FOOTBALL

GMC Football: Metuchen picks up first win, beats Keyport in OT

Lauren Knego
Courier News and Home News Tribune

Jaden Rojas scored on a four-yard run and the Metuchen High School football team picked up its first win of the season with a 9-3 victory over Keyport on Saturday.

"I just told the kids they have to keep fighting and they have to give me four quarters of football," Metuchen head coach Mike Warnock said. "At the end of the day we haven’t seen a complete game yet and we need four quarters if we’re going to win, and they kept fighting and gave me five quarters, I couldn’t be more proud of them."

MEDIA BLITZ: WEEK 7 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FRENZY

Metuchen (1-5) took the lead with 5:52 left in the second quarter on a 20-yard field goal by Gio Ortega. Keyport (1-6) tied the game with 11 seconds left on a 45-yard field goal, and the game went to overtime tied 3-3. 

"It was definitely better than expected," Warnock said. "We started on defense which was our choice, and I told the kids a lot of high school kids don’t understand how overtime works, and it’s to keep them out of the endzone and we score. They were moving the ball a little bit in overtime and they kept fighting and we managed to stop them."

Rojas finished the game with 16 carries for 79 yards and one touchdown and made 10 tackles. Quarterback Will Hronich was 9-of-18 for 61 yards and one interception. He aslo had three carries for eight yards. 

Dan Russell caught four receptions for 36 yards and Andrew Sullivan had two catches for 17 yards. Dan Kindler added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

"It’s all the hard work starting to pay off, they kids see that," Warnock said. "They’re a tough young group, they know they just have to keep fighting and good things would come. They can do this and get these wins and it’s a matter of confidence, getting the first win is so important. Unfortunately it came a little late but I’ll take it."