Offensive line dominates game
By: Rudy Brandl
It looked like the Hillsborough High football team of old last Friday night at Noonan Field.
The Raiders ran the ball, sustained drives and controlled the clock to post their most impressive victory of the 2006 season. After spotting North Hunterdon a field goal on the game’s first possession, HHS took command and rolled to an 18-3 victory.
"It was basic football," Raider head coach Vinnie Coviello said afterward. "The offensive line took over the game. We just ran the ball and the kids played solid football."
North (4-4), which had locked up a playoff berth but needed a win to avoid a low seed and difficult first round game, opened the contest with an impressive drive. The Lions marched all the way to the HHS 4-yard line using most of the first quarter clock but couldn’t punch it into the end zone. Adam Mehltretter made a big tackle on 3rd-and-1 and the Lions settled for a 21-yard field goal after controlling the ball for 9:30.
"That was the turning point of the whole game," HHS junior two-way lineman Rocco Mazzagatti said. "If they would have scored, it would have struck our morale. That really inspired us to keep them to no points the rest of the game."
"The game is made up of many battles and holding them to three was like winning that battle," Coviello added. "That was key."
Senior running back Pete McGavisk and the rest of the HHS offense had to watch patiently from the sideline to get their first action of the night. Once they took the field, the played like they owned the turf.
Mazzagatti, playing both ways most of the night, led the offensive line with David Lange, Kyle DePaul, Andy Julian and Kyle Golombus. These guys opened holes for the backs and kept the chains moving.
"I can’t take any credit," said McGavisk, who rushed for 136 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns. "It was the big guys up front. The O-line came out fired-up and they beasted them."
"During the week of practice, our coach challenged us to get a certain number of yards," Mazzagatti added. "If we did it, maybe he’ll take us out to dinner. That got in our heads. We were thinking with our bellies."
The Raiders moved the ball but didn’t score on their first possession after another mishap in the red zone. North linebacker John Pearson intercepted Mike Daly’s pass at the goal line and returned it 64 yards before Daly ran him down at the Raider 36 on the final play of the first quarter.
Hillsborough’s defense came up with a huge stand on the ensuing possession. Matt Leon recorded a key sack on third down to force a punt and North’s fake attempt did not fool the HHS defense.
The Raiders embarked on a 13-play, 65-yard drive that devoured 6:46 to take the lead for good. The drive featured the power running of Justin Smith, who rushed six times for 44 yards to move the chains. McGavisk finished it with a two-yard burst off left tackle on fourth down.
"I saw the end zone and I went for it," McGavisk said. "It’s all heart down on the goal line."
North didn’t pick up another first down until the fourth quarter. By that time, the Raiders had scored again.
Hillsborough went on another long drive in the third period, moving 64 yards in 11 plays to open the second half. North helped with two penalties, including a 15-yarder for a personal foul, the Raiders used 6:13 and opened a 12-3 lead.
McGavisk darted in over the left side from two yards out again for the score, which was set up by a big pass completion on the previous play. Daly rolled to his left and fired a strike to Mehltretter on a 3rd-and-5 situation.
The Lions continued to struggle against the HHS defense and the Raiders kept taking time off the clock with their power running game. The Raiders had one more long drive in the fourth quarter to put the game away. The home team marched 40 yards in 11 plays with Daly plunging in from one yard out to make it 18-3. The score wasn’t necessarily as important as the 7:19 the Raiders took off the clock.
Hillsborough put an exclamation point on the victory when Chris Livelli intercepted a pass in the final seconds with North driving for a touchdown. The Lions penetrated the HHS red zone twice, settling for a field goal on the game’s first possession and losing the ball on an interception on the final sequence.
The Raiders (2-6) will host Freehold Township in a consolation game this Friday night and finish the season at home vs. Montgomery on Thanksgiving Day. They created some momentum with Friday night’s impressive victory.
"There was no doubt in my mind these guys would play hard," Coviello said. "They’ve been non-stop all year. They’re great kids."

