Luke Pero's career-high rushing performance carries Colonia football

Junior running back Luke Pero rushed for a career-high 240 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries as the Colonia High School football team used a big second half to pull away from J.P. Stevens for a 35-12 victory on Friday night.

Pero scored on runs of 16, 15, 10 and 8 yards. Taj Calvin Johnson caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Layton to give the Patriots a 28-12 lead.

“The line really came together,” Colonia head coach Tom Roarty said of Kyle Foster, Tyler Zawacki, Charlie Tavormina, Oliver French and Mike Gonzalez.

“Luke is getting comfortable back there and we are starting to spread the field on people. Pero did a good job finding the holes and the line blocked like crazy.”

Colonia played without Tristan Weathers, one of the team’s leading receivers, who was sidelined with an injury.

Quian Muse scored both touchdowns for J.P. Stevens, which fell to 1-5. Muse had scoring jaunts of 5 and 4 yards. The Hawks trailed 7-6 at halftime.

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The Patriots improved to 3-4 with their second consecutive win and got some much-needed help to keep their feint playoff hopes alive.

Colonia entered this weekend tied with Montgomery for the 10th most power points in North 2 Group IV. Both teams had 44 power points and trailed West Windsor-Plainsboro North by two power points.

With Montgomery and West Windsor-Plainsboro North losing on Friday night, the Patriots will leap ahead of both schools in the power point standings.

Colonia also benefits from South Plainfield’s stunning 10-0 upset of previously undefeated Carteret, because the Patriots defeated the Tigers last weekend when Pero rushed for 208 yards.

Colonia must win its next game against crosstown rival J.F. Kennedy to stay in contention for a postseason berth.