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Pirates learn from CJ IV final loss

Howell experience tops South despite Twamley’s rushing

Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
   PISCATAWAY — The West Windsor-Plainsboro High South football team went into Friday night’s Central Jersey Group IV championship game with every intention of winning.
   So did Howell.
   And in the end, perhaps it was the Rebels’ experience that made the biggest difference, as they topped the Pirates, 46-13, to capture the CJ IV title one year after falling in the championship game.
   ”We came here to win the game and we just didn’t show up and play our best tonight,” said junior running back David Twamley, whose rushed for 251 yards and scored a touchdown for the Pirates. “Making it here is not good enough, and we know that. It just makes you want to work harder to get here again next year.”
   Howell had gotten to the CJ IV final a year ago, falling to Hunterdon Central in the title game, 42-24. This time the Rebels came out ready to play and jumped on the Pirates quickly before a large crowd at Rutgers Stadium..
   On the Pirates’ first offensive play, Howell came up with the first of its three interceptions on the night. Eight plays later, the Rebels scored to make it 7-0. After South turned the ball over on downs, Howell needed just six plays to score again and make it 14-0. It was 20-0 by halftime and the Pirates were never really in the game.
   ”Nothing was clicking today for us,” said South coach Todd Smith, whose team finished the season with a 10-2 record. “I thought we moved the ball inside the tackles pretty well. We just couldn’t punch it in when it counted. It was a tough game. But it wasn’t for lack of effort. We were exposed a little on defense today, but we had some kids that were playing positions they had never played before.”
   Most of the Pirates’ offense on the night came from Twamley, who rushed for 251 yards to account for nearly 70 percent of the team’s total yardage. The Pirates completed one pass, which went for a touchdown to J.B. Fitzgerald, but could never consistently hold the ball long enough to keep the Howell offense off the field.
   ”The bottom line is they just outplayed us today,” said Twamley, who finished the season with 1,294 yards rushing. “They’re a great football team and they came out today and got it done and we didn’t.
   ”They’re a smart football team and they play the right way. We can take a lot away from them.”
   The Pirates failed on an onside kick attempt to open the second half, and Howell scored on the next play to make it 26-0. South answered when Twamley scored on a 33-yard run to make it 26-6. But three minutes later the Rebels had scored twice more and opened up a 39-6 lead.
   Even with the loss, the Pirates can reflect on the season and know they had a great year. They treated their fans, who turned out in large numbers to Rutgers Stadium on Friday, to quite a season.
   ”We’ve accomplished a lot,” Twamley said. “We’re the first team to make it here in a while and that says a lot about our team and our team’s character. I’m really proud of this team. I’m so proud of this team. Connor (Farrell) stepping in and doing what he did. We wouldn’t be here without Connor. And Jeff Riemann playing with a broken thumb, he’s just a great kid.”
   In the end, the Pirates just didn’t have enough weapons on offense or defense against a Howell team that outscored its opponents 122-54 in three playoff games.
   ”I was really proud with the way a lot of these kids played today,” Smith said. “Dave Twamley in particular. It might not show in the stats just how hard he ran today. We got down early, but I thought we came back well in the second half. It was a tough loss, but we don’t want it to take away from the season that we’ve had.
   ”We were 10-2 and that is something to be proud of. We just didn’t show up and play our best football today. But you can’t take away what these seniors have done. They won 27 games in their three years. I don’t know if too many teams can say that.”
   It was a night where the Pirates simply ran into a better team. The Rebels were a team that had been there before and wanted to make up for a loss.
   ”They were pretty solid,” said Fitzgerald, who was all over the field on defense. “I don’t know if they could have played a better game. We just weren’t ready to play.”
   Now the Pirates have been there. And maybe down the road the Pirates will get back into this situation and the lessons they learned in defeat will make a difference.