HHS football team looks to break skid at Watchung Hills
By: Rudy Brandl
What’s up with the Hillsborough High football team?
People have been asking me that question since they know I’ve been covering the Raiders for years. I don’t consider myself a football expert, but I’ve got a few ideas.
Rick Mantz has built a magnificent football program at Hillsborough High. The team is competitive every year, qualifies for the state playoffs on a regular basis and gains recognition on the state level. Hillsborough also has several players competing on the college level.
This year’s 0-3 start is shocking to many, not just Mantz and his staff and players. The Raiders are the defending Central Jersey Group 4 champions. They were supposed to be in the hunt for another crown this season. Mantz never dreamed they’d lose three games, let alone three straight to start the season.
Can the Raiders still salvage something from the 2001 campaign? Do they still have an outside shot at the state playoffs?
"We’re going to battle like hell and find out," Mantz said. "We’ve never been 0-3 before, so this is new territory."
Losing games against respected, successful programs like Bergen Catholic, Hunterdon Central and Franklin might not seem like a sign of disaster, but a high-quality program like Hillsborough is not satisfied with mediocrity. The Raiders are never just happy to be there. They want to win every game.
So, why aren’t they winning this year?
1. Little big men. All three games have been dominated by an opposing player not big in stature but huge in performance.
Bergen Catholic’s Joe Sandberg (5-11, 185), Hunterdon Central’s Rob Toresco (6-0, 195) and Franklin’s Mike Yackanin (5-10, 165) ran through the Raiders and did most of the damage. Sandberg rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns, Toresco ran for 190 and scored twice and Yackanin did just about everything Friday night. The Franklin quarterback ran for the game’s first touchdown, kicked a field goal, made the game-winning 57-yard TD pass and intercepted a pass to seal the victory.
The Raiders must do a better job neutralizing their opponent’s offensive weapons. They didn’t let Franklin’s Sal Davis go wild, but just about every other dangerous offensive player has enjoyed a big day.
2. Not enough big plays. Prior to Friday night, the Raiders only produced one play over 25 yards in the first two games. They added two big gainers against Franklin.
Steve Hess has run for 55 and 94 yards and Dan Phillips has a 51-yarder to his credit. Hillsborough’s biggest pass play is a 23-yard hookup from Colin Bruno to Phillips.
3. Not enough possession. If you’re not going to make plays, you can still win by controlling the ball. The Raiders haven’t done that, either.
The inexperienced line hasn’t opened the gaping holes Raider backs have grown accustomed to firing through the past few years. The Raiders don’t have any drives with more than nine plays. They only have one drive with three first downs and four more with two. Other than that, the Raiders haven’t been moving the chains.
4. Too many mistakes. The Raiders have committed eight turnovers in the first three games, including several at key times. All three Franklin scores in Friday night’s game were set up by turnovers. Hillsborough is a minus-4 in the takeaway department so far.
The blown coverage on Friday night’s game-winning play was the most glaring error this year, not to mention the most costly. The Raiders got mixed up in the defensive backfield and Franklin made them pay.
5. Loss of leadership. It’s difficult to replace guys like Matt Campbell, Nick Boyle, Jeff Kelly, Billy Amerman and Don Short, to name a few of last year’s key senior players. Campbell was a presence in the secondary and on special teams, while Boyle, Kelly, Amerman and Short provided a high level of intensity on both sides of the ball. Nobody has stepped up to that level of leadership yet this year. Although the Raiders are big up front, they haven’t been as nasty as last year’s crew.
6. No real deep threat. When a guy like Scott Robinson lines up outside, defenses have to respect the passing game. Robinson didn’t have huge numbers last year, but the opposition knew he could score on any play from any spot on the field if the Raiders threw his way.
This year, with no proven wide receivers, opposing defenses can load up the front line even more to take away Hillsborough’s running game.
7. Bad breaks and injuries. After serving a one-game suspension, Phillips hasn’t been completely healthy in the past two games. Phillips hasn’t punted because of a sore knee, which has obviously affected his running ability. He’s only carried the ball 15 times so far.
Phillips sustained a laceration above his eye Friday night and missed much of the first half. Bruno has also been hobbled by some bumps and bruises that have limited his role in the option offense.

