CN football: Somerville, N. Plainfield among surprises
Opening day is about fresh starts, and for two local high school football teams coming off brutal stretches, opening day of the 2016 season couldn’t have been more refreshing.
Few teams struggled through last season as much as Somerville and North Plainfield, as the Pioneers began by adding three more losses to what was already a 22-game losing streak and finished the season 2-8, while the Canucks began their 2015 campaign with eight straight losses before finishing with two wins in a row.
Friday night, the two teams entered their games against clubs coming off fantastic seasons and flipped the script in a decisive way. North Plainfield thumped reigning Mid-State 38 Mountain Division champ and 2016 Valley Division preseason favorite Delaware Valley 28-7, while Somerville blasted defending North 2 Group III Cranford 41-17, a team that finished last season undefeated and had outscored the Pioneers 130-30 in previous four meetings. It also marked the first time the Pioneers had won their opener since 2011.
“Our kids played their hearts out,” said Somerville coach Jeff Vanderbeek, whose team was led by a monster outing from senior receiver/DB Nasyr Petties-Jackson, who tallied 200 yards receiving and scored five touchdowns, including one on a 65-yard interception return. “It was very, very hot, and the kids never quit. Our coaches had them well prepared, and they played a great game. They executed the game plan, and good things happen when you can do that.”
“I told them since day one I thought they could do some good things,” said North Plainfield first-year coach Mark Ciccotelli, whose club was led by quarterback Nick Cherasaro (249 yards, 2 TDs), running back Brandon Smith (3 TDs) and defensive lineman Chris Cooney (10 tackles, 3 sacks). “I told them they had to believe in themselves and work hard, but sometimes you need good things to happen for that to come to fruition. Against a football team like Delaware Valley and the rich tradition that they have, it’s certainly something we can build on.”
Hillsborough didn’t quite suffer through the same hardships last season, finishing 4-6, including three victories in its last five games. But the Raiders have designs on bigger and better things in 2016, and after going on the road Friday night and turning in an impressive 27-0 blanking of perennial powerhouse Elizabeth, the Raiders seem well on their way to accomplishing their 2016 goals.
“This was an awesome win for us,” Hillsborough coach Kevin Carty said. “The experience of winning in such a tough environment with so many different guys contributing over a team with Elizabeth's talent is something I hope we can draw from the rest of the year.”
RELATED: Bridgewater-Raritan tops Hunterdon Central on opening night
Hitting the century mark
Ridge coach Bill Tracy celebrated an impressive milestone Friday night with the Red Devils’ 31-21 win over Montgomery.
Tracy, who is in his 19th season as a high school football head coach, picked up career victory No. 100 Friday night. It was his 45th since taking over the Ridge program eight years ago, to go with 55 victories he collected as Livingston head coach.
Tracy, a New Jersey Scholastic Association Hall of Famer, led Livingston to a sectional championship in 2008, his final year at the Lancers’ helm, taking the Red Devils to the North 2 Group IV final the following season. He then guided Ridge to the North 2 Group V championship in 2013.
CN FOOTBALL PREVIEW: A handy list of links to the entire 2016 CN HS football preview package
Top performances: Week 1
Nas Petties-Jackson, senior wide receiver/defensive back, Somerville: Caught eight passes for 200 yards and four touchdowns, adding a fifth tally on a 65-yard interception return in the Pioneers 41-17 victory over Cranford.
Chris Cooney, senior defensive lineman, North Plainfield: Collected 10 tackles, including seven for a loss, posted three sacks and broke up two passes as the Canucks topped Delaware Valley 28-7.
Matt Varano, senior running back, Westfield: Ran for 160 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown as the Blue Devils blanked Linden 30-0.
Simeon Pincus:SPincus@gannettnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @SimeonPincus and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SimeonPincusCN
Courier News Football Top 10
1. Westfield 1-0
2. Piscataway 1-0
3. Immaculata 1-0
4. Ridge 1-0
5. Bridgewater-Raritan 1-0
6. Hillsborough 1-0
7. Bernards 1-1
8. North Hunterdon 0-1
9. Delaware Valley 0-1
10. Watchung Hills 0-1
Mid-State 38 Week 1 scoreboard
Friday
A.L. Johnson 38, New Providence 0
Belvidere 42, Dayton 0
North Plainfield 28, Delaware Valley 7
Governor Livingston 21, Voorhees 13
Hillsborough 27, Elizabeth 0
Bridgewater-Raritan 21, Hunterdon Central 10
Bound Brook 35, Manville 12
Ridge 31, Montgomery 21
Phillipsburg 20, Franklin 6
Brearley 22, Pingry 8
Roselle 61, Bernards 54
Roselle Park 33, South Hunterdon 0
Somerville 41, Cranford 17
Summit 24, North Hunterdon 13
Union 40, Watchung Hills 13
Westfield 30, Linden 0
Saturday
Warren Hills 22, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 10
Rahway 26, Hillside 19
Immaculata 35, Plainfield 7
Mid-State 38 Week 2 schedule
Friday, Sept. 16
Bernards at A.L. Johnson, 7 p.m.
Bound Brook at South Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
Brearley at Belvidere, 7 p.m.
Bridgewater-Raritan at Hillsborough, 7 p.m.
Franklin at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
North Hunterdon at Warren Hills, 7 p.m.
North Plainfield at Somerville, 7 p.m.
Phillipsburg at Hunterdon Central, 7 p.m.
Pingry at Manville, 7 p.m.
Roselle Park at Dayton, 7 p.m.
Voorhees at Cranford, 7 p.m.
Watchung Hills at Elizabeth, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 17
Delaware Valley at Roselle, 12 p.m.
Immaculata at Summit, 1 p.m.
Linden at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 1 p.m.
New Providence at Hillside, 1 p.m.
Rahway at Governor Livingston, 1 p.m.
Ridge at Westfield, 1 p.m.
Union at Plainfield, 1 p.m.
