Football: Bridgewater-Raritan tops rival Hunterdon Central in opener
RARITAN TOWNSHIP - Much is expected of the Bridgewater-Raritan High School football team. Winning two straight Mid-State 37 Delaware Division titles and advancing to the last two NJSIAA North 2 Group V championship games is a reason why.
The Panthers didn’t play a masterpiece Friday night in beating youthful Hunterdon Central 28-14 in the season opener for both Delaware Division teams, but the Panthers showed why they have turned in two straight 11-1 seasons and won 22 consecutive conference games.
MORE: WEEK 1 FOOTBALL FRIDAY RESULTS
Bridgewater-Raritan responded to every punch Hunterdon Central threw in a game that ground through a deluge of rain during much of the first half at Stewart Field.
Panthers’ coach Scott Bray mentioned that Mother Nature’s intervention had a lot to do with an adjustment of offensive attack.
“The most fortunate thing that happened was the rains came, the rains came and we had to put the ball on the ground and we just pounded,” Bray said. “It forced us to run the ball, secure it and they stepped up.”
They were the Panthers, who ran for 230 yards. The offensive line of tackles Nick Celli and Josh Glussky, guards Chris Nice and Robert Stashek and center Johnny Confalone made it possible.
Senior David Usewick had 111 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown, junior Anthony Goffe was 16 for 70 and a touchdown and junior quarterback Greg Verano was 11-for-53. He also completed nine of 11 passes for 150 yards and two fourth down touchdowns to Goffe and Brandon Myers.
“We responded, we struggled a little early to execute, we had some opportunities we missed on, we made it 7-0, Central hit a big play and it’s 7-7 and then we come back with the drive and it’s all Goffe,” Bray said.
Goffe, a reserve last season, became the cog in the second quarter just after Hunterdon Central tied the game at 7-7 on a 42-yard pass from quarterback Clayton Lancaster to Anthony Valentino. Valentino ran a short route, made a catch, deked a defender and sprinted in. But Goffe and the Panthers offensive line immediately answered with a Goffe-dominated, 15-play, 71-yard march.
“I wanted to thank our line,” Goffe said. “They just told me to run the ball, stay smart. We just stuck to our game plan.”
He carried 13 times for 63 yards in the drive that ended with his five-yard touchdown run with 2:09 left in the first half. Junior Nick Balliro’s second of four extra points made it 14-7
“My biggest thing was the way our offensive line was going to respond,” Bray said. “We know Goffe and Usewick are strong and Verano did some really nice things tonight, he’s got a lot to work on, but he stepped up big when we needed.”
Goffe transferred to Bridgewater-Raritan from Pope John XXIII of Sparta shortly after school started last year. So he was limited.
“He had to get his feet wet,” Bray said.
His role was to occasionally spell graduated standout Nick Attanasio in the secondary. He had only 13 carries on offense, mostly late in games. He equaled that in one drive against Central.
“We knew once he learned the system he’d be a great compliment to Usewick,” Bray said.
Goffe also caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Verano with 33 seconds left in the third period that gave Bridgewater-Raritan a 21-7 lead, but Central wasn’t done. Shortly after the Panthers' scored, Red Devils running back R.J. Thornton took a pitch then fired downfield to Valentino, who beat two defenders for the ball. He bounced away and ran into the end zone to complete a 65-yard touchdown. That cut the Panthers' lead to 21-14 .
“Our kid just got tied up and their kid just stayed with the play. You have to give it to their kid, our kid had good placement, their kid stayed with the ball and made a play and the other kid came over and tried to make a tackle and they took each other out,” Bray said. “That was a great athletic play.”
Once again the Panthers countered. Verano led the offense right back, sealing the game with a 18-yard touchdown pass to Myers with 3:03 left in regulation. Linebacker JB Bryant’s interception off a teammate’s tip with 2:46 left was insurance.
Bray praised his front defensive seven and how they handled the run game. Defensive ends Lawrence Nice (Chris’ brother) and Allen Choy, defensive tackle Erick Laputka and Abhi Somenhali and Celi and outside linebackers Goffe, Bryant, Chike Nwanko and Myers. Celli had two sacks and Choy and Myers had a sack apiece. Nwanko, Celli and Bryant had six tackles apiece and Choy and Bryant had tackles for losses.
“We tip our hats to our defense, they gave up those two plays, but that front seven controlled them in the run game and everything else,” Bray said.
NOTES: Bridgewater-Raritan drove to the Central 13 just before halftime, but Verano was sacked and the clock ran out. ... Balliro went 4-for-4 on PATs. Balliro is replacing graduated standout Justin Davidovicz, now at Rutgers. Long snapper Jake Maggio and holder Alex Fromberg are part of the operation. ... Hunterdon Central coach Casey Ransone made his debut. ... Bridgewater-Raritan has beaten Central in four straight games in a series the Red Devils lead 15-13-1. ... Bridgewater-Raritan plays host to division rival Hillsborough (1-0) Friday night and Hunterdon Central has Delaware foe Phillipsburg (1-0) at Maloney Stadium.