GMC Football: South River falls to Hillside in Central Group II quarterfinals

SOUTH RIVER – Loses sting. They’re no fun and they stink and there’s not much you can really say when it’s over. South River High School senior Kyle Baszak took a philosophical, big picture approach after his team fell 28-7 to Hillside in Saturday’s Central Group II quarterfinal.

“We accomplished a lot,” said Baszak, as he accepted hugs from fans. “We won our division this year. We were 9-0. And then, you know, that’s just the breaks. You lose one in states. You have tough teams to play. Bigger schools so it’s just, it’s tough.”

Or as South River coach Rich Marchesi put it, “We ran out of the magic today a little bit.”

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Yes, it had been an autumn full of pixie dust moments. South River (9-1) captured its first Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division title since 2013 and had its first undefeated regular season since 2001. Along the way, they showed heart with 26-20 overtime wins against Middlesex and Keansburg, and a 50-38 comeback win over Dunellen.

But Saturday, Hillside starred in the silence of the Rams.

“We fought the entire season,” Baszak said. “There were games we should have lost and we went out and won them. We worked all year. We played this game until the end. We just didn’t have enough big plays to come back."

For the most part, it was evenly played. The seventh-seeded Comets (7-3) doomed second-seeded South River with the things that concerns all football coaches – turnovers and the big play. South River had seven fumbles, losing three – which all resulted in touchdowns. Additionally, Hillside wide receiver Nahree Biggins broke for an 82-yard touchdown run, untouched down the left side off a misdirection play. The score gave the Comets a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

South River held Hillside’s top running back Brian Ugwu, who entered with 975 rushing yards, in check. Additionally, Hillside’s passing attack led by quarterback Tajae Tirby (1,485 passing yards) couldn’t sustain drives.

South River's Jimmy Stewart snagged an interception right before halftime, and Travis Thomas had a pick in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Then again, Hillside kept a constant pressure on South River junior quarterback Michael DeSantis, who was the GMC’s leading passer in the regular season with 1,635 passing yards. South River’s game plan changed when DeSantis took a blindside hit on the first drive.

“He got a shot in the ribs,” Marchesi said. “He wasn’t the same. He was having trouble breathing. He didn’t want to come out. He gutted it out, man. Shows a lot of heart.”

Trainers examined DeSantis on the sideline as he missed a defensive series. After a Hillside punt, South River’s backup quarterback had a muff exchange on the snap and Hillside recovered the fumble. Seven plays later, Hillside’s Ugwu scored on a 4-yard run with 6:02 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.

DeSantis was cleared and warmed up by playing catch with Marchesi. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder returned at quarterback on the next series.

“I think Michael DeSantis getting hurt a little bit hurt us as well,” Marchesi said. “Big part of our offense. We weren’t able to have him run and he was off a little bit throwing. But he gutted it out, man. Other kids I think might have just packed it in. But he stayed in. He wanted to stay in and I think we played hard overall for four quarters, especially in the second half.”  

In the final 24 minutes, South River flashed some of its magic. On the opening drive of the third quarter, the Rams’ Kacper Murdzek recovered a fumble on Hillside’s 35-yard line. But two sacks pushed South River back to near midfield and Hillside’s Biggins recovered a fumble on an attempted hook and lateral play for a 45-yard touchdown and a 28-0 lead with 9:33 left in the third.

Later in the quarter, DeSantis connected with Thomas for a 53-yard pass. The duo then hooked up on a 10-yard touchdown pass five seconds into the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 28-7. South River’s Steven Lakatos recovered an onside kick to pump up the fans and the sideline. Hillside, however, got the ball back on downs.

“We needed to get one in the first half,” Marchesi said. “We came up empty. And it was a struggle to get the one later on. Hats off to Hillside. They played well. They played very aggressive. They’re a good football team.”

South River had been in Central Group I, but were moved this season to the higher enrollment Group II. Hillside, a Mid-State 37 Valley Division member, has tough Group III schools Rahway and Cranford on its schedule. 

When it was over, the South River players milled around the field talking to fans and parents for a bit. They then crossed the street from Williams C. Denny Stadium to the high school, where the team lined the steps up to the locker room and faced fans and parents. The band played the school’s alma mater song.

Marchesi addressed the crowd, praising the team and noting that losing is simply a part of life and thanking the band and cheerleaders for their support. He then pointed out they went 9-0 in winning the division.

“I’m proud of this team,” said Marchesi, getting choked up. “We’ll be remembered as a really great club."

HILLSIDE (7-3) 7-14-7-0 -- 28
SOUTH RIVER (9-1) 0-0-0-7 -- 7
SCORING PLAYS:
H – Ugwu 4 run (Carrico kick)
H – Biggins 82 run (Carrico kick)
H – Diaby fumble recovery in the end zone (Carrico kick)
H – Biggins 45 fumble recovery (Carrico kick)
SR – Thomas 10 pass from DeSantis (Santos kick)