Eagles lose ninth straight game

By: John E. Powers
   Saturday was most likely the last chance for South Hunterdon Regional High School’s football team to avoid a winless season.
   But the Eagles, who now prepare for their Thanksgiving Day battle with streaking Delaware Valley, fell to Trenton Catholic 14-6 in Hamilton.
   The Eagles dropped to 0-9 in a state consolation game. Rashawn Arnold ran for scores of 1 and 22 yards in the second quarter as the Iron Mikes took a 14-0 halftime lead.
   The Eagles scored when sophomore quarterback Dan Musselman, filling in for injured freshman starter Brian Snell, threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to senior split end Jeff Schermerhorn.
   "Musselman did a nice job running the offense," South Hunterdon coach Sam Jefferis said.
   Snell won’t be back for the Delaware Valley game. He has been told by doctors to take the next six weeks off.
   "It’s nothing serious," Jefferis said. "If he was a senior, he would be playing in the Delaware Valley game."
   The match-up seemed a perfect spot for South Hunterdon to break its skid. Trenton Central dressed just 17 players and was without its two best players, Jefferis said.
   "It was just like the score indicated," Jefferis said. "South Hunterdon can’t afford to show up not prepared to play football. We played like zombies in the first half. That was our major problem. It’s been our problem all year. Not being mentally prepared and making a bunch of mental mistakes."
   The first touchdown came after a physical mistake — a fumbled punt.
   "We were in the game," Jefferis said. "But we can’t sustain anything. I think we had one decent drive during the year against Manville, and we had another in the Calvary Christian game, but we really haven’t done anything else."
   Next Thursday, the Eagles have a tall, tall task. They will play at red hot Delaware Valley, which won its consolation game 48-0 over John F. Kennedy of Iselin.
   Delaware Valley, which has won five of its last six games, is playing as good as any team in the Skyland Conference Raritan Division, Jefferis said.
   "We’re going to try to move the ball and keep the ball away from them," Jefferis said. "They are a nasty, hard-hitting team with aggressive kids."
   The Terriers beat South 27-0 last year and 41-13 the year before.