Chiefs tack on two late scores in 25-0 shutout
By: Rudy Brandl
PISCATAWAY The Hillsborough High football team had the right idea in last Friday night’s season opener at Piscataway. Unfortunately, the Raiders didn’t have the experience and firepower to match the Chiefs.
Hillsborough didn’t make any real big plays, but moved the ball methodically with its new spread option offense. The Raiders did what they needed to keep Piscataway’s high-powered offense off the field, holding the edge in first downs (11-10) and total plays (55-39) while owning the ball for almost 28 minutes.
Unfortunately, all those advantages didn’t translate into a victory. Piscataway didn’t exactly push around the Raiders but made enough big plays to post a 25-0 victory.
New HHS head coach Vinnie Coviello knew his team had to play a near-perfect game and catch a few breaks to upset one of the state’s top squads. The Raiders played well and had Piscataway frustrated at many points in the game, but the visitors also made their share of rookie mistakes.
For a while, there wasn’t much separating the two teams. Piscataway had built a 12-0 lead on a 65-yard run by Barry Garrard in the first quarter and a short 20-yard drive in the second. The Raiders held the Chiefs scoreless in the third and were still in the game until early in the fourth period. The Chiefs tacked on a late score to produce the final margin.
"We played well," Coviello said afterward. "We made some mistakes. I made some mistakes. There was a lot of inexperience out there. We’re going to clean things up. We’ll be prepared better."
The Raiders opened the game with a new quarterback directing a different attack. Senior Ron Morton lined up in the shotgun and operated the spread option with mixed results. Morton moved the Raiders on the game’s first drive, completing two passes to help the visitors collect two first downs.
Sophomore halfback Anthony Jenkins was Hillsborough’s most effective weapon. He rushed 19 times for 57 yards, but most of those yards came on the team’s two effective possessions in the first quarter.
Morton completed seven passes to five different receivers for 48 yards. He didn’t have a great night running the ball but picked up a first down with a 17-yard scamper on a fourth down play in the third period. Morton finished 7-of-17 in the passing department but was intercepted three times.
"There were pluses and minuses," Coviello said. "Overall, he did well. He made some rookie mistakes but he also made some great plays."
Morton also fumbled twice in the first quarter. The first one led to Garrard’s 65-yard burst with 7:50 to play in the opening quarter.
The first half was loaded with turnovers. Both teams had three interceptions. Hillsborough’s defensive backfield, which lost Warner Jones to a slightly separated shoulder in the first period, played an impressive game holding the Chiefs to 32 passing yards.
Adam Mehltretter made a diving interception to stop Piscataway’s first drive. Joe Banaciski and Jalil Williams added picks in the second period.
Piscataway scored its second touchdown midway through the second quarter after a nine-yard punt by Josh Jansky. Three Garrard runs later, the Chiefs were up 12-0. They didn’t score again until the fourth quarter.
"We played well defensively for most of the night," Coviello said. "We got a little worn down at the end with their big bodies and their speed."
Hillsborough put together a very impressive drive that used more than half of the third quarter clock. The Raiders picked up three first downs while moving 47 yards in 12 plays over a span of 6:47. Morton’s 17-yard burst on fourth down moved the ball to the Piscataway 16, which was Hillsborough’s deepest penetration of the night. The Chiefs got tough and moved the Raiders backward before taking over on downs.
"We did move the ball at times," Coviello said. "We have to clean a few things up. We need to do a better job in the red zone."
Jones spent most of the night on the sideline with ice around his right shoulder. Standout two-way lineman Rocco Mazzagatti boarded the bus back to Hillsborough with an ice pack on his left shoulder. Both expect to be ready Friday night when the Raiders host Hunterdon Central in the home opener, but their absence forced some younger guys into service.
"We had some young kids step in and they grew up tonight," Coviello said. "We went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the state. We have to keep working hard and find our identity."