HS Football: Westfield plows ahead in playoffs

WESTFIELD - While its two top running backs remain sidelined because of injuries, Westfield has relied on its defense to extend its winning streak to 22 games, the longest in the state.

When the Blue Devils opened the defense of its NJSIAA North 2 Group V title Saturday, both units were dominant as Westfield rolled to a 48-0 victory over Bayonne.

Westfield (9-0) will host Union, which it defeated  28-13 on Oct. 8, for a chance to return to the sectional final next Saturday.

Six different players contributed touchdowns as Westfield amassed its highest point total since dropping 49 on Columbia in the opening round of last year's playoffs. But it was the numbers put up by the defense, which registered its first shutout since the opening game of this season, that were most revealing.

Bayonne (4-6), which entered with a three-game losing streak in which it was outscored 96-22, had a balanced offense, it just didn't have much of it. The Bees gained 34 yards on the ground and 34 yards in the air and recorded just four first downs, one by penalty. Westfield's defense forced four three-and-out series, three in succession in the first half.

"Through this all it's our defense that has stepped up, and we're going to continue to need them to step up," coach Jim DeSarno said of Westfield's injury-marred season. "They're our backbone right now."

With Matt Varano and Ishmael Glasgow out with injuries Westfield has relied on "running back by committee", in DeSarno's words. That committee may have found a new chairman in junior Juandrea House, who made his varsity debut a memorable one by running 15 times for a game-high 104 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown run aided by a devastating downfield block from Kyle Dombrowski.

"I got to pick up on things that I didn't really understand and I just fed off that," said House, who watched Westfield's 8-0 starts while recovering from a broken collarbone he suffered over the summer. "I thought I had a lot to prove. I had to stick to the basics, follow the line and that's what I did and it played out very well."

Jake Vall-Llobera delivered Westfield's first two touchdowns with a pair of short touchdown runs, the first after linebacker Drew Ortiz recovered a Bayonne fumbled at the Bees' 9. Jacob Dayon made the score 20-0 with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter when he returned a low blocked punt that caromed off the Westfield line.

Philip Martini, who completed eight off 11 passes for 106 yards, tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jack Shirk that extended the lead to 34-0 at halftime. Jake Kaplan and Anthony DiBella concluded the scoring with short touchdown runs in the second half.

The injury bug bit Westfield again midway through the opening quarter when wideout Michael Moriarty, who serves as the team's kicker, injured his right knee while running a jet sweep.

Moriarty's status for next week's semifinal is uncertain.

Westfield's is not.

BAYONNE (4-6)  0-0-0-0-0

WESTFIELD (9-0)  20-14-7-7-48

SCORING SUMMARY

W - Vall-Llobera 4 run (Moriarty kick)

W - Vall-Llobera 1 run (kick failed)

W - Dayon 10 blocked punt return (Boland kick)

W - House 52 run (Boland kick)

W - Shirk 9 pass from Martini (Boland kick)

W - Kaplan 1 run (Boland kick)

W - DiBella 3 run (Boland kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - B: McNair 13-19, Belle 3-8, Manning 3-7, Davila 1-0; W: House 15-104, DeRosa 8-55, Kaplan 4-28, DiBella 4-16, Moriarty 1-10, Vall-Llobera 4-7, Martini 1-0, Saltzer 1-0, Gerris 1-minus 3.

Passing - B: McNair 3-10-0-34; W: Martini 8-11-0-106, Saltzer 1-1-0-7.

Receiving - B: Whittle 2-33, Britt 1-1; W: McDaniel 2-32, Shirk 3-31, Dombrowski 2-27, Kaplan 1-16, Norris 1-7.