Sportswriters, usually not shy about using a cliche to make a point, may have the number nine on their mind as they preview this year’s edition of the WW-P North-South football rivalry, at South Friday, September 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Yes, in this crosstown rivalry both teams will be going “the whole nine yards,” to draw from the World War II expression referring to the length of a machine gunner’s ammunition belt and the need to use it all to bring down a particularly resilient target.
And yes, both teams as well as the town will be “dressed to the nines” (an expression of uncertain origin), with banners flying above Route 571 announcing the game, extra bleachers and lights, commemorative T-shirts, and free goodie bags for kids.
But the most important nines of all may be on the uniforms of the leading running backs for both North and South: Darren Parrott of the Knights and Ryan Lupo of the Pirates.
Lupo dominated the CVC in 2005, helping the Pirates sail to a perfect 9-0 regular season record. Going into South’s Thursday, September 21, game against Hamilton (played after this edition of the News went to press), Lupo continued to dominate. Against Trenton High on opening day he rushed for 230 yards rushing despite having three long runs called back for holding penalties. In the second game of the season against Lawrence he rushed for 181 yards on 29 carries in a losing cause.
According to South coach Todd Smith, Lupo has a deceptive running style that opponents tend to misjudge. “A lot of people think he’s a hard-nosed kid who is going to try to run people over,” he says. “But he also has the ability to hit the hole so fast and read defenses on the fly that people can’t catch up with him. He has dynamic lateral movement and the ability to push people off of him. He’s the total package.”
Lupo is being heavily recruited by Ivy League Schools such as Yale and Princeton as well as Division I-AA programs like Villanova and William and Mary. “In addition to being a great running back, Ryan is an excellent student and that is something that will serve him very well at the college level,” says Smith.
After playing a part-time role behind seniors Ray Sanchez and Mike DeGoria in 2005, North’s Parrott has stepped up to be the Knights’ top offensive weapon. In the opening 34-20 loss to Ewing, Parrott carried the ball 18 times for 143 yards and scored two touchdowns. This nearly matched his entire yardage total for 2005. In the second week of the season, in North’s 13-7 victory over Hopewell Valley, Parrott rushed 30 times for 143 yards, despite the opponents keying on him throughout the second half. With North playing Robbinsville — a program only in its second year — on Thursday, September 21 (after the News went to press), North had a good chance of entering the South game with a winning record.
“Parrot’s a dangerous athlete who can score every time he touches the ball,” says North Head Coach Art Stubbs. “Darren has really become my go-to back. He worked on his legs all off-season, can squat around 400 pounds, and has gained about 30 pounds since last season. He has earned it.”
Although the North-South rivalry is only five years old, the yearly battle between the High School North and South football teams is one of the most hotly contested in central New Jersey. It’s got everything that has come to represent the best in football at the high school level. It will be played on a Friday night, under the lights, with a loud crowd that could total 3,”000 or more, depending on the weather.
“You hear that some people try to say that there isn’t much of a rivalry between North and South, but if you have one school with the same name three miles away from your school, you’re going to have a rivalry,” says Smith. “I went to Hunterdon Central and our big rivalry was North Hunterdon. It’s a natural rivalry. Our kids take it very seriously.”
“All these guys grew up together and a lot of them are friends off the field,” says Stubbs, whose team fell to South in a lopsided battle in 2005. “But when you play your friends you want to beat them. You want bragging rights. We’ve beaten them a couple times in a row before they got a little revenge on us last year. This year we intend to bring our A-game.”
South’s Challenge
The North-South battle looks to be a closer match this season, in Smith’s second year as Pirates’ head football coach. After its perfect regular season last year, South went on to beat Colt’s Neck, 24-21, in the first round of the state playoffs. South ultimately was eliminated from the tournament by CVC rival Nottingham, 19-10, to end its undefeated run.
This season hasn’t gone as well for South, starting out with a 1-1 record. The Pirates beat Trenton, 35-12, but lost at Lawrence, 41-21, on September 16. “We have a different kind of team this year than we had last year,” says Smith. “Last year we had a lot of extremely experienced players and this year we have a lot of new varsity players in the program. But I really feel they have the talent and dedication to pick things right.”
