Football: New Providence falls to Roselle Park

NEW PROVIDENCE - Perhaps the New Providence High School football team can take some consolation in the fact that it played 46 of the 47 players on the Roselle Park roster to a standoff on Saturday.

But that 47th guy, Dylan Camilo, made all of the difference, both literally and figuratively as he rushed 23 times for 255 yards and four touchdowns to power Roselle Park to a 32-6 triumph.

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The 5-7, 155-pound senior displayed his speed on an 82-yard sprint for his first touchdown, then demonstrated his surprising power by running over would-be tacklers for his last three scores, all in short-yardage situations. He has now scored 17 touchdowns and picked up nearly 1,100 yards, averaging nearly 14 yards per carry, despite going touch-less in the fourth quarter.

“We knew going into the game that (Camilo) and (Enzo Brutus) were their big hitters, their big-time players,” said Chet Parlavecchio Jr., the Pioneers’ first-year coach. “We were there a couple of times and didn’t make plays. They’re good football players and hopefully we get there at some point.”

New Providence (0-6) ran for a respectable 176 yards led by Chris Vass, who carried 21 times for 106 yards and the Pioneers’ lone score on an 18-yard burst up the middle in the second quarter. Vass collected 73 yards in the second half and appeared to get stronger as the game went on, despite facing the Panthers’ first unit for the entire contest.

“Chris is a good running back, when he gets going forward, he’s a big, strong kid,” Parlavecchio said. “I think our offensive line helped today, they were getting some good push, especially late in the game.”

Roselle Park coach Terry Hanratty, who formerly coached at Governor Livingston, had so much respect for New Providence’s efficiency on fake points that he did not send out a returner for any of the Pioneers’ four first-half punts. That kept the Panthers (5-2) at a disadvantage in field position and Vass’s touchdown run reduced the margin to 12-6 with three minutes left in the half.

The Panthers answered by going 68 yards in eight plays before Camilo broke a couple of tackles to score from a yard out and extend the margin to two possessions, where it remained for the duration of the contest.

New Providence began the second half with an onsides kick and recovered, but the officials penalized the Pioneers for a questionable illegal touch violation. If New Providence had been awarded possession at midfield to start the second, half, down 12 points, it might have been a different contest.

To its credit New Providence kept battling, best displayed by the seven first downs it recorded in its final two drives against the starting Roselle Park defense.

“I think we did some things offensively that we can certainly build on,” Parlavecchio said. “We ran the ball well, especially in the second half. I definitely think there’s things to build on.”

ROSELLE PARK (5-2)  6-12-14-0-32

NEW PROVIDENCE (0-6)  0-6-0-0-6

SCORING SUMMARY 

RP - Camilo 82 run (pass failed)

RP - Crespo 8 run (run failed)

NP - Vass 18 run (kick failed)

RP - Camilo 1 run (pass failed)

RP - Camilo 7 run (Gergich kick)

RP - Camilo 5 run (Gergich kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

Rushing - RP: Camilo 23-255, Rexach 5-51, Morales 2-22, Gergich 3-5; NP: Vass 21-106, Crespo 8-62, Fuentes 4-16, Kovacs 5-10, Jankowski 1-minus 18.

Passing - RP: Gergich 4-7-0-54; NP: Kovacs 6-17-0-84, Jankowski 0-2-0-0.

Receiving - RP: Hilburn 2-29, Rexach 1-14, Brutus 1-11; NP: Trezza 4-33, Fuentes 1-31, Jankowski 1-20.