By: Neil Hay
Last Saturday at West Windsor-South, the Hightstown football team had its eye on retaining the East Windsor-West Windsor Mayor’s Cup.
Tonight, however, the Rams will be playing for a bigger prize.
The Rams are back in the state tournament, and will try to go deeper into Central Jersey Group III than a year ago, when Hightstown was on the road at Red Bank and was knocked out in the opening game, 23-3.
This time Hightstown will be at home, playing at the friendly confines of David McIntire Field in front of a loud, large and loyal crowd of McIntire Maniacs. The 6-2 Rams are seeded fourth and will be hosting fifth-seeded Long Branch.
Long Branch. The name conjures up long-ago memories for coach Skip Edwards, a former player and graduate of Long Branch (Class of 1969) who was a volunteer coach there for one season and had never faced his alma mater before tonight. Edwards has come a long way from summers on the beach. So has his football team. Hightstown will be well-prepared and ready for the Green Wave, and try not to suffer the same fate as the Hightstown boys’ soccer team, which lost in the states to Long Branch a week ago today at home.
"They have a lot of tradition and school spirit. They are fast and athletic, and I equate their program with Hamilton West. Coach Danny George is a friend of mine. They have some really good kids," said Edwards, mentioning their quarterback (Rubin), a receiver (Gonzalez), and three running backs (Zuidma, Cheese, and Lewis) by position, if not by full name. "It will be an exciting game. Our kids will be ready for the challenge." Size-wise, the teams are about even, although Long Branch might be a little faster overall.
"Our kids love to play football. They don’t want to come off the field. This week we have to stay focused and practice hard."
Will the Rams have a better result tonight than last year against Red Bank? Edwards thinks so.
"Absolutely it will be better. We want to let the horses go."
In their 24-0 win over South, the Rams fumbled the opening kickoff, but the defense held and forced the Pirates to turn the ball back to Hightstown. From that point on, it was all Hightstown as the Rams rushed for 259 yards and added another 112 passing on seven of 16 (with no interceptions) by quarterback Chuck Burt. Ryan McCready led the Rams with 69 yards on four receptions.
Zaire Kitchen had another huge game with 194 yards rushing on 20 carries, and touchdown runs of 1 and 6 yards. Brian Kaiser added 35 yards rushing. Sam Salter scored the Rams’ first six-pointer, on a 3-yard run, and Peros Stavrakis added a 29-yard field goal and three extra points. Defensively, Hightstown held the Pirates to 104 yards rushing and another 6 passing.
"We started out kind of sluggish, then we shut them down and ran down the field and scored. Zaire had an outrageous game. He is a pleasure to watch. He is so shifty. But they are all fun to watch. Zaire and Brian have this great relationship, on and off the field. They have such great rapport for each other. They are into sharing. Every week, one or the other steps up, the skill kids. And the offensive line is so consistent."
On the eve of the Rams’ return to the playoffs, Edwards offered a pat on the back to some of his coaches.
"Jim Hunt does a great job coaching the line. In all his years of coaching, this is his first time in the playoffs. And here’s Ed Kopp, the second year he’s in the playoffs. Tom Vetterl was with me at Holmdel in states. And Carl Romero has done a good job with the kicking game."
For players and coaches alike, all the X’s and O’s, the hard work, preparation, and dedication, will be on the line tonight against Long Branch. Skip Edwards has wonderful memories of his alma mater. He would like nothing better than to make tonight memorable too, with a Hightstown win over the Green Wave.
