Friday, October 07, 2011

Phillipsburg High School football team tops Montgomery High School 31-21

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

Phillipsburg High School's football team picked an opportune time to head into its bye week.

The banged up Stateliners took care of business Thursday night by holding off stubborn Montgomery 31-21 in a Mid-State 39 Conference Delaware Division game at Cougar Stadium.

Senior Joe Moyer was inserted into the backfield after Dajuan Lee and Robin Custodio went down with injuries and rushed for 73 hard-earned yards on 17 carries. Moyer also had an interception on defense that clinched the victory late in the fourth quarter.

"Joe Moyer ran really hard," Phillipsburg coach Ryan Ditze said. "That's the one thing about this team, when somebody goes down somebody else steps up."

Phillipsburg is off next week and returns to action against nemesis Hunterdon Central on Oct. 21 at Maloney Stadium. Ditze was uncertain how long Lee and Custodio would be sidelined but is hopeful of having both back for Central.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Ditze said. "Hopefully, it's nothing serious."

The game was a sharp contrast to Phillipsburg's 75-0 romp over the Cougars last season at Maloney Stadium.

Montgomery (1-4 overall, 1-3 conference) gave the Stateliners (4-1, 3-1) all they could handle. Jason Bohem's 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Robert Waterson gave Phillipsburg a 28-14 lead with 3:21 left in the third quarter. Waterson cut across the middle and received a strike from Bohem, who was lined up in an empty backfield, for the six-pointer.

"We ran an 'all-go,'" Waterson said. "All the receivers went out and we knew the cornerbacks would flank to the outside so I went inside. Jason made a good read."

Waterson was also a terror from his linebacker position, recording three tackles for losses, including a sack.

"That's Coach (defensive coordinator Bruce) Smith calling the right plays," Waterson said. "He's the mastermind on defense."

After Waterson's TD, the Cougars' Ryan Boyle returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown to trim the deficit to 28-21.

The Stateliners extended their lead to 31-21 two series later when Jacob Fuentes kicked a 27-yard field goal with 5:27 left in the game.

Phillipsburg was caught off-guard on the Cougars' first play from scrimmage when Boyle found a huge opening up the middle and sprinted 64 yards for a touchdown.

The Stateliners retaliated with a 70-yard, six-play drive culminating in a Custodio 4-yard scoring run over the right side. The key play was a 42-yard pass from Bohem to Custodio to Montgomery's 17.

Montgomery embarked on another drive that reached the Stateliners' 38. On fourth-and-5, Cougars punter Bill Eldridge couldn't handle a high snap from center. Phillipsburg junior nose guard Holden Connell scooped up the bouncing ball and raced 36 yards into the end zone to give the Stateliners a 14-7 lead.

"I saw the ball go over his head and broke through the line," Connell said. "It was 'scoop and score.' We worked on that all summer. I picked it up and started running as hard as I could. Any time you make a play like that it's an amazing feeling."

Phillipsburg got the ball back following a punt and drove 46 yards in nine plays to extend its lead to 21-7. Lee had consecutive runs of 5 and 16 yards to set up Custodio's second score, a 3-yard plunge with 7:46 left in the first half.

Montgomery ate up all but the remaining 54 seconds of the first half and pulled within 21-14 on a 4-yard touchdown run by Boyle. Boyle was used extensively in the drive, carrying 11 times for 54 yards.

Phillipsburg quickly drove downfield as Bohem completed passes of 19 yards to Mike Diamond and 12 to Custodio. But Fuentes' 37-yard field goal attempt was wide as time expired.

Ultimately, Fuentes came through when it mattered most.

"The guys should really be proud to go into the bye week 4-1," Ditze said. "We just need to be a little cleaner in some spots. Our defense did a great job in the second half and I was happy the way we moved the ball both on the ground and in the air."

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/10/phillipsburg_high_school_footb_11.html

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