The loss to Lawrence came as something of a shock to South, with the Pirates defense unable to slow down the powerful Eagles rushing attack. But things started out strong against Lawrence when Stuart Adams took the opening kickoff for a big return. Lupo then looked like he was going to score the opening touchdown four plays later, but a holding penalty nullified the run. South never recovered the momentum of the game.
But Smith says that a greater effort by his team and a greater attention to football fundamentals can give the team a chance to win every game. The Pirates success in the backfield features more than just Lupo at tailback. Adams at fullback is the sort of player who can make a big impact. “I think they both make a pretty lethal combination,” says Smith. Adams ran for 107 yards and scored three touchdowns against Trenton.
“Stuart is a real physical specimen,” says Smith. “He has power and speed and is also getting a lot of interest from colleges.” South’s quarterback, Colin Dampier, is also a potent playmaker. “Colin has a great knowledge of the way our offense works,” says Smith. “He can read defenses and change plays at the line of scrimmage. A lot of high school quarterbacks can’t do that.”
North Rebuilds
For the Northern Knights, it is a season of rebuilding. After a rough 1-9 season in 2005, Stubbs promised that the Knights would feature a more versatile and aggressive offense on. “Last year we were forced to play catch-up too often. That made us into a team that tried to force passes on a defense that was sitting back and waiting for them,” says Stubbs.
So far Stubbs is relatively pleased with the results. After the opening season loss to Ewing (despite leading 20-13 at the end of the first half) North earned an impressive victory over Hopewell in week two. “We have the opportunity to be a very good football team,” says Stubbs. “We need to make fewer mistakes than the other team and then we will be okay.”
The success is a result, in part, to a change in offensive philosophy. “Last year we started out with Zach Weale as our quarterback,” says Stubbs. “He has a really strong arm and we wanted to use it. But teams were waiting for us. Too often we went three and out. I wanted to go back to the way we played when I coached at Hamilton High School. To throw the ball and run the ball in a balanced attack. We can have a great option attack. I think we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.”
Junior Chris Petrone at quarterback (who took over the position when Zach Weale moved to starting linebacker) is a positive role model for the rest of the team. “He’s the kind of guy who is constantly working to improve his skills,” says Stubbs.
Other Knights making big contributions include linebacker Brandon Rudolph. Despite having broken his collarbone during the summer, Rudolph is what his coach calls a “natural born leader.” Although he is not expected back until around midseason, Stubbs says that Rudolph is a big contributor to the team on the sidelines. “He’s really the team backbone of the squad, a captain, and the team has really rallied around him,” says Stubbs.
Juniors Pat Wade, at middle linebacker and fullback, and Dave Corsen, who plays defensive end are also tough players who have stepped up their game. “”Both have worked hard all year and are really making a difference on this team,”” says Stubbs. John Blasingame, a quiet leader, is a running back and defensive back.
With the Pirates hoping to make the state playoffs and the Knights set to make 2006 a year of improvement, the two teams could go into the game with the same record. Regardless of standings, however, the North-South game will likely be one of the most exciting evenings of the high school year. All who attend will be taking part in an honored, albeit young tradition. In front of the packed stadium the young warriors will take the field for battle, preparing to give “the whole nine yards.”
Event Notes
Ken Jacobs, manager of the West Windsor Recreation Department, has rounded up some extra bleachers and safety lighting from area parks and will have them delivered to South in advance of the event. In addition, the recreation commissioners have agreed to purchase a 20-foot banner to be hung at Route 571 and Clarksville Road to announce the event.
T-shirts to commemorate the event will be on sale for $10. Admission is free for children 10 and under. The first 200 kids of this age group will receive a Pirate “loot” bag full of toys and candy distributed by uniformed South cheerleaders and football players. Adult admission is $3; students and senior citizens $2.
North’s marching band will perform pre-game and South’s band, color guard, cheerleaders, and dance team will perform at half time. Parking is available at High School South and at the Maurice Hawk Elementary School down the road on Clarksville. Township police will direct traffic and help residents navigate the surrounding intersections. Expect delays.
