West Essex Takes First Division Loss

A few missed early opportunities and a bad third quarter led to the West Essex football team's first division loss of the season. Looking to win the Super Essex Liberty Division for a second straight year, the Knights fell short against unbeaten Columbia, 27-9, on Saturday afternoon at the Underhill Sports Complex.

"They outplayed us. They made big plays and we didn't make big plays," said Knights head coach Dave Drozjock. "It hurts, it hurts."

West Essex gained just three yards in the fourth quarter and 39 yards in the third, as they were stifled by Columbia's defense throughout. The locals also lost the time of possession battle in all but one quarter.

"We had to make plays and we didn't make plays," Drozjock said. "There were several opportunities in the first half and we gave it back."

In last season's loss to West Essex, it was the Knights who dominated the second half–Columbia repaid the favor this time around.

On the Knights' first play of the third quarter, Cougars Darrell Jones and Mike Larson drilled Stephen O'Neill at the line of scrimmage, forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Ndubuisi Okafor at the West Essex 39. Four plays later, Demetrius  Cooper hit receiver Perry Mims in the right corner of the end zone from 22-yards out, putting Columbia up 14-0 after the PAT.

"Demetrius [Cooper] and I have a love-hate relationship. I hate him and then I want to love him and kiss him," said Columbia head coach Dave Curtin. "We told him not to dive over the top, he does and he fumbles the ball. But that's him, he has to make plays. He is the Brett Favre of high school football."

On the next West Essex drive, the Knights reached Columbia's 29- yard line, but a third down quarterback sack and a fourth down, sure-fire first down and touchdown pass was dropped, giving the ball back to Columbia. Two plays later, Denzell Nieves was romping down the sidelines for a 61-yard touchdown score on an option left play with 2:44 remaining in the third.

"At half-time, when it was 7-0, I said, 'Guys, next step, we need to get to the next step,'" Curtin said. "Last year we let them outscore us in the second half, we need to outscore them, and we did."

Things got a little interesting early in the fourth quarter when Frank Marotti punched in a one-yard score and a bad snap on a punt went over Okafor's head, forcing the Cougars to take a safety. It turned a 21-0 blowout into a 21-9 battle.

After the free kick, the Knights were set up with great field position at Columbia's 42. But West Essex did not gain a yard and gave the Cougars the ball back with 6:42 left. Columbia was able to run the clock down to 1:17, capping a nine-play, 58-yard drive with a Nieves four-yard touchdown, delivering the knockout blow.

The first half was a scoreless tie until Cooper hit Mims on a 12-yard fade pattern in the left back corner of the end zone. Previously, the Cougars had driven the ball down to the Knights one-yard-line, but Cooper was stripped on a keeper on fourth and goal. Marotti recovered for the Knights in the end zone, giving them a touchback.

"I think it was first-half jitters, honestly," Cooper said of the slow start to the game. "We were seeing how it was, they were seeing how it was, everybody was getting a feel for the game. If anything, we're a second-half team and we knew in the second-half if we wanted to win this game, we had to come out and step on them."

The Knights had two scoring opportunities in the second quarter, getting down to Columbia's 25-yard line and then to the Cougar 14. Both drives ended with a turnover on downs.

The differences in this contest were the play at the quarterback position and the performance of both defenses.

While Cooper did turn the ball over twice, once on an interception, West Essex's Tyler Fossetta completed just 2-of-7 for 34 yards.

However, Fossetta, who has not been asked to throw much this season, was forced into throwing situations because of Columbia's defense. West Essex entered Saturday's game averaging 317 yards per game rushing. They were held to 113.

Nieves ended the contest with 129 yards on 13 carries and two scores. Mims caught five passes for 95 yards and two scores and Columbia's Francis Eluwa caught four passes for 59 yards.

On the Knights' side, O'Neill led all West Essex players with 64 yards on seven carries. Mike Mitchell was the team's leading receiver with 31 yards.

West Essex finishes up their regular season at home against Barringer on Friday night, at 7:30 p.m., at Travis Field.