Comebacks Prove Too Little, Too Late in Week 2

Watchung Hills football hasn’t won much since 2009, but so far this season they have come close twice. On Friday they mounted a comeback against Union, tying the game at 14-14 in the third quarter, after being behind 14-0 in the second quarter. But Union with a game winning touchdown.

In week one, the Watchung Hills Warriors lost by only six-points to North Hunterdon, 20-14, another game where a was thwarted. The Warriors keep coming close, but so far this year haven’t been able to finish ahead.

Ridge, a team that in 2009 made it to , but lost to Phillipsburg, has also not seen a win yet in 2011. On Friday, Ridge was held scoreless against Montgomery for the s.

By the fourth, Ridge was down 14-0, and they never really threatened to come back, scoring only once in the game. Montgomery’s offense had proved to be too dominant as, not only did Montgomery rush for 267 yards, but quarterback Josh Reinson also went 9-for-9 passing.

Franklin, coming off a week one loss, the Hillsborough Raiders, who were coming off a week one win against rival Bridgewater. Despite 175 yards rushing and two touchdowns from the Raiders’ John Banaciski, Hillsborough couldn’t handle Franklin, who rushed for 475 yards in the game, scoring 14 points in the first, second, and third quarters, and ending the game up big, 49-20.

Hillsborough’s defense has struggled in the first two weeks: Not only did they give up 49 points to Franklin, but in week one they gave up 42 . In week one, though, Hillsborough themselves scored 49.

Bridgewater’s offense wasn’t as potent this as they had been against Hillsborough. The Panthers scored only seven points, ultimately losing the game 22-7, in which they trailed the whole way through.

Week Two’s Biggest Upset

Although both teams are highly ranked, Hunterdon Central’s loss to Elizabeth could not have been predicted. According to NJ.com, Elizabeth was ranked No. 19 by The Star-Ledger and Hunterdon Central was ranked No. 14 in the state. But on Friday night, it was Elizabeth that came out on top, 25-21. The game was close throughout, with Elizabeth getting off to a strong start, letting Hunterdon Central take the lead in the third, then regaining the lead in the fourth.

Standout Performance

Franklin’s entire offense deserves accolades for accumulating nearly 600 yards of offense, including nearly 500 yards rushing in their victory against Hillsborough. Taoman Napier, Kye Morgan, and Eddie Lee combined for six touchdowns and 416 yards on the ground, racking up a 9.5 yards per carry averaged .

Mid-State 39 Standings

Standings are a combination of Patch records, as well as from NJ.com. Coaches are required by the NJSIAA to submit results to NJ.com in order to be eligible for the post season, due to a contract between the two.

East A

East B

East C

West A

West B

West C