Raiders come back to win first for Coviello

McGavisk dives in for winning points

By: Rudy Brandl
   
   SOMERSET — Most heavyweight boxers wouldn’t get up after taking two huge blows in the first minute of a fight. The Hillsborough High football team proved it could survive an early flurry by refusing to give up for the rest of Sunday’s game at Franklin.
   The Raiders showed resiliency, determination and character to get back in the game before eventually rallying to a 22-21 triumph before a stunned crowd at Ackerman Field. Senior running back Pete McGavisk dove into the end zone for the decisive two-point conversion with 3:29 remaining to propel the Raiders in a thriller.
   Such a dramatic victory never seemed possible after the first 51 seconds of the game. Franklin landed two monster punches on the Raiders on the first three plays, which couldn’t have gone any worse for the visitors.
   Franklin running back Hanif Kendrick sprinted 57 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first play. Hillsborough quarterback Ron Morton fumbled on the next play. Kendrick went back to work and darted 48 yards down the left sideline for another touchdown on the third play.
   It was 14-0 before the Raiders knew what had hit them.
   But the rest of the game was a different story. The Raiders got back in the game with a touchdown later in the first quarter, fell behind by two scores again in the third but rallied with 16 points in the fourth quarter to win it.
   "Unbelievable," said HHS head coach Vinnie Coviello, who notched his first victory in dramatic style. "I can’t believe how they came back after we took those two big punches. These kids just turned it around. They have a ton of heart."
   The Raiders refused to quit even some missed opportunities prevented them from tying the score earlier in the game. They squandered a few opportunities and committed a turnover that allowed Franklin to take a 21-6 lead with 2:36 to play in the third period.
   After that, it was all Hillsborough. The Raiders scored on their first two drives of the fourth quarter and ended both with successful two-point conversions to capture a thrilling and satisfying victory.
   Coviello showed some guts going for two points and the win with 3:29 remaining in the game. Morton plunged into the end zone from one yard out for his first career touchdown and there was no hesitation on the conversion call.
   "We were going for two regardless of what was going on," Coviello said. "We were going for the win. I believe in these kids. We put it all on the line on that play."
   Morton rolled out right and hit McGavisk with a short pass. McGavisk had to work hard to fight his way to the end zone. He broke away from a Franklin defender and dove over the goal line for the two points.
   "I saw the ball in the air and I kind of sensed somebody behind me," McGavisk said. "I knew it was going to be a fight so I fought with all my heart to get in."
   Morton, who completed 10-of-19 passes for 109 yards in his first victory as the varsity quarterback, knew where he was going with the ball. He had found McGavisk nine previous times for 92 yards and was confident they’d hook up again on the game’s most critical play.
   "Pete told me he was going to be open," Morton said. "He was open and I hit him. He gave the second effort and got in."
   The Warriors (1-2) got two more possessions to regain the lead but only managed one first down on each drive before stalling. The Raiders did a superb job regrouping defensively after allowing 105 yards on the first two plays of the game. Kendrick rushed for only 33 yards after the two opening bursts.
   "There were no real adjustments, the kids just started to make plays," Coviello said. "We might not have been ready and Kendrick is a heck of a running back. We knew we had to stop him. We just had to buckle down."
   Hillsborough’s defense set the tone in the fourth quarter, forcing two three-and-outs that gave the offense great field position. Joe Senerchia, Mike Barone and Gio Cintorrino combined on two sacks that pushed Franklin back and forced a punt. Jason Smartt returned the short kick 12 yards to give the Raiders a short field.
   Justin Smith rumbled 14 yards for a first down and gained one more yard on first and goal before consecutive two-yard passes from Morton to McGavisk resulted in a touchdown. Morton found Adam Mehltretter open for the two-point conversion and the Raiders trailed 21-14 with 8:44 remaining.
   Cintorrino and Senerchia dropped Franklin quarterback Jack McLaughlin for a five-yard loss to key a stop on the next possession. The Raiders took over at the Franklin 43-yard line with 7:35 to play.
   Eight plays later, Morton found enough room to score on a one-yard keeper.
   "I just got behind everybody and went low," Morton said. "I wasn’t going to let them stop me."
   McGavisk, who made a huge 22-yard catch on the fifth play of the drive, completed the comeback with a great effort on the two-point conversion. McGavisk also scored Hillsborough’s first touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Morton in the first period.
   Franklin moved the ball to its own 44 with time ticking away and McLaughlin lofted one more desperation pass downfield. HHS senior defensive back Joe Banaciski batted it away and the Raiders celebrated.
   "I believed in these kids all along," Coviello said. "You have to believe in your team. We’re not super-talented and we know we have to work hard. These kids have been working hard and it paid off today."