Big plays fuel Rancocas Valley
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
It wasn’t easy for the Hillsborough High football team to play a consolation game last weekend.
After a 4-1 start, the Raiders had high hopes of competing for a sectional title this season. HHS was ranked in the top eight of the Central Jersey Group 4 field for most of the season and needed just one more victory to qualify for post-season play. Three straight losses ruined those dreams, leaving the Raiders to play for pride in their final two games.
Two of those losses came against powerhouse teams that rolled to first round victories in last week’s NJSIAA playoffs. Hunterdon Central, which came from behind to edge Hillsborough by a 12-7 score in Week 7, pounded Watchung Hills in the sectional quarterfinals. Ridge, perhaps the most talented team on the HHS schedule, destroyed Westfield Friday night. Hillsborough also dropped a game to Phillipsburg, another first round winner Friday, back in September.
Hillsborough’s only loss to a non-playoff team came in the sixth week of the season when Bridgewater-Raritan pulled off a 14-0 upset. That loss started the three-game slide that moved the Raiders out of the mix.
The Raiders were assigned a road game at Rancocas Valley Regional in Mount Holly in the Central Jersey Group 4 consolation round. Rancocas Valley was coming off an upset loss the previous week that knocked it out of the CJ 4 playoffs.
”It was tough getting the kids going,” HHS head coach Vinnie Coviello said. “All year long we had our minds set on making the playoffs. They just missed the playoffs, too. Both teams felt they should have been in the playoffs.”
RV opened the game with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and posted a 27-13 victory over the Raiders. Although HHS recovered from the early blow to take a 7-6 lead on Mike Banaciski’s 17-yard touchdown run later in the first period, Coviello felt the game’s first play put his team in an early hole.
Saturday’s game was played on a very sloppy, wet grass field. The Raiders moved the ball well, mainly through the air with senior quarterback Mike Daly.
”It was so muddy that it was tough to run,” Coviello said. “We were looking for a balanced attack. We moved the ball well and we got inside the 20 a few times. We just couldn’t punch it in.”
The back-breaker for the Raiders came late in the first half. RV had regained the lead early in the second quarter but the Raiders were threatening to tie late in the first half. They moved down the field on another nice drive but stalled at the Rancocas 20-yard line. On the very next play, RV connected for an 80-yard bomb that led to a touchdown and 21-7 lead at the half.
”That was a big play,” Coviello said. “The kid made a nice throw and the kid made a nice catch.”
The Raiders didn’t quit, even in the waning moments of the game when they were trailing by three touchdowns. Daly hooked up with senior fullback Chris Tillotson on a four-yard pass to cap the scoring.
Hillsborough was hoping to end the season on a two-game win streak after missing the state playoffs. The Raiders ended their three-game skid with a big win at Montgomery but fell short at Rancocas to finish Coviello’s third season at 5-5.
”It all comes down to doing the things we needed to do,” Coviello said. “Things just didn’t go our way today.”