HHS football rally falls short

Jenkins scores in 13-6 loss to Central

By: Rudy Brandl
   
   The Hillsborough High football team played well enough to stay in the game until the final seconds of last Friday night’s home opener vs. Hunterdon Central.
   Unfortunately for the Raiders and first-year head coach Vinnie Coviello, a few key mistakes prevented them from breaking into the victory column. The Red Devils took advantage of Hillsborough’s errors and held on for a 13-6 victory.
   The Raiders didn’t go down without a fight. They answered Central’s first score with their first touchdown of the young season and were moving down the field in the final minute trying to force overtime. Even the most seasoned offense would have experienced difficulty driving for the tying score with no timeouts and heavy rain falling.
   Hillsborough used its timeouts to stop the clock while the defense forced a Central punt with time ticking away. The Raiders took over at their own 24-yard line with 1:33 remaining. They made things exciting by moving into Central territory but the drive stalled when Bill Campi sacked HHS quarterback Ron Morton on fourth down.
   "The hardest part about that was the communication between me and the kids on the field," Coviello said afterward. "I have to work on that and we have to do a better job practicing for our two-minute drill."
   Coviello saw many positives from his young squad in the second game. The Raiders turned the ball over twice after committing five giveaways in the opener at Piscataway. They held the Red Devils scoreless in the first half and they scored a touchdown.
   "We definitely had improvement," Coviello said. "We made great strides from Week 1 to Week 2. The kids played hard and we have nothing to be ashamed of."
   Sophomore halfback Anthony Jenkins scored the team’s first touchdown of the season with 9:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Jenkins, who led the Raiders with 86 yards on 22 carries, was thrilled to get into the end zone.
   "It’s an awesome feeling to get my first touchdown," Jenkins said. "They brought in a fullback and I just followed (Ray) Sanchez into the end zone."
   Hillsborough’s first touchdown drive of the season was an impressive march that included a few big plays. The Raiders moved 61 yards in 13 plays and held the ball for 5:47. Jenkins accounted for 37 yards on the ground to lead the way, but a great 11-yard pass completion from Morton to Adam Mehltretter on fourth down kept the drive alive.
   "We made plays tonight, but we also made some key mistakes," Coviello said. "They made none and that’s why they won the game."
   Central controlled the first half but couldn’t get on the scoreboard. The visitors had the ball for 16 plays and 6:45 on their first possession but couldn’t score. They had eight first downs in the first half but no points.
   HHS senior defensive back Joe Banaciski stopped Central’s first three drives. He blocked a 33-yard field goal attempt that ended the 16-play drive, tackled wide receiver John Fitzsimmons on fourth down to stop the next march and broke up a pass intended for Fitzsimmons on Central’s third possession.
   "Our defense bent, but it didn’t break," Coviello said. "The defense played well tonight. The kids responded. They’re young, but they were able to make the adjustments."
   The Red Devils took a 7-0 lead on the opening drive of the second half. Quarterback Matt Shankoff found Derek Goreczny wide-open down the right sideline with a 39-yard scoring strike to end a nine-play, 75-yard drive.
   Hillsborough’s defense kept the deficit intact until the offense finally produced a touchdown. Jenkins produced a pair of first down runs and finished the drive with a four-yard surge into the end zone.
   "We started off slow, but we switched to a play that keys right off the end," Jenkins said. "We just drove right down the field with those plays."
   Hillsborough’s extra point attempt was blocked, so the Raiders still trailed by one point.
   Central took advantage of Hillsborough’s first turnover of the night midway through the fourth period and drove 41 yards for the score. Shankoff plunged in over center for a one-yard touchdown, but the extra point attempt sailed wide left to keep the score at 13-6.
   The Hillsborough defense stopped Central to give the home team one final chance. The Raiders were faced with a do-or-die situation on fourth down earlier in the drive but Morton hooked up with Jenkins down the middle on a 23-yard pass play to move the ball to the Red Devil 38 with one minute to play.
   "That was an open backfield and I ran a seam route," Jenkins said. "All the other wide receivers run outs so I’m 1-on-1 with the safety."
   The Raiders couldn’t get much closer to the goal line and dropped their second game to start the 2006 season. This Sunday, they’ll travel to Franklin for a battle with their old rivals. Franklin (1-1), which played well in a 17-6 loss to Phillipsburg last Saturday, upset the Raiders at Noonan Field last September. The Raiders would love to return the favor this weekend.
   "We just have to keep working hard," Coviello said. "The kids want to get better at the things we do. We’re going in the right direction."