After plowing over Sayreville with a 34-14 victory on November 17, High School South’s football team has its eyes set on a Central Jersey, Group IV title, which it will try to earn this Friday, November 30, at 8 p.m. against Howell at Rutgers Stadium.##M:[more]##
It is the first time the team has advanced to the sectional championship since 2000, when Central Jersey Group IV went to eight teams. The Pirates are looking for their first state championship and eleventh win on their last game of the season, and are hoping to be the first Mercer County team to do so in a long time.
And the team can’t look any better heading into the game against the No. 1-seed team with its nearly flawless 10-1 record, and its performance two weeks ago against Sayreville, where its defense had five sacks and one interception, and star junior tailback Dave Twamley ran for 214 yards and had two second-period touchdowns.
Going into the game against Sayreville, the Pirates knew they were facing a state powerhouse, but Coach Todd Smith said he told the players before the game that it would have been their last meaningful game of the season if they ended their winning streak then.
“The Sayreville game was huge,” Smith said. “They came into our place, and we kind of stuck it to them.”
Linebacker Mike Garzone was a standout on the field for South’s defense, as he was involved in three of the five sacks. Ian Simon also forced one of Sayreville’s two fumbles. Dempsey Page scored two touchdowns during the game.
While the Pirates got off to a slow start the day after Thanksgiving, they continued to fuel the momentum, with their 26-6 win over Nottingham, keeping the Northstars from scoring until under the last minute and a half of the game. It wasn’t necessary for the Pirates to win their last regular season game with the championship coming up a week later, but Smith made the decision to play his starters.
“The thought crossed everyone’s minds,” he said of potentially holding out on doing so to ensure the team’s main weapons would be in good health for the championship. “But, you play the game to win, and unfortunately, we did have a little bit of an injury,” he said referring to Henry MacQueen, who hurt his shoulder during the game. But Smith said he should be back ready to play in tonight’s game.
The Pirates tied their school record of 10 wins in a season with their win against Nottingham, and “most importantly, we carry that momentum through to Friday,” Smith said.
The game remained scoreless through the first half until Farrell ran the ball into the end zone with just under four minutes left in the half. This was after Nottingham missed a field goal on its first possession of the game, and after the Pirates fumbled on the first pass of the their first possession.
Smith said the short amount of time the team had to prepare for the Nottingham game — with Thanksgiving the day before — contributed to the slow first half.
The Pirates came out roaring in the second half, as Jeff Riemann caught a pass from Farrell and ran the ball to the end zone from the 46-yard line. Minutes later, Twamley caught a pass and ran 53 yards to the end zone, breaking a tackle along the way. Senior Tailback Tom Princiotta also broke free for a 44-yard touchdown. The Northstarts were able to score only one touchdown near the end of the game for a final score of 26-6.
Smith said the team was looking at film of Howell this week in preparation for tonight’s game in order to “make sure they know what they have to do on defense.”
“They spread the ball around,” Smith said of Howell. “And they have a very good quarterback. They play solid defense, and they cover all aspects of the game very well.”
Still, Smith said his team has what it takes to make it all the way.
“When our offense needs to come up with plays, they make them. When our defense needs to come up with plays, they make them,” he said, adding that he feels the Pirates are one of the most balanced teams in the state. “When our defense plays well, we’re a pretty tough team to beat.”
