Football: Bridgewater-Raritan's win streak comes to an end

BRIDGEWATER – Last week, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School football team held on and escaped with a 31-30 victory over Hillsborough to extend its regular season winning streak to 24 games. This week, the Panthers were not so lucky.

Entering the fourth quarter down just one touchdown, the wheels started falling off for the Panthers as they were outscored 21-0 by Phillipsburg in the final 12 minutes. The Stateliners went on to capture a 30-7 victory on Friday night, snapping the Panthers’ lengthy winning streak.

“It was a great accomplishment that all the guys who came before put (this accomplishment) there and these guys over the first couple games of the season, but it has to come to and end, right,” Bridgewater-Raritan coach Scott Bray said. “It comes down to building from here. That’s all we have to focus on now.”

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The last time the Panthers (2-1) fell in the regular season was a 28-0 shutout against Elizabeth in October of 2014, almost three years ago. Most of the current players were only beginning their scholastic football careers as sophomores or freshmen or were still in middle school at that time.

The Panthers have had an impressive ability to consistently churn out excellent football players despite major graduation losses.

“I think it’s believing in the system and buying in, that’s what has happened over the last few years, and it’s been the process of the last 11 years,” Bray said. “Building a program, having a focus, having a vision, and the kids have been buying into it. Now we have to build and start a new one. That’s going to be the focus.”

Going up against a fierce Phillipsburg defense, the Panther offense sputtered a bit in the early going. Senior running back David Usewick did get Bridgewater-Raritan on the board halfway through the second quarter with a seven-yard touchdown run to tie the score7-7, but the workhorse twisted his knee a few minutes later. The ailing Usewick and his 251 rushing yards and four touchdowns for the season sat on the bench for the rest of the game.

Bridgewater-Raritan was still in striking distance when the Panthers made a huge stop, thwarting the Stateliners just inches short of the first down marker on fourth down deep in their own territory to take over with 8:51 left to play and down 14-7. After a penalty on their first play set them back deeper in their own territory, junior quarterback Greg Verano was sacked in the end zone by Jalen Boothman for the safety, giving Phillipsburg a 16-7 lead and the ball back.

Phillipsburg then literally ran away with the game as senior running back Stephen Davis finished with 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

“In that moment, it was huge, but not taking anything away from Phillipsburg but then all of a sudden we have a critical penalty and all of a sudden go from momentum on our side to now you’re back at first and 15,” Bray said. “It changes the whole play calling atmosphere and changes the whole mindset. Their pass rush was excellent, but we need to make some better plays.”

Staff Writer Daniel LoGiudice can be reached at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @danny_logiudice.