BY: Kyle Moylan Sports Editor
Nothing has come easy for the New Egypt High School football team this season.
Nevertheless, one big play after another has managed to come.
Riverside missed a short field goal in the final minute, allowing New Egypt to escape with a 17-14 win last Friday night. New Egypt now is 3-0 heading into a bye week.
“I told (my players) after the game that they are putting a lot of gray hairs on my head and that I have to check my heart,” noted New Egypt Coach Tom Farrell.
This was the third game in a row that New Egypt won which was up for grabs heading down the stretch.
“I don’t know if it’s special,” Farrell noted, trying to explain the season as a whole. “The guys on the team believe in themselves. They believe they can go out there and find a way to do it. That’s special.”
Riverside had an early 14-0 lead before New Egypt unleashed Dakota Havens.
Havens scored on a 7-yard run in the first half. Then, in the fourth quarter, he caught a 24-yard pass from Brian Hamilton. Add in a pair of Langston Lacroix extra points and the game was now tied at 14-14.
Thanks to play of center Mike Ruggiero (back from an injury) and right tackle Walter Didenko, New Egypt was able to run the ball effectively. It finished with over 300 yards rushing.
New Egypt was able to move the ball twice down near Riverside’s goal line in the fourth quarter. It fumbled the first time. The second time New Egypt managed a field goal by Lacroix.
Lacroix followed that up by putting the kickoff into the end zone and forcing Riverside to try and go 80 yards for the winning score.
Riverside almost did.
“Riverside had first-and-goal at the nine with a minute left,” Farrell noted. “We hold them. They set up for a field goal. We ice him (the kicker) with a timeout. He shanks it wide left. We get out of there 17-14.
“I don’t think we have played our best game yet, but we find a way to win.”
New Egypt will be back in action Oct. 10 against Woodrow Wilson.
RHS
The Robbinsville High football team scored the first touchdown of the game on a 7-yard run by Brian Alston. Unfortunately, it was shut out the rest of the game in a 19-7 loss at Hopewell Valley last Friday night.
Robbinsville, now 1-2, will try and get to .500 when it plays at Bound Brook High School on Friday night.

