By: Sean Moylan
"I really thought we had a real chance to win. We were one second and four yards way from leading at the half," said Ed Kopp, whose Hightstown High varsity football team was beaten by Notre Dame, 28-7, on Friday night under the lights at Hightstown.
After Hightstown quarterback Joey Medici and Tim Lawson failed to hook up for that all-important score, which, with a PAT, could have put the Rams ahead 14-13, it seemed to take the wind out of the Rams’ sails.
"If you think back to the Nottingham game, we were down by a touchdown at the half and came back with a lot of passion in the second half," said Kopp, whose team just couldn’t recapture that kind of energy and intensity in the second half of the Notre Dame game. "We had three turnovers in the second half. We didn’t give ourselves a chance to win."
Although Notre Dame had a 7-0 lead, Hightstown moved the ball very well in the opening quarter. The Rams were able to complete a 64-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown by Tommy Apgar, which knotted the score at 7-7.
"Our touchdown was on the first play of the second quarter. We ran a little counter play to Tommy Apgar," added Kopp.
As usual Kenny Amponsa had a big game for Hightstown with 94 yards rushing on 16 carries. Moreover Joey Schettini made his share of big catches, like one would expect him to do. Lawson, who has played with a hamstring problem ever since the Nottingham game, also was solid overall as well as Medici. So Hightstown’s best players are playing well. This is important because Hightstown must shake of the loss to Notre Dame and last week’s loss to Hamilton and prepare for tonight’s (Friday) huge Group III Central Jersey playoff opener at Middletown South (seeded 2nd overall).
Yes, it’s the same Middletown South team that just recently had its 42-game winning streak broken by a powerful Ocean team. And it’s the same team that won back-to-back Central Jersey Group III titles in 2003 and 2004 before going to North 2 last year, where it won another State title. Nonetheless, do not expect Hightstown to back down, especially not with all of the playmakers it has. Amponsa has already reached double digits in touchdowns and he could easily have 1,000 yards if Hightstown hadn’t blown out so many of its opponents.
"In our six victories in four of them he (Amponsa) wasn’t even on the field in the fourth quarter," said Kopp. Still, there’s no doubt that the Rams will need to play the best game of their lives to come out on top.
"The CVC has had its trouble versus Shore Conference opponents. We’d have to play a perfect game and get some special plays to win," said Kopp "We have the talent, but we’ll be under-sized compared to them. But stranger things have happened."
Kopp is already very proud of his team because it accomplished its three main goals: It made the playoffs, its defense finished in the top three in the conference and it won five of its first eight games (actually it won six out of its first seven). Moreover Hightstown (seeded 7th) won a Valley title. But Hightstown (6-3) hopes that’s all just a start.
"Everything we’ve done so far was to put ourselves in a position to play a game like this," said Kopp, whose team will go all out in this one. "We really relish the opportunity that’s been given to us. We’re two games away from playing at Rutgers for a State Championship."

