Santiago runs, Molloy kicks lead way
By: Rudy Brandl
FLEMINGTON – The Hillsborough High football team knew it couldn’t afford to start the 2000 campaign at 0-2.
Having fallen victim to a fourth quarter rally in their home opener vs. Bergen Catholic the week before, the Raiders found themselves in another tight ballgame at Hunterdon Central last Friday night. This time, Hillsborough found a way to win, capturing a tough 27-18 victory in its Delaware Division opener at Stewart Field.
The Raiders were clinging to a 20-18 lead for the entire second half before senior running back Caliph Santiago iced the game with a 31-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes. Santiago led the Raiders with a career-high 135 yards on 16 carries.
"I started to get a little excited seeing that we could finally put Central away and be 1-1," said Santiago, who also scored on a 15-yard run in the first quarter. "I thought I was going down for a second, but I kept going."
Santiago’s clinching run allowed HHS head coach Rick Mantz to breathe a little easier for the final 1:45 of the contest. His club had made some key mistakes throughout the game, yet he praised his young troops for learning how to win under some tough circumstances. The Raiders were banged up on both sides of the ball and played without two-way lineman Jeff Kelly (neck).
"I knew Hunterdon Central was a good football team," Mantz said. "They’re going through some growing pains like we are. We’ve got some guys in spots who are new to this."
The Raiders played like a young football team after storming to a 17-6 lead in the first period. Instead of putting away the Red Devils, HHS let the home team move the ball up and down the field in the second quarter. Central actually led 18-17 before the Raiders scored again.
"We came out on fire in the first quarter, but we were flat in the second quarter," said HHS junior kicker Kris Molloy, who booted two field goals and hit three extra points in the victory. "We just had to come back and show more heart in the second half."
Neither team sustained any offense in the second half until the Raiders started to eat the clock in the fourth quarter. Hillsborough ran 13 plays in 5:30 to move from its own 33 to the Central 24 before quarterback Steve Simborski was sacked on fourth down.
"We really needed that," Mantz said. "We really felt we could move the football a little more, but their defense was tough."
After a sloppy first half, Hillsborough’s defense asserted itself in the second half. Central fans will certainly miss All-State back Melvin Hubbert, but sophomore Rob Toresco looked like the former Red Devil star with 24 carries for 143 yards and three scores.
However, the Raider defense held Toresco to 10 yards in the second half. The Raiders also picked off two Devon Smith passes in the fourth quarter.
"We had to really put our heads down and be more focused," Mantz said. "The kids really settled down in the second half and did a nice job."
Danny Phillips intercepted Smith at the Central 45 with 4:43 to play, just three plays after the home team looked to build momentum by sacking Simborski.
Santiago went back to work, carrying for six yards to set up a fourth-and-one situation. Junior fullback Steve Hess moved the chains with a tough two-yard run and Santiago scored his second touchdown two plays later.
Molloy was the primary reason the Raiders enjoyed the lead throughout the second half. He hit a 25-yard field goal with 2:59 left in the first quarter, when it appeared that the Raiders might have an easy night.
After Toresco and the Red Devils went wild in the second quarter, Molloy answered with another field goal. The scoring drive was a showcase for senior wide receiver Scott Robinson, who caught passes from Simborski on three consecutive plays.
Robinson’s 32-yard grab deep down the right sideline set up the Raiders at the Central 12. Molloy connected from 29 yards out just before the intermission to give the Raiders a 20-18 lead.
"This year, I really don’t think about it that much," said Molloy, who struggled with his place-kicking last season. "I just go up and do it. Last year, I was a lot more nervous because I was a sophomore coming in. This year, I’m much more confident. I just know what I have to do."
The Raiders flashed some big play ability in the first quarter. Simborski hit Phillips on a quick slant that turned into a 45-yard touchdown play. Molloy’s kick made it 7-0 less than four minutes into the game.
After Central answered with a 15-yard touchdown run by Toresco, HHS came right back with Molloy’s first field goal. The Red Devils then botched the first of two snaps on punts that gave the Raiders possession at the 15. Santiago scored on the next play for a 17-6 lead, but that cushion certainly wasn’t safe.
"We gave them a couple big seams and their quarterback is an athlete," Mantz said. "They can make plays and they’ll score points."
The Raiders made the necessary defensive adjustments at the half, and blanked the Red Devils in the third and fourth quarters.
Defensive highlights included a fumble recovery by Greg Hawzen, a fourth down stop by Shane Newell and Matt Campbell, a tackle for a 10-yard loss by Santiago, a third down draw read and tackle by Tim Pultorak and a game-clinching interception by linebacker Don Short.
"We knew we had to be 1-1 before we could think about getting in the playoffs," Molloy said. "We had to win this game."