FOOTBALL: Bridgewater-Raritan blanks Elizabeth in regular-season finale

BRIDGEWATER - Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s football team wrapped another outstanding regular season Thursday night with an emphatic 35-0 victory over Elizabeth.

The Panthers, now 31-5 in the regular season since 2014, begin the chase next week for the one victory they haven’t gotten the past two years, when the North 2 Group V playoffs begin. Bridgewater-Raritan (7-2) has made the sectional final the past two seasons, but fell to Westfield both times. The Panthers also were  knocked out by Westfield in a 2014 first-round game.

But that’s all history.

Bridgewater-Raritan is assured of opening at home at Basilone Memorial Field on Friday night against either Bayonne, Ridge or Watchung Hills. The Panthers will be a No. 2 or No. 3 seed, pending Piscataway’s game against Edison and how the residual points break out this weekend. Both teams will be behind No. 1 Westfield.

And though the power point race was done for BR with its win over Union a week ago Friday, the players certainly didn’t look at Elizabeth as a meaningless exercise.

 “I know from the past two years that the upperclassmen told us that every game matters -- that’s going back to unbeaten (regular) seasons and even my freshman year when we won only one game,” said senior linebacker/tight end Brandon Myers, who scored the first touchdown of the night. “Look at us now. Every game matters We play every game as hard as we can.”

FOOTBALL PICKS: Beatwriter Simeon Pincus predicts the outcome of Week 9 games in the Mid-State 37

READ: Ridge's Andrew Lusardi is the Courier News/MS37 Football Player of the Week

FOOTBALL RANKINGS: The latest CN/MS37 Top 10

The Panthers look very prepared no matter who the first-round opponent turns out to be. In fact, Elizabeth (4-5) could be a second-round opponent. The Minutemen will be seeded No. 4 or No. 5 in the section and will either play host to or travel to East Orange.

The Panthers beat Elizabeth 27-21 in Week 9 last season, and 23-9 three weeks later in the sectional semifinals, so Bridgewater-Raritan looked at Thursday night as a big confidence jump.

“Hopefully this gives us a boost and we get two home games,” Myers said.

Junior Anthony Goffe is a big reason for the optimism. He became the first Panther since Jamar Thigpen (now a B-R assistant coach) in 2010 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season when he broke off a 45-yard run in the fourth quarter -- he needed 11 before the play. Goffe said he had to talk coach Scott Bray into letting him back into the game. Bray said he wasn’t sure how close Goffe was to the milestone and was also cautious about players getting hurt. Goffe finished with 212 yards on 28 carries.

Bray rested some of his linemen, including junior guard Chris Nice and sophomore center Johnny Confalome. Junior Robert Stashek, normally a guard, played center, while the guards were seniors Nick Celli and Abhi Somenhalli, with junior Alec Miseo and senior Josh Glussky at the tackles. They helped B-R register 345 yards in total offense.

The line looked especially strong when B-R opened the second half with a 12-play, 80-yard drive that featured Goffe’s 27-yard run that set himself up for a one-yard scoring run. Junior Nick Balliro’s extra point gave the Panthers a 21-0 lead with 6:34 left in the third quarter.

“Biggest thing tonight was coming away with the win for these kids and wrap up a 7-2 regular season is outstanding and the momentum going into the playoffs, you hope that carries with us,” said Bray. “The biggest thing is staying healthy and I think we did that.”

Elizabeth had the best chance to score first. Junior quarterback Leshane Taylor connected with senior Jabriel Harmon on a 50-yard pass. But three plays were followed by a 23-yard field goal attempt that was blocked by senior defensive back Tyler Ball and picked up by Myers.

Not long thereafter, Verano hit Myers for a 36-yard touchdown. Myers caught the ball near the Elizabeth 15 and skimmed the sideline into the end zone.

“Me and my quarterback have a really good chemistry, so if I break off of a route and goes the other way, he knows where I’m going to be and gets me the ball,” said Myers, who caught two passes for 44 yards. “That one was just a corner.  He threw it where I needed to be and I caught it. I’m not the most athletic guy, but I was able to keep my feet in and tippy toed into the end zone.”

Senior linebackers Chike Nwankwo and Justin Bryant had 14 tackles apiece.

ELIZABETH (4-5) 0-0-0-0-0

BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN (7-2) 7-7-14-7-35

BR – Myers 36 pass from Verano (Balliro kick)

BR – Bryant 2 run (Balliro kick)

BR -  Goffe 1 run (Balliro kick)

BR -  Hnasko 56 run (Balliro kick)

BR. – Salvatore 1 run (Balliro kick)