Raiders suffer tough loss

Central wins on late TD

by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
   The Hillsborough High football team suffered a devastating 12-7 loss to Hunterdon Central Friday night at Noonan Field.
   Hillsborough kept a high-powered Hunterdon Central team out of the end zone for more than 44 minutes of Friday night’s pivotal showdown at Noonan Field before the visitors capitalized on one huge mistake to spoil Hillsborough’s Senior Night and Homecoming festivities and put the team’s state playoff hopes in doubt.
   “We played well defensively,” Raider head coach Vinnie Coviello said afterward. “We’ve been playing great defense all year. They’re a good team. They’ve been putting up 30-plus points on teams all year.”
   Central (6-1) took advantage of a costly turnover late in the game. The Raiders were driving near midfield when a snap from center sailed over quarterback Mike Daly’s head. Daly tried to pounce on the loose ball but three Central players swarmed and Erik Wachter recovered at the Hillsborough 27-yard line with 4:29 to play.
   Three plays later, Central quarterback Cole Moore found Ian Gaines open on a quick pass to the left that resulted in a 15-yard scoring play. The Red Devils could not complete the two-point conversion but had a 12-7 lead with 3:29 remaining.
   The Raiders were clinging to a 7-6 lead in the second half and made two big plays to deny the Red Devils the go-ahead points. Junior safety Mike Banaciski blocked Ryan Nash’s 35-yard field goal attempt with 29 seconds remaining in the third period and senior linebacker Chris Tillotson intercepted a Cole Moore pass with 5:43 remaining in the game.
   Hillsborough’s special teams also played a role in giving the home team the lead in the second quarter. After the defense pinned Central deep on a three-and-out inside the 10-yard line, Ryan Buerkle got a piece of Dan Battaglia’s punt, which traveled only 19 yards and landed at the Central 25.
   Banaciski found a hole off right tackle and cut back to the middle for a 25-yard touchdown run on the next play, giving the Raiders a 7-3 lead with 2:43 left in the first half.
   Hillsborough (4-3) finds itself in a must-win situation Friday night at Ridge. If they win, the Raiders could be playing in the NJSIAA playoffs on the weekend of Nov. 14-15. If not, they’ll finish their season with a consolation game.
   For complete coverage of the Raiders and all other HHS sports, see Thursday’s Hillsborough Beacon.