Saturday, September 29, 2007

By Jim McConville
NJS.com Staff Writer

HAWTHORNE – Having the heart, the desire, and the confidence to win is one thing. Executing between the lines and getting the job done on the field can be completely anther story. That was a hard lesson the Hawthorne football team learned last year when it held a two-touchdown, fourth-quarter lead over Lodi only to fall to a 35-32 defeat. That loss eventually proved to be the difference as the Bears fell just short of qualifying for the State tournament.

With a senior-dominated team and high hopes for the season, the Bearshad their chance to apply that lesson learned on Friday night when the two teams clashed again. This time, the Bears got it right.

Steve Hein and Jim Zenock each rushed for two touchdowns and, led by Leo Fiorilla and Owen Morrissey, the defense made sure that a late collapse was a thing of the past. Hawthorne did not allow a point over the final three quarters and its record remained unblemished after a 27-13 victory.

“This is a big game for us, but we take every game as being a big game,” said Zenock. “We didn’t need much motivation for this game after what happened last year.”

Lodi took the lead on its first drive, marching right down the field in 10 plays covering 75 yards. Andrew Romeo hooked up with Aldi Noriega and Joe Baldino for long completions on the drive, which set up Corey Paladino’s one-yard touchdown run. Andrew Yashouh connected on the PAT to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.

The Bears needed just three plays to answer as Zenock faked a handoff then raced around the outside to his left. He got around the corner and went untouched for a 32-yard touchdown.

On the ensuing drive, Romeo had the hot hand and the rocket arm to back it up. His text book play-action fake froze the defense just enough for Gary Reginald to sneak behind the secondary, Romeo’s long pass over the top hit Reginald in stride and he scored to make it 13-7.

“The fact that they scored on their first two drives really woke us up as a defense,” said Fiorilla. “We knew we were going to score points, it was up to us as a defense to stop them because we didn’t want to get into another shootout. We just had to lock them down and do our jobs out there.”

The Bears came back and started getting a push off the ball at the line of scrimmage. That was the key to their methodical 11-play, 77-yard drive that put them ahead to stay. Luke Cotugno rattled off a 35-yard run on a counter to get Hawthorne into Ram territory. On a fourth-and-goal, Hein capped the drive with a one-yard run. He tacked on another one-yard plunge later in the quarter as Hawthorne took a 21-13 lead into halftime.

Lodi had its chances to get closer in the third quarter as its first three drives reached Bears territory. Twice the Rams got in the red zone, only to come away empty each time. On the first of those series, Romeo cramped up on a third-and-goal play and was forced to come out of the game for fourth down as the Rams turned the ball over on downs.

“You can’t say that we didn’t have our chances, because we did,” said Lodi head coach Pat Tirico. “I thought our defense did a good job, especially in the second half. We were winning the field position battle, we just couldn’t cash in on our opportunities; and their defense rose to the occasion. We played hard, they were just the better football team tonight.”

Late in the fourth quarter, Hawthorne put the game on ice. Fiorilla knocked the ball out of Romeo’s hand as he tried to pass and fellow lineman Marcus Ruta dove to come up with the interception. Three plays later, Zenock scooted 19 yards and a touchdown to make it a 14-point lead.

“The third and fourth quarters were huge because we had to make a few stops,” said Hein. “I think experience is a big factor and it played a part on our success tonight. We all, especially us seniors, know that this is our last shot here. No matter who we’re playing, or what the situation is, we’re not going to let up.”

Hein led all players with 130 yards rushing on 26 carries for Hawthorne (4-0). Despite not completing a pass in the game, Zenock reached the end zone twice. Morrisey led the defense with seven tackles, including a sack.

Romeo did most of his damage in the first half for Lodi (2-2). The senior went 13-33 for 207 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Paladino finished with 100 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.

Hawthorne will look to stay on the path towards a possible league title and qualifying for the states with a big game against Saddle Brook in a battle of unbeatens. Meanwhile, Lodi will have to beat rival Glen Rock and Group 4 Barringer to keep its hopes of a state tournament berth alive.

“We knew that if we worked hard and we executed, that the result would fall our way,” said Hawthorne head coach John Passero. “The defense really came up big tonight. We held a pretty good Lodi team without a point for three quarters and that says something about our defense. Ever since the season-opener, I’ve preached about taking everything one game at a time. Next we have Saddle Brook, which isn’t a league game, but it’s big for power points because of their record. This a great win for these guys after how we lost to them last year, but now we have to turn the page and get ready for next week.”

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