EDITOR'S NOTE: We'll provide readers with stories from all of Friday night's first-round playoff action involving Greater Middlesex Conference teams right here. This page will be updated throughout the night as game stories are filed, so please consider revisiting or refreshing this page. Thanks for following our high school football coverage.
Sammy Nieves wasn't exactly channeling his inner Joe Namath to predict a Super Bowl victory, but the South Plainfield High School quarterback, in a move completely out of character, told his coach the Tigers would upset an undefeated state-ranked team.
“Sammy is a quiet kid,” South Plainfield head coach Gary Cassio said. “After we drew West Essex (for the opening round of the North 2 Group III playoffs), he texted me out of the blue. He said, ‘Coach, we can beat these guys.’ That’s out of the norm for Sammy. He had a great practice all week and was very vocal tonight, which he is usually not. He put these guys on his back offensively.”
Nieves scored two touchdowns and West Essex, ranked No. 15 in USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey’s statewide Top 20, missed a potential game-winning field goal in the closing seconds as seventh-seeded South Plainfield held on for a stunning 17-16 upset on Friday night.
The loss snapped West Essex's winning streak, which was the longest in the state, at 18 games. West Essex last lost on Sept. 15, 2017 to West Morris.
Nieves had touchdown runs of 25 and 60 yards and Ashwin DeGroot booted a 30-yard field goal, accounting for all of South Plainfield’s scoring in a seesaw affair that featured three lead changes.
The Tigers (5-4) reached the sectional semifinals against third-seeded Rahway, which advanced with a 48-21 drubbing of sixth-seeded Parsippany Hills in another first-round game on Friday night.
“Only the kids in our locker room knew we had a chance to win this game,” said Cassio, noting his squad features multi-sport athletes from the high school’s three-time defending state championship wrestling program and reigning Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament champion baseball team. “They’ve been in big situations. They are never going to walk onto the field and believe they have no chance. Our kids believe they can play with anybody.”
Second-seeded West Essex (8-1) took a 3-0 lead on a 20-yard field goal. Nieves answered with a 25-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 7-3 advantage. West Essex retook the lead 10-7 on a 1-yard quarterback sneak. Nieves answered again with a 65-yard scoring jaunt and DeGroot booted his field goal at the end of the second quarter, as the Tigers took a 17-10 lead at the half.
Will Perez’s 5-yard touchdown run closed the gap to 17-16 in the third quarter. West Essex’s first attempt at the PAT split the upright, but the Tigers jumped offside before the snap and West Essex had to attempt the kick again. This time, the holder bobbled the snap and was forced to throw a pass, on which the receiver was tackled at the 1-yard line.
Cassio said his team’s challenging schedule, which included a 15-14 overtime win over defending sectional champion North Hunterdon, a 14-0 loss to Linden, which was ranked among the Top 20 teams in the state at the time, and setbacks to league rivals St. Joseph and Colonia prepared the Tigers well for the postseason.
“Coming into the season, I wasn’t too thrilled with the schedule-makers, especially the (Mid-State Conference) crossovers with Linden and North Hunterdon, but it woke us up as a coaching staff,” Cassio said. “After that Linden game, I told the guys, ‘We are good.’ We should have beat Linden (were it not for) fumbles inside the red zone. We played a heck of a schedule.”
Cassio called West Essex a great team with no weaknesses. Cassio said opposing coach Chris Benacquista told him before the game that West Essex had yet to play a team this season as physical as South Plainfield.
Luke Niemeyer, Zach DelVecchio and Austin Scott anchored a defense that held West Essex to a season-low point total. The Knights entered the contest having scored 34 or more points against eight previous opponents.
“We are a physical team,” Cassio said. “We want to mix it up with everybody.”
FLORENCE 21, MIDDLESEX 14 (OT)
After scoring a touchdown in the first overtime, Florence recovered a Middlesex fumble on the ensuing possession as the fourth-seeded Flashes held on to knock off the defending sectional champions.
The Blue Jays recovered a fumble at their own 34 with 5:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, but were forced to punt. Florence had the ball on the Middlesex 20 with .21 seconds left in regulation and ran a toss that failed to reach the end zone as time expired.
Florence (6-3) erased a 14-0 halftime deficit to reach the sectional semifinals.
Middlesex (5-5) had a five-game winning streak snapped. The Blue Jays will play Dunellen on Thanksgiving eve with a chance to play spoiler. Should Dunellen win that game, it will claim the Gold Division title. Should Middlesex win that game, South River would be declared the division champion.
On first-and-goal form the 12, Mike Schweyher scored on a keeper around end and Kyle Buitron added the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 2:30 left in the first quarter.
Schweyher returned an interception 59 yards for a score and Buitron added his second PAT, as the Blue Jays doubled their lead to 14-0 with 2:37 remaining in the second quarter.
Florence (6-3) closed the deficit in half, converting a fourth-and-goal from the 1 yard line with 2:33 remaining in the third quarter.
The Flashes forged a 14-14 tie, scoring on third-and-goal from the 6 yard line early in the fourth quarter.
Schweyher completed 2 of 9 passes for 44 yards and rushed 12 times for 38 yards. Backfield mates Jose Andjuar and Josh Ramirez rushed for 41 and 56 yards, respectively.
Josh Irvin had 27 yards from scrimmage for Middlesex. Stephen Young caught a 30-yard pass for the Blue Jays.
DEPAUL 49, BISHOP AHR 0
The second-seeded Spartans (7-3) coasted to a Non-Public Group III first-round win over the seventh-seeded Trojans (4-6).
De’Mere White rushed for two touchdowns, while teammates Sean Kelly, Chazz Bryant, Milo Lee and Quayere Alexander each rushed for scores. Ta’Quan Robinson opened the scoring with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Sean Kelly.
The Trojans, who trailed 35-0 at halftime, own a 7-20 record in the postseason.
Bishop Ahr opened the year with impressive wins over Roselle and Dunellen before dropping six of their next eight games.
DePaul will host a sectional semifinal against the winner of another first-round game between third-seeded Mater Dei and sixth-seeded Pope John.
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