CLARK, NJ- The Johnson Crusaders varsity football team fought the entire way, but came up short, losing to Hillside Comets by a final score of 19-16 in the NJSIAA Central, Group 2 Semifinals Saturday night in Clark. Not capitalizing on chances cost the Crusaders, including an early fumble and an interception at the end and coming up short in the battles.
Here Are Three Things We Learned From the Home Loss:
1.) It Could Have Gone Either Way With How The Play Went on the Field
Taking away the first possession from both sides which went array, with Johnson losing a fumble near the goal line and Hillside taking a bad snap that ended up being a safety as the football rolled out of bounds. It was sort of a quick, yet sloppy first half, with Hillside taking a 6-2 lead, before Johnson took the lead with an eight-yard rushing touchdown from Vito Galluzzo. Johnson took a 9-6 lead into halftime.
The second half saw Hillside get two touchdowns and one later in the fourth quarter, but Johnson fought back with a touchdown from senior Mike Casalino. Following a defensive stop from the Crusaders, they got the ball back and got into Comets territory before an interception ended the drive.
There could have been different outcomes on the field than what we saw transcribe on some of those plays, but that’s how the sport of football goes. If you are going to come up short in a playoff game, going out fighting
Both sides really duked it out on the field on both sides of the ball and sometimes, these types of outcomes do happen in a football game and things don’t necessarily work out as hoped as they are, which unfortunately took place on the field. The last time the two teams played, it was sort of the same way.
2.) Need To Take A Few Risks, Just Didn’t Go Our Way
With how the game was transcribing, you had to do some tricks out of the playbook that are not normally done. Senior quarterback Mike Bruno heaved the ball through the air in the fourth quarter and it drew a pass interference call that moved the chains even further. It ultimately set up Casalino’s touchdown that cut the lead to 19-16 with 6:49 left in the fourth quarter.
The last throw from Bruno, which was intercepted, came after Johnson was backed up a bit from a penalty and when you’re backed up, you need to try something unusual, which is what happened. The trick just did not come through in the way we hoped would happen, but the guys and coaches have a lot to be proud of in the season (more will come on a postseason story to appear on here following the season).
3.) Finish It Off For The Seniors
This group of seniors have been a part of a Johnson football era that featured the following accolades:
-20-21 wins
-Two trips to the NJSIAA Central, Group 2 Semifinals round in three seasons
-2017 Mid-State 38 Valley Division Conference Champions
-Two UNICO Bowl championships
-Two 7+ win seasons, something that is not very easy to accomplish in the game of football
That is what makes it important for the Thanksgiving Day game, to finish off on the right note. The game is being played at Veterans Field in Rahway. Rahway won last year’s game by a final score of 34-33, with Johnson winning by a final score of 21-17 in 2015.
Players like Joe Turek, Kevin Metz, Mike Bruno, Brandon Rapp and Tommy Bowen who have worked so hard will get a chance to finish their high school football careers on the right note and that is what makes it so important to finish the job on Thursday.
What’s Next?
The Johnson Crusaders (8-2) will wrap up their 2017 season with their Thanksgiving Day Game, when they play Rahway HS (6-4) on Thursday, November 23 at 10:30 a.m.
Just like Johnson, Rahway is coming off a 28-14 loss in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Semifinals loss to West Essex HS.
Rahway is also playing in their season finale, they appeared in the semifinals round for the first time since the 2013 season, when they were in the NJSIAA Central, Group 2 bracket.
The Indians won their season opener at Hillside by a final score of 35-21. They won their home opener against Governor Livingston by a final score of 42-14.
They lost Week 3 on the road to Cranford by a final score of 24-14. They returned home and lost Week 4 to Voorhees by a final score of 38-21 on a Week 4 Thursday night game.
They went out on the road and stunned Somerville by a final score of 27-6 in Week 5 and had their bye week in Week 6.
They won Week 7 against Scotch Plains-Fanwood by a final score of 64-24. They returned home and lost Week 8 to Summit by a final score of 34-14.
They went out on the road and won Week 9 at North Plainfield by a final score of 35-12. They faced off in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 First Round and won at Summit in a rematch of Week 7, escaping by a final score of 45-37, after being up 38-8 at halftime.
They went back out on the road and lost the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Semifinals to West Essex, making Thursday’s game a battle of teams that reached the Final Four of their respective sectional brackets.
Rahway is led by junior quarterback Jakir Robinson, who is 87-for-170 on the season with 1,428 passing yards to go along with 17 touchdown passes and three interceptions.
Other players on Rahway for Johnson to watch out for include Dashon Moore, Zion Pendleton, Keyshawn Cummings and Jerish Halsey.
If the Johnson Crusaders continue to play the way they’ve always been playing, hard, fast, physical and going at the football and charging through other team’s defenses on offense and drawing up good game plans, they will compete on Thursday morning.
The important part of the game of football is how you respond after a bad loss, which is what has to happen for Johnson. They need to take the frustrations from Saturday’s loss and lay everything out on the field at Veterans Field. The way the Johnson defense fought hard against their five wins, playing hard, fast, physical and going at the football and charging through other team’s defenses on offense, limiting all mistakes, playing a clean, physical game and drawing up good game plans, they will compete Friday night.
Rahway is a football program that’s always been gritty, skilled and a physical teams to go up against and they have guys who can still make plays and move the football, so we will see what develops Thursday morning.
