Sunday, December 9, 2012

NJSIAA North 1, Group 1 final
Pompton puts itself in elite company with second straight state title

Pompton Lakes' senior Jose Arroyo.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

EAST RUTHERFORD – Now that the hard work of a football season is done, debate season can now commence in Pompton Lakes. By virtue of its 28-13 win over Cedar Grove on Saturday at MetLife Stadium, the Cardinals (12-0) capped off their perfect season by winning a second straight North 1, Group 1 State sectional title. So is this team the best in school history? Head coach Scott Mahoney has been in town long enough to know that that certainly is a strong possibility. “There was an undefeated team in 1982. I was a little 11-year old kid running run watching that team just like you see the kids doing here tonight and I thought that was the best team I ever saw,” said Mahoney. “But we have a lot of talking to do now with this team doing what it just did. We have one more win. We are the only team in school history with 12 wins.” It's not only what this current group of Cardinals have done, but how they have done it. Last week is was a last-play-of-the-game Hail Mary that eliminated Saddle Brook in the semifinals and on Saturday, Pompton Lakes entered the fourth quarter trailing by a 13-7 score before clamping down on defense and blowing by a Cedar Grove team that was a defending state champion itself having won last year in North 2, Group 1. MORE...

MORE FOOTBALL COVERAGE!
• Pal Park/Leonia's improbable run ends in section final

NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 final
Shaley steps up, Peppers stars to give PC first title since 1997

Paramus Catholic's Steve Shanley.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD – Paramus Catholic quarterback Steve Shanley heard the whispers all season but had to block them out. He heard that Paramus Catholic was never going to be on the same level as rivals Don Bosco and Bergen Catholic. He heard that he was never going to be the guy under center to lead the Paladins to the Promised Land. But the junior never lost faith in himself and his teammates never lost faith in their signal caller. And when an opportunity of a lifetime fell into his lap, Shanley was ready. That opportunity came on Friday night when, on two separate occasions, the Paladins trailed in the fourth quarter of the Non-Public Group 4 final against Bergen Catholic. After not even entering the game until late in the second quarter, Shanley’s confidence never waivered. Shanley hit Tyrone Washington in stride up the left sideline for a 55-yard touchdown with 1:15 to play and the defense held on at the end as Paramus Catholic emerged victorious in one of the wildest state tournament games in recent memory to earn the school’s first state championship since 1997 with a 37-34 win over Bergen Catholic at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. MORE...

NJISAA North 1, Group 1 semifinals
Foote lives the dream; Pompton Lakes wins on 'Hail Mary'

Pompton Lakes' Danny Foote.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

SADDLE BROOK – Whether tossing the football around the backyard or going to a local school to play a pick-up game with friends, every single football player has had the dream, the one where the ball ends up in your hands in the end zone as time expires. The game-winning catch against all odds is the one that every kid has thought about, but few ever get a chance to truly experience that moment. Pompton Lakes’ Danny Foote is now amongst the privileged few. As the prospect of overtime loomed against rival Saddle Brook with the score tied and just two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Foote got the chance he has been waiting for his entire life. As he fell to the ground with the ball in his hands, Foote not only realized that his catch had just won the game and kept his senior season going, but he will now be forever linked with the single greatest play in the single greatest game in the history of Pompton Lakes football. With two seconds left, quarterback Robbie Meyers heaved a 'Hail Mary' up the left side and into the end zone. MORE...

Saturday, December 1, 2012

NJSIAA North 1, Group 2 semifinals
New Milford runs by Hawthorne and into section final

New Milford's Dante Tobler.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

NEW MILFORD – Dante Tobler simply could not watch any longer. A toe injury had forced the New Milford standout tailback to the sidelines late in the third quarter and he could only sit and watch as Hawthorne drove down the field to cut the Knights’ seemingly comfortable lead to just a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. After New Milford barely recovering the ensuing onsides kick, Tobler had seen enough. With a trip to the North 1, Group 2 state sectional final on the line, Tobler got off the bench and got the Knights move back toward the direction of MetLif Stadium. The senior workhorse carried the ball seven times on the crucial drive, including a four-yard touchdown run. He then put the icing on the cake minutes later by breaking off an 89-yard jaunt as top-seeded New Milford earned a spot in a section final for the first time since 2007 with a 35-14 triumph over fourth-seeded Hawthorne in the North 1, Group 2 semifinals on Friday night at Dumont High School. “What can you say about Dante? He’s awesome and our line was great tonight,” said New Milford quarterback Connor Swanson. “This was such a big ‘W’ for us. We’ve been working hard all year for this. Even though Hawthorne came back, we kept our heads up and played hard just as we have the entire season.” MORE...

MORE FOOTBALL COVERAGE!
• Pal Park/Leonia back from the brink; back in section final

Pompton Lakes manhandles New Milford

Pompton Lakes' Bobby Shaw.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

POMPTON LAKES – Within size parameters for measuring football teams, Pompton Lakes has been the most dominant team in North Jersey and its wide variety of experienced skill players on both sides of the ball is a major reason why. But any football coach knows it all starts up front and no Group 1 team in the state possesses a more powerful, more cohesive offensive line that the Cardinals. Coming into a showdown against undefeated New Milford, the strength on the line became evident in a hurry as the Cardinals broke two long plays to take control of the game and the big guys up front took care of the rest. After snuffing out a fourth-down attempt, quarterback Robbie Meyers went up top to Drew Rayford for a 71-yard pass on the very next play. The Cardinals then got the ball back and Dane Torres busted through a huge hole up the middle and raced for a 73-yard score to set the tone. Overall, Pompton Lakes’ O-Line was dominant all game long as the offense rung up 497 of offense and the Cardinals cruised to a 48-14 triumph over New Milford at Hershfield Park in Pompton Lakes. MORE...

