SPORTS

Highland Park stops Metuchen, reclaims Goalpost Trophy

JOSH ROSENFELD
Correspondent
web-art sports Football

HIGHLAND PARK - Over the first 22 minutes of Thursday's contest, Highland Park's Ryan O'Shea completed as many passes to Metuchen's Willi Rojas as he did to his own teammates: two.

The Highland Park senior recovered quickly as his next two throws went for touchdowns a minute apart to break a scoreless duel just before halftime and send the Owls on their way to a 35-7 victory.

The outcome returned the coveted Goalpost Trophy to Highland Park (6-4) after a three-year hiatus and extended its lead to 61-20-1 in a series that began in 1937. The victory also secured the Owls' first winning season since reaching the Central Jersey, Group 1 final in 2009, as it amassed more victories this season than in the prior two combined.

Turnovers played a major role in the outcome, as they often do. Both teams made them. Highland Park capitalized. Metuchen didn't.

O'Shea shook off the two early picks by Rojas, who nearly had a third, for the game's first score after Yuriy Prots stripped a Metuchen ball carrier and Nhakir Deloath recovered for Highland Park. On the next play O'Shea dumped a short pass off to Dylan Boynton, who shook-off three missed tackles for a 67-yard touchdown pass and 7-0 lead with 1:55 left in the half.

Brian Baker picked off a pass on Metuchen's next play and, two plays later, O'Shea found Justin Sims open down the right sideline for a 29-yard scoring strike and a 14-0 cushion with 57 second remaining in the half.

"It bothered me, but I knew what I had to do, I had to get right back to it and make plays on offense," O'Shea said. "We're mostly about the play-action, run, run, run and finally, the pass opens up."

O'Shea completed seven of 11 passes for an even 200 yards, going five-of-six for 165 yards  after the second interception. Sims was a willing accomplice with five receptions for 114 yards.

The pair had nothing to do with the Owls third score, a 53-yard jaunt by Boynton after a failed fake punt at midfield, but they were all over Highland Park's last two scores.

O'Shea hooked up with Sims for a 34-yard gain that set up a first-and-goal before a 4-yard touchdown run by Nasir Boykins.

Metuchen (3-7) failed to complete a pass in eight tries, and Rojas generated Metuchen's lone points by returning the ensuing kick 69 yards to reduce the margin to 28-7.

Sims then made a Beckham-ish one-handed grab for a 36-yard gain preceding O'Shea's 7-yard scoring keeper with assistance from Baker, who steered him into the end zone.

Highland Park coach Rich McGlynn was emotional after the game as he discussed the growth of his program with the maturity of his senior class.

"All of the accolades go to the seniors; they've been with me for four years," McGlynn offered,

"It's been three years since we beat them, and it means a lot to our program. They bought into what we're trying to do, they never wavered. Finishing 6-4 and winning this trophy, it means everything."

METUCHEN (3-7)  0-0-0-7-7

HIGHLAND PARK (6-4)  0-14-7-14-35

SCORING SUMMARY

HP - Boynton 67 pass from O'Shea (Lenaris kick)

HP - Sims 29 pass from O'Shea (Lenaris kick)

HP - Boynton 53 run (Lenaris kick)

HP - Boykins 4 run (Lenaris kick)

M - Rojas 69 kick return (McCadden kick)

HP - O'Shea 7 run (Lenaris)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - M: Rojas 11-37, Briggs 7-36, Miller 3-7, Hronich 7-minus 5; HP: Boykins 16-58, Boynton 7-54, O'Shea 9-40, Deloath 1-6, Baker 2-minus 3.

 

Passing - M: Hronich 0-7-1-0, Miller 0-1-0-0; HP: O'Shea 7-11-2-200.

 

Receiving - HP: Sims 5-114, Boynton 1-67, Boykins 1-19.