Raiders upset at Bridgewater-Raritan

Team falls to 4-2 with shutout loss

by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
   There was no second half magic this time.
   The Hillsborough High football team couldn’t carry the momentum from the previous week’s impressive comeback win over North Hunterdon into Friday night’s battle vs. Bridgewater-Raritan at Basilone Field. The Raiders (4-2), looking for their third straight victory, were shut out for the first time this season in a 14-0 loss.
   “Bridgewater came ready to play tonight,” HHS head coach Vinnie Coviello said afterward. “They’re a good ball club and we made a few errors, both as players and as coaches.”
   The Raiders were flat and ineffective in the first half, but that’s nothing new for a team that won all four of its games with second half surges. Although the Panthers played better in the first half, the Raiders had them right where they wanted in a scoreless tie.
   HHS opened the second half with the ball and hoped to set the tone for the rest of the game with a big scoring drive. Instead, the Panthers stopped the Raiders and scored on their first possession of the third period. B-R moved 71 yards in 12 plays using nearly half the quarter clock (5:57) to score the first points of the night. Quarterback Collin Clifford hit Matt Pennella with a 15-yard scoring strike to put the Panthers on the board.
   The Hillsborough offense continued to sputter until midway through the fourth quarter. Hillsborough moved all the way down to the Panther 2-yard line but quarterback Mike Daly was stuffed on third down and running back Mike Banaciski was stopped on fourth down with 4:20 to play.
   B-R moved the chains to keep the ball and tacked on a late touchdown when Clifford broke free down the left sideline for a 54-yard run with 38 seconds left.
   The Raiders likely must win their final two games before the NJSIAA cutoff to qualify for the state playoffs. They’ll host Hunterdon Central Oct. 24 and play at Ridge Oct. 31.
   For complete coverage of the Raiders and all other HHS sports, see Thursday’s Hillsborough Beacon.