By: centraljersey.com
The Hillsborough Dukes Junior Midget football team defeated the Maplewood Packers, 44-21, in their season’s home opener.
Three plays into the game the Packers scored and added the point after for a 7-0 lead. The Dukes fought right back with Mike Shapiro taking the rock around right end for a 15-yard gain. A few plays later, Cam Adams busted out for a 22-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 7-6.
Eddie Trimpert made a perfect onside kick that Shapiro recovered to put the ball back in the Dukes hands at midfield. Scot Levonaitis, Brandon VanDoren and Adams rumbled for 25 yards on a carry a piece. Levonaitis then broke three tackles up the middle and found pay dirt. VanDoren’s extra point kick was good to give the Dukes the lead, 14-7.
Thomas Boland made a great open field tackle on the kickoff to pin the Packers on their own 20-yard line. The Packers went right to work breaking a would be touch down if it wasn’t for Trevor Metawar’s shoe string tackle on the Duke 40-yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Maplewood knotted the game at 14.
The Dukes returned the kickoff to midfield. After a few nice runs from the running back by committee backfield of Adams, Levonaitis and VanDoren, Adams went up the middle dragging defenders into the end zone for his second score of the afternoon. The point after was good on a fake kick and pass from Levonaitis to Adams to give the Dukes the lead 21-14.
After another Packer score halftime saw the game tied at 21.
The second half started with the Dukes returning the kickoff to midfield. Adams took the first handoff for a nice 15-yard gain. Three plays later, Levonaitis broke several tackles up the middle behind the blocking of Sam Hendrix, Davian Williams, Josh Prince, Thomas Boland, James Esters and Shapiro for a 26-yard TD. VanDoren’s kick was good to give the Duke the lead, 29-21.
On the Packers next possession, Davian Williams bullied his way through the front line of the Packers to block a punt and give the Dukes the ball on the Packer 24-yard line. Three plays later Levonaitis had his third score of the day. A broken extra point kick attempt saw Levonaitis attempt a pass that found Josh Prince near the end zone but just short of the conversion.
Maplewood attempted a few passes in hopes of narrowing the lead but VanDoren picked off a 40-yard pass attempt and returned the ball 30 yards to midfield. Adams went around end for a 15-yard gain to set up a VanDoren pass to Levonaitis, who made a diving catch for his fourth score of the day. VanDoren’s kick was the icing on the cake to cap a second half that belonged to the Dukes and a 44-21 victory.
The Packers were shut down and held scoreless in the second half due to strong front play from the Dukes defensive line made up of Cole Lewis, Davian Williams, John Grouss and Anthony DelGuercio.
Special thanks goes out to our trainers, water boys, equipment manager, team moms and our Cheer squad of Blake Ballah, Samantha Barnes, Monika Bielen, Becky Boer, Haley Brown, Kristen Coiley, Shelby Davis, Rebecca Delaney, Priya Doshi, Katie Egglestone, Makayla Eisenhauer, Kaity Gahrmann, Jane Guerra, Kasey Hamilton, Takenya Herman, Madison Hofmeister, Amber Holman, Danielle Hunt, Katelyn Hunt, Takaiyah Jackson, Kerry Jones, Nicolette Kanellos, Shelby Lubowicki, Lizzy McGrath, Kayla McKeever, Kaila Mundt, Savannah O’Brien, Sydney O’Neill, Courtney Scrivanich, Chloe Shortino, Lauren Smith, Morgan VanDoren and Student coaches Sierra Harris, Ashley Holma, Sydney Luceno and Angela Kollmer for making this day a successful one.

