Raiders win second in row on road

Phillips scores twice, blocks crucial PAT

By: Rudy Brandl
   CLINTON — It’s only October but Hillsborough High is playing playoff football these days.
   The Raiders know they can’t afford to lose another ball game if they expect to repeat as Central Jersey Group 4 champions. That message was made abundantly clear by head coach Rick Mantz, whose club responded with its best performance of the season last Friday night at North Hunterdon.
   Hillsborough (2-3) stormed to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and held off a North Hunterdon rally to post a 21-13 victory to keep their post-season hopes alive. The Raiders still have to defeat Bridgewater-Raritan, Phillipsburg and Warren Hills to have a shot at the playoffs.
   "We can’t lose," Mantz said. "This was our second playoff game. These guys know that if we lose, we’re out. Our backs are against the wall."
   The Raiders played with a sense of urgency last Friday night, starting the game with an impressive scoring drive to take command. Hillsborough used 10 running plays to cover 80 yards over a span of 4:38 to produce the game’s first touchdown. Josh Williams, who rushed for 28 yards in the drive, crossed the goal line after a strong second effort from eight yards away.
   After holding the Lions to three plays and a punt, the Raiders went right back to work. This drive only took one play, but it was a memorable one.
   Danny Phillips took the hand-off from quarterback Colin Bruno in the backfield and appeared headed for a loss of yardage as North’s defense swarmed in. Phillips did a little shake and bake behind the line of scrimmage to elude the pursuit, cut outside to his right and sprinted past the second line of defenders. Once in the open field, Phillips would not be stopped. He made a few more fancy moves to outrun the secondary and put the finishing touches on a 47-yard touchdown run.
   "I picked up two good blocks from Steve Hess and (Jared) Wagner," explained Phillips, who rushed for a season-high 176 yards on 17 carries. "I was able to cut back into the middle of the field. I just split them and kept going."
   Phillips hasn’t been 100 percent all season, but he looked pretty good at North Hunterdon. He reported to feeling about 95 percent, which is great news for Mantz and the Raiders.
   "He’s tired, he’s beat up, but he still finds a way to make plays," Mantz said. "I give him so much credit for that."
   Mantz also had to credit his defense for stopping a very dangerous North offense. The Lions entered the game unbeaten, having moved the football against everybody else. They did some damage through the air, but the HHS defense did a good job clamping down in the clutch.
   Corner back Kristian Molloy emerged as the game’s key defensive player. Molloy drew the tough assignment of marking wide receiver Chad Hegstrom in single coverage. Hegstrom enjoyed a five-inch height advantage over Molloy, but the HHS senior more than held his own.
   "We knew they were going to pass to No. 1 (Hegstrom)," said Molloy, who also booted three extra points for the winners. "We looked at a lot of film and we saw that he hurt Franklin, so we knew we had to cover him tight."
   Hegstrom made six catches for 74 yards and North’s first touchdown, but the speedy Molloy broke up twice as many plays that came his way.
   "He’s got a lot of height on me but I had more speed," Molloy said. "I played a little bit off him and used my speed to keep up with him."
   Molloy had some help from his defensive teammates. Hillsborough’s pass rush was led by Mark Amerman, Bobby Dmuchowski and Steve Popadiuk. Williams and fellow linebacker Greg Hawzen once again played with great intensity. Safety Ben Schweitzer broke up a bunch of pass plays.
   The HHS offense didn’t add to the team’s lead and North continued its comeback bid in the second half. The Lions took the second half kickoff and marched right down the field in four plays for their second touchdown. The big play was a 52-yard hookup from quarterback Joe Ricco to Mike Irwin. Molloy ran down Irwin and appeared to strip the ball away from Irwin, but the official didn’t make the call. Brandon Perrine scored two plays later on a five-yard run.
   Then came the pivotal play of the contest. North had the momentum and the home crowd was getting into the game. One simple extra point kick by a reliable place-kicker and the game was tied.
   Phillips wouldn’t let it happen. He broke through the line and smothered Irwin’s attempted PAT and kept the Raiders leading by one point.
   "Same thing I did against P’burg last year," said Phillips, referring to his blocked extra point that preserved a 21-20 win in 2000. "I came straight up the middle and got in there and blocked it."
   "It’s a block we run where he comes up the A gap," Mantz added. "Danny made it count."
   While the blocked kick kept the Raiders leading on the scoreboard, it also energized a team that was starting to fade. Hillsborough needed a little boost after losing all its early momentum. The Phillips block provided that jolt.
   "That extra point was very critical," Mantz said. "It was such an emotional point for us. We were getting tired and ready to go in the tank. Danny gave us a spark."
   North had a chance to take the lead later in the quarter but Irwin missed a 37-yard field goal wide to the left. The Lions penetrated HHS territory twice in the fourth period but didn’t score.
   Hegstrom was held without a catch in the final quarter and Ricco completed only 2-of-10 passes in the final 12 minutes. Three straight incompletions gave the ball back to the Raiders in Lion territory in the waning minutes and Phillips ran for a 16-yard touchdown for the game’s final points.
   "We’re the defending state champs," Phillips said. "We have a lot of heart and we can still pull together and make the state playoffs."
   Three more wins and the Raiders will be in the mix.