St. Peter's Prep is still Hudson County's top dog by far

St. Peter's Jonathan Hilliman.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

JERSEY CITY – Several factors were going against St. Peter’s Prep coming into its most crucial stretch of the season. First, there was the lack of a competitive game with three lopsided games and a forfeit among the four wins it had posted to date and that was followed by a lousy week of practice. Mix in the burden of a 100-game winning streak against Hudson County foes and possibly looking ahead to a showdown with St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) next week and the Marauders could have been ripe for an upset against Hudson County’s No. 2 ranked squad, Union City. Just 17 seconds into the game, all that was out the window. The Marauders, led by tailback Jonathan Hilliman and wide receiver Charlie Callinan, showed no signs of slowing down and made one last statement before the highly anticipated game against St. Joe’s. Hilliman ran through a gaping hole on the first play from scrimmage that went for a 68-yard touchdown. Before the game was eight minutes old, Callinan hauled in two TD catches and the Marauders were in complete control. MORE...

MORE FOOTBALL COVERAGE!
• Duran does it all as River Dell edges Ridgefield Park

Old Tappan eventually pulls away from Tenafly

Old Tappan junior Zack AlSharif.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

TENAFLY – Every time it seemed like the Northern Valley/Old Tappan football team seemed to be pulling away, for the first 25 minutes of the game at least, Tenafly would reel it right back in. Old Tappan scored first, Tenafly answered with a touchdown of its own. Old Tappan added a touchdown and a two-point conversion...right-back-atcha as Tenafly did the same and tied the game heading into halftime. Even after John Trainor returned the opening kickoff of the second half 66 yards to get Old Tappan to within 14 yards of yet another another go-ahead score, Tenafly responded with a defensive stop on fourth down to keep itself right in the game. Old Tappan had to find a way to shake free so instead of relying on offensive fireworks, it turned to its steady defense to finally provide some breathing room. Two interceptions, one by junior safety Zack AlSharif and one off a screen pass by senior defensive end Benjamin Davis, led to two touchdowns and Tenafly gave another away when a snap sailed over its punter's head and into the endzone. Old Tappan scored 25 points in the third quarter and coasted from there in a 42-15 victory on Saturday afternoon. MORE...

MORE FOOTBALL COVERAGE!
• Wayne Valley gets the message; relays it at Passaic Valley

Lesson learned, Pascack Valley bottles up Bergenfield

Pascack Valley's Chris Garcia.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

BERGENFIELD – Last season, Bergenfield’s Will Rodriguez vaulted himself into the conversation as one of North Jersey’s elite tailbacks, enough so that Pascack Valley head coach Craig Nielsen drilled into his players’ heads all week about how dangerous Rodriguez can be. The constant reminders made the PV players want to get out on the field and see for themselves just how good Rodriguez is this season and they learned quickly as he busted two long runs and scored early to give Bergenfield the lead. In a season where the Indians’ defense has yet to be tested, the Bears’ opening drive was a direct punch in the mouth; and one that the Indians apparently needed to kick their physical style of play back into high gear. After giving up 52 yards to Rodriguez on the opening drive, they held him to 49 yards the rest of the way and the offense and special teams took care of the rest. Pascack Valley converted its first seven third-down situations and Mike Manente blocked a punt late in the first half and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown as the Indians scored 35 unanswered points in a 35-7 victory at Bergenfield High School. MORE...

Hudson Catholic tops Bergen Tech to continue quick start

Hudson Catholic's Champ Smith.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

JERSEY CITY – When Lou Zampella took the head coaching job at his alma mater, Hudson Catholic, on August 1st he knew he was in for a big challenge. The Hawks had won just eight games in the previous three seasons under three different head coaches. To rebuild a program, Zampella had to change the entire culture and that started with discipline and conditioning. His expectations were to merely improve on last year’s record and make progress down the road toward being a perennial contender for league and state titles. But with senior Champ Smith, what was intended to be a steep learning curve has been less than uphill in the past two weeks. After a opening week blowout win over Newark Academy, the Hawks started fast and finished strong against Bergen Tech with Smith leading the charge. MORE...

With high hopes, Weehawken puts up big numbers

Weehawken's Dante Cieri.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

WEEHAWKEN – Weehawken opened some eyes last year by scoring in bunches and finishing with a .500 record after nearly a decade of futility. One player that came out of nowhere was running back Damian Corredor who finished with over 1,600 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. With Corredor now the focus of opposing defenses, someone had to step up and become a consistent complement to take some of the load off of Corredor’s shoulders. The Indians seemed to have found just that and then some in fellow senior Dante Cieri. Cieri did it all with 171 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns to go along with eight tackles and two sacks on defense as a lightning delay did little to slow down Weehawken, which cruised to a 47-7 opening-night win over Ridgefield at Louis Ferullo Stadium in Weehawken. “I know this is a year where everyone on our team had to step up because we know the potential we have,” said Cieri. “Every practice and every play in every game is an important one. Other defenses focus on Damian and they should. Damian just being on the field makes me better because I get a lot of one-on-one coverage and that’s when I really want the ball.” MORE...