CLARK, NJ- The Johnson Crusaders varsity football team fell to the Somerville Pioneers by a final score of 33-7, their first loss of the 2017 season. Turnovers and not capitalizing on chances cost the Crusaders, including three interceptions and not being able to punch through the Somerville defense, which has been a force for them all-year round. These elements combined were not helpful on the evening as the Crusaders sustained their first setback of the year.
Here Are Three Things We Learned From the Home Loss:
1.) This Was A Night of Two Conference Opponents Facing Off
The Johnson Crusaders came into the night as the 2017 Mid-State 38 Valley Division Conference Champions, the first conference championship since 2006, coming into the action with a 5-0 record. The Somerville Pioneers came into the night with a 5-1 record and standing as the 2017 Mid-State 38 Mountain Division Conference Champions for the second consecutive season.
Somerville’s lone loss on the season came to Rahway on October 6 by a final score of 27-6. They defeated Cranford, North Plainfield, Voorhees, Warren Hills and Governor Livingston.
Despite being tied with the conference record with Voorhees, Somerville clinched the conference because of a crucial 34-20 Week 3 win, one in which Somerville was trailing 17-6 earlier on before getting back in the game and eventually winning.
Johnson scored 151 points on the season, while giving up 44 points to the opposition. Somerville put up 216 points on offense, while surrendering 82 points, setting up the stage of two teams that are probably the best teams in the Mid-State 38 Conference.
2.) Turnovers, Not Capitalizing on Chances To Move the Ball Made It a Rough One
Even though it took three plays for Somerville to immediately get on the board Friday night to take a 7-0 lead, Johnson had their chances on their first offensive drive that followed, but things went wrong inside Pioneers territory. A lost fumble took all the momentum they had away and gave it back to Somerville.
The Crusaders couldn’t generate anything major on offense, being stopped at most angles of the field on the running game. The passing game wasn’t helping at any parts and it was one of those tougher games. Somerville gained momentum following forcing the turnovers and it really showed on the field.
While they did get to Somerville’s defense earlier on in the evening, it wasn’t enough with everything else that took place on the field, the first loss of the season for the Crusaders.
They went down the field and immediately made it a 14-0 game, the score after the first quarter of play. Johnson didn’t get anything going on offense until the start of the third quarter, when senior Brandon Rapp capitalized for a 40-yard rushing touchdown that cut the lead to 20-7 early on in the third quarter.
The Somerville defense played a major part in this with the air game by the Crusaders. They hauled in three interceptions, halting any chance that Johnson had on the night. They also had to punt a lot on the night, something that hadn’t happened all-year long.
3.) Shake it Off And Look Ahead
As much as the loss might sting, a few notes to take from tonight looking forward for the rest of the season. First of all, Somerville is a Group 3 School, while Johnson is a Group 2 school. This is a school that Johnson will not have to deal with as they look towards the final parts of the regular season and towards the beginning of the playoffs.
It is better to cough it up and make a few mistakes in the regular season, as you can always make corrections and change things in practices in the season, unlike going perfect in the regular season and the mistakes suddenly pile up at the worst possible time, in the playoffs.
Somerville has a team full of athletes that really play hard every week of their schedule and it was very evident once their offense took control of the game. Johnson couldn’t get much going, but the loss shows that there are things that through practice, they can get better and feel better as they look ahead with the last major hurdle in the schedule, record-wise, is out of the way.
There was a tough four-game stretch for Johnson, Weeks 3 through 7 (Week 6 was the Bye Week), with Roselle, Delaware Valley, Hillside and Somerville. It is not easy to beat all these teams in a row, given that Johnson won all the Central, Group 2 matchups that began with Bernards and ended with Hillside.
That is a positive of Johnson’s first-half surge in their schedule with the playoffs not too far away, as you can never tell who potential playoff opponents could be once the time arrives. The next two games give Johnson a chance to play hard the next two weeks and prepare for a playoff run.
What’s Next?
The Johnson Crusaders (5-1) will travel on the road when they play at North Plainfield (0-6) on Friday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m.
The Canucks lost their season opener at Delaware Valley by a final score of 21-6. They lost their home opener against Somerville HS in Week 2 by a final score of 54-25.
They lost Week 3 on the road to Governor Livingston by a final score of 36-29. On a short week, they returned home and lost to Cranford by a final score of 28-6 in a Week 4 Thursday night game.
They went on the road and lost to Voorhees by a final score of 42-6 in Week 5 and had their bye week in Week 6.
They lost this past week on the road at Summit by a final score of 55-30.
North Plainfield is led by senior quarterback Brandon Smith, who is 37-for-86 on the season with 398 passing yards with zero touchdown passes and nine interceptions.
Naji Campbell is the other one at quarterback for North Plainfield, another major name to watch out for by Johnson.
Smith was a wide receiver last year who converted to the position for this year. He and Robinson both lead the way for the Canucks on the rushing game. He also has converted twice on two-point conversions and has one kickoff return for a touchdown on the season.
Other players on North Plainfield for Johnson to watch on Friday night includes Tony Godwin, Robinson and Amiyn Hawks, who are major targets on the passing game.
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 Friday night.
The important part of the game of football is how you respond after a bad loss, which is what has to happen for Johnson. 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.
While North Plainfield is a football program that’s always struggled in years past, they have guys who can still make plays and run the football, so we will see what develops Friday night.
