HNT football roundup: Scalia's kick lifts Kennedy late

Rookie placekicker Matt Scalia, a converted soccer player who never before stepped on the gridiron, booted a 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to lift the J.F. Kennedy High School football team to a dramatic 24-21 season-opening victory over New Brunswick on Friday night.

The Zebras erased a 21-0 first-half deficit as Maurice Ffrench scored twice in the third quarter and added a game-tying touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Andrew Roberts connected with Terrence Young on a 32-yard scoring strike to give the Mustangs a 7-0 lead.

Ari King, who plays running back and defensive back, accounted for J.F. Kennedy's two other touchdowns. He scored on a 4-yard run and returned a fumble 54 yards to paydirt.

Roberts completed 5 of 9 passes for 119 yards, while Young caught two passes for 55 yards and ran eight times for 92 yards. Stepp Oziegbe also had two catches for 55 yards.

After the Mustangs graduated reliable kicker Matt Williams, one of head coach Andrew Maurizio's players talked Scalia into trying out for the team. Scalia missed two field goals earlier in the game.

"You never know what you are going to get from a kid," Maurizio said. "Kids will always amaze you."

Carteret 14, Woodbridge 7: Da'Avian Ellington, a sophomore tailback playing in his first ever varsity football game, raced 32 yards at the beginning of the fourth quarter to snap a 7-7 deadlock.

Ellington, who ended the night rushing 16 times for 101 yards, was forced into the primary running back role when cramps forced senior RaKeem Bennett from the game early in the second half. Bennett had opened the scoring in the first quarter when he took a handoff 63 yards for a touchdown. Carlo Lopez added the first of his two PATs for a 7-0 Carteret lead. The lead was short lived however, as sophomore Keshaun Henry returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown. Harry Rutkowski added the point after to tie the game.

The game was mostly about defense, and sloppy play, as both teams combined for well over 20 penalties and five turnovers. The Carteret defense harassed and hurried Woodbridge quarterback Tracy Fudge all evening and Nelson Baez, his Carteret counterpart, was equally ineffective.

Carteret's defense had a goal-line stand early in the first quarter and stopped Woodbridge in its own territory five times in the second half. Carteret, was led defensively by Brandon Gilder, who recorded an interception and a strip and recovery of a fumble.

Middlesex 27, Highland Park 12: Senior Matt Hode ran for 101 yards on 13 carries, while senior Kayshawn Wilson delivered the keynote with a 33-yard scoring run during the third quarter and Middlesex cruised to an opening-night win.

"It was a tough one but we got it, now it's time to move on to Point Pleasant Beach," said Middlesex rookie head coach P.J. Jankowicz , who got his first career win. "We faced some adversity and the kids responded."

Carran Marks, A.J. Abate and Dennis Brodnax also scored for the Blue Jays, who took a 6-0 first-quarter lead on Marks' score and ran it to 14-0 before Highland Park got on the board. Dylan Boynton rushed 14 times for 127 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown run for the Owls, while Ryan O'Shea hit Justin Sims with a 33-yard scoring strike in the third quarter Highland Park.

Piscataway 48, East Brunswick 0: The Chiefs scored on all four first-half possessions and Tyrell Bush returned two punts for touchdowns en route to a 41-0 lead. Elijah Pierson, who ran eight times for 128 yards on the night, scored on a 59-yard run on the second play from scrimmage. Zaire Ashley carried an East Brunswick defender into the end zone from 8 yards out for another score. Sophomore quarterback Danny Haus connected with Elorn Lumor and George Eley for scoring strikes of 10 and 35 yards, respectively, in the second quarter. Bush returned the subsequent two East Brunswick punts for scores, the first a 70-yarder on which he raced up the right sideline. On his second punt return for a score, which went 50 yards, Bush cut back against the field and scooted up the left sideline into the end zone. Piscataway's first-team defense yielded two yards of total offense on 19 first-half plays. Lumor and Jamil Gilmore recorded sacks, and the rest of the Piscataway defense limited the Bears to zero first downs in the opening half. The Chiefs finished with 238 rushing yards and outgained the Bears 284-52 in yards from scrimmage.

Middletown North 40, Perth Amboy 0: Injuries continue to plague the Panthers, who lost starting quarterback Albert Thomas and starting running back Larry Johnson to high ankle sprains in the first quarter.

Neither player returned as Perth Amboy trailed 19-0 at the half.

Deyonte McMillian carried 13 times for 45 yards, while Perth Amboy teammate Julio Medina had an interception. Three other Panthers left the game at different points with cramps including star wideout Shiquan Fullwood.

"I'm not taking anything away from Middletown North," first-year Perth Amboy coach Brad Bishop said. "They are a really good football team and they did a good job game-planning. But it (the injuries) was like a domino effect."

Backup quarterback Manny Saucedo, the younger brother of former Perth Amboy star, Faustino, who was a Most Valuable Player in the Snapple Bowl three years ago, played well in Thomas' absence.

The Panthers have lost 19 of their last 20 games.