Spotswood High School kicker Ryan Szatkowski cleared his head and focused on converting the 30-yard field goal that would win the game for his football team.
The junior admitted it was extremely difficult, especially with so many thoughts swirling through his head. There was the pressure of knowing only a few seconds remained in the game against Metuchen High School, which would decide the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Blue Division championship.
Szatkowski also confessed he was thinking about his late brother, Jeff, who was killed in an automobile accident two years ago along with girlfriend, Nicole Surace.
“I was thinking about all the times he used to train me for this moment,” said Ryan, whose brother was also the Spotswood field-goal kicker. “I didn’t feel pressured because after I [made the kick], the pressure would be on [Metuchen] to go 80 yards with not a lot of time left in the game.”
Metuchen did its best to rattle Szatkowski, calling a timeout with before the snap. Following the timeout, Szatkowski trotted back on the field after receiving encouraging words and a pat on the back from head coach Andy Cammarano, and he calmly booted the winning field goal to give the Chargers a 27-24 victory and so much more than just their second consecutive division title.
The victory not only secured the seventh seed for Spotswood’s first-round game in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group II playoffs at third-seed Delaware Valley Regional High School Nov. 13, but it also eliminated Metuchen from the state playoffs.
Senior Marlon Hart once again flashed his ability to make big plays by hauling in four passes for over 100 yards. However, the most exciting moment was Hart’s electrifying 85-yard punt return for a touchdown as the first half ended to tie the game, 14-14.
In addition, compact fullback Joe Hayford also played an important role. After a scoreless first quarter, Spotswood drove to the Metuchen 1-yard line and was poised to register the touchdown when Hayford bulled his way toward the end zone on a fourth down. However, after it was ruled the ball popped out of Hayford’s hands before he crossed the goal line, a Metuchen player scoped up the loose ball and raced 100 yards to put the Bulldogs ahead, 7-0.
“I was angry about that play and all I wanted was a chance to put the ball in the end zone,” Hayford said.
That happened in the third quarter when, after the teams traded field goals to tie the contest for the third time, Hayford found himself in a similar situation with the ball and 3 yards away from a touchdown. This time he would not be denied and literally carried Metuchen tacklers into the end zone to forge Spotswood ahead, 24-17.
Metuchen proved to be resilient when, on fourth down, the Bulldogs’ quarterback lofted a spiral to the back of the end zone into the arms of a waiting receiver that knotted the score for the fourth time with just over seven minutes remaining.
That would lead to Szatkowski’s heroics, but Cammarano made sure to talk about others who contributed to the victory, which is the first time Spotswood has won back-to-back division titles.
“Last year’s [championship] really came as a surprise, and it was a great accomplishment,” he said. “But this year, I personally felt we’d be [here] in the end. I don’t know what kind of shape we’d be in, but we’d have an opportunity to win.”
In another area game, South River High School (2-7) won its second consecutive contest Nov. 6 when it defeated Highland Park High School, 31-30. The Rams were led by Mario Nigro, who scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter from 4 yards out. Nigro also found paydirt on runs of 4 and 38 yards and completed a 22- yard touchdown pass to Michael DeSantis.
South River concludes its season Nov. 14 when it visits Keansburg High School in an NJSIAA regional crossover game. The Rams met the Shore Conference team earlier this season, dropping an 18-13 decision.