Football: Colonia falls to Summit in N2G4 first round

SUMMIT – The 2016 season may have come to a disappointing and abrupt end for the Colonia High School football team, but the Patriots still have a whole lot to be proud about.

After starting the season 1-4, the Patriots won four games in a row to earn a spot in the North 2 Group IV playoffs, but sixth-seeded Colonia fell to third-seeded Summit 42-7 in the North 2 Group IV first round on Saturday afternon.

The Patriots won four out of their final five games and finished the season with a 5-5 record.

“To start 1-4, and we weren’t a good 1-4, but to bounce back and make it to the playoffs is a credit to the kind of kids we have and the kind of coaches we have,” Colonia coach Tom Roarty said. “They’re high character guys, they were working hard even when we were 1-4 and they just kept with it. The kids kept believing, kept showing up every Monday and good things started to happen.”

Colonia’s season began to turn around on Oct 14 when the Patriots defeated a now 7-2 and second round bound South Plainfield team 28-20. The Patriots then went on a tear, winning three more games and outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 86-34 during that streak.

Roarty credits the leadership of senior captains Tyler Layton, Tyler Zawacki and Charlie Tavormina, who were winless in their freshman year, for the big turnaround.

“The leadership of the Tyler Layton’s and the Tyler Zawacki’s and the Charlie Tavormina’s, I told the young guys to look at those guys,” Roarty said. “Those guys were 0-9 as freshmen, and now they’re seniors in the state playoffs. When you’re in the state playoffs, especially in our section, that’s an accomplishment.”

As for the game itself, junior wide receiver Matt Zawacki scored the lone Colonia touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Layton that cut the deficit to 28-7 with 1:57 left in the first half.

Zawacki finished with nine receptions and 129 receiving yards. On defense, he also intercepted a pass in the first quarter.

Staff Writer Daniel LoGiudice can be reached at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @danny_logiudice.