Saturday,
September 14, 2013
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Hasbrouck Heights quarterback Darren Iurato led his team to touchdowns on its first five possessions as the Aviators cruised to a 38-7 victory in their season opener at Glen Rock. |
GLEN ROCK – In the 2012 season, Hasbrouck Heights technically exceeded expectations. As the No. 5 seed in the North 1, Group 1 state tournament, the Aviators upset Butler in the first-round before giving top-seeded Cedar Grove everything it could handle. But it would have been hard to make that case to the Heights players when they walked off the field for the last time last season as they had just given up a game-winning 65-yard touchdown pass with 90 seconds to play.
The upset of Cedar Grove was right there for the taking, but falling just short is something that has fueled the Hasbrouck Heights’ seniors, especially quarterback Darren Iurato.
Although the Aviators lost plenty of talent, a pair of transfers (PJ Beety and Mike Incremona) from Wood-Ridge have given Iurato some extra weapons to work with this season. In Friday’s season-opener against Glen Rock, Iurato utilized those weapons effectively in what the Aviators hope to be the beginning of a journey that will last into December.
Beety and Incremona each found the end zone twice and Iurato threw for a touchdown and ran for another as Hasbrouck Heights cruised to a 32-point halftime lead and a 38-7 victory over the Panthers on Friday at Glen Rock High School.
“I thought we came ready to play and our offensive line had a great game right from the first drive,” said Hasbrouck Heights head coach Nick Delcalzo. “With our O-line and the shifty backs we have, we become a dangerous team when everyone is doing their job. Defensively, we were just as solid. We bent but didn’t break on the first drive before we started to control the line of scrimmage, which helped us gain control of the tempo of the game.”
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Brady Miller led Glen Rock on its lone touchdown drive. |
Hasbrouck Heights received the opening kickoff and promptly went 76 yards on nine plays, all of them on the ground. Blocks from Forde Dimitri and Robert Klenk opened up a huge hole that Beety ran through along the right side of the line and stiff-armed a defender on his way to a 14-yard TD run and a 7-0 lead.
“Our line is great and it makes our job a lot easier,” said Beety. “We trust the guys up front that they’re going to open the holes and our job is to follow their lead all the way to the end zone.”
Glen Rock looked to answer as Jeff Kopyta hit Tommy Pulzello for a 29-yard completion on the Panthers’ first offensive play of the season. But that play would be by far their biggest of the game and the drive eventually stalled at the Aviators’ 23-yard line.
Iurato showed he could both throw and run effectively on the second drive as he moved the Aviators methodically down the field. He converted a pair of third-down conversions, including a 14-yard scamper for a touchdown. Patrick Dowd converted the PAT attempt to make it 14-0 with 23 seconds to play in the first quarter.
Even the special teams got involved for Hasbrouck Heights as Klenk blocked a punt to give Iurato great field position at the Glen Rock 30. He needed just one play to make them pay for it by hitting Beety on a crossing route for TD pass and a 20-0 lead.
Incremona and Steven Salerno both plunged over from a yard out to cap about as good of a first half as a team could play in its first game of the season. Five touchdowns on their first possessions as the Aviators had the game in hand by halftime with a 32-0 lead.
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Heights' Mike Incremona scored twice and had 141 yards rushing. |
Iurato had a fantastic game overall for Hasbrouck Heights (1-0). He completed 7-of-9 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown with 91 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. Incremona added 13 carries for 141 yards and two scores.
Brady Miller directed Glen Rock (0-1) on its only scoring drive and finished it off with a two-yard quarterback sneak early in the fourth quarter to break up the shutout bid.
Even though the memory of losing to Cedar Grove in the North 1, Group 1 semis last year still stings, it is now well in the rear-view mirror. This is a new season, but the goal is still the same.
“We want to be section champs, it’s what we’re working towards every day,” said Iurato. “I remember everything about that Cedar Grove game and if we had one more minute, I think we would have won it. But that’s in the past now. Our only focus is to get better every day and get to MetLife Stadium with a chance to win it all. We wanted to send a message from the first game that we’re going to be a tough team to beat and we did that today.”
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