’s most clutch performer, making two big-time plays in the biggest of moments to lead Linden past rival Elizabeth for the North 2, Group 5 title, 27-20. First, after the Minutemen knotted the game at 20, Dolbrice took the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown, deflating Elizabeth’s newfound momentum with under three minutes to play. Then, with Elizabeth driving, the cornerback (who also threw two touchdowns) picked off a pass (his second INT of the day) in the Tigers’ end zone to kill a drive that had gotten the Minutemen within 15 yards of the game-tying score.
So, with another championship weekend in the books, the countdown is officially on to 2015. The thirst for more high school football will be here before you know it, but for now, at least we’ll be held over by a slate of title games that was nothing short of remarkable.
Tom Szieber can be reached by emailing tom@gridironnewjersey.com