They're for Real and They're Spectacular

If there were any doubts about the legitimacy of the Columbia football team’s 5-0 start to the season, the Cougar boys took a big step towards answering those doubters today at Underhill Field.

“They said we didn’t beat anybody. But if you line up against somebody, you beat somebody. If you line up, you beat them. I don‘t care what their record is,” an emotional head coach Dave Curtin said after the contest. “[The kids] never cease to amaze me. It’s been a special season to this point. We’ve still got a long way to go, but this really sets the tempo.”

The Cougars did not just beat the Nutley Raiders, who were 4-1 coming into the game, they manhandled them, 28-7, to stay unbeaten and in first place in the Super Essex Liberty Division. The win gave Columbia 21 power points, which all but guarantees them extra games this postseason. It would be their first trip to the playoffs since 1983, the only time a Cougar football team has ever played in the postseason.

“It’s not so much for me personally, it’s for them personally. Because people doubted them,” Curtin said. “This is stuff that will happen the rest of your life. People will always doubt you. Let them doubt you.”

Three big defensive plays in the second half, combined with 245 rushing yards for 6.8 yards per carry from Columbia’s quartet of runners led to the blowout win.

With Nutley threatening to close within a touchdown at first and goal from the three-yard line, in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, Nutley botched a hand off. Columbia’s Jared Williams found the ball and exploded down the sidelines for a 97-yard touchdown return, putting the locals up 28-7 after the two-point conversion, and slamming the door shut on Nutley’s chances for a win.

“We lucked out. It was mishandled on the snap and it dropped like an egg and I had to capitalize,” Williams said after the game.

Maybe the biggest defensive play of the game came in the third quarter, with Nutley threatening to tie the game at 14. On fourth and goal from the nine-yard line, Nutley quarterback Billy McLellan found Anthony Sibilia on a short dump-off pass. The senior back tried to power into the end zone, but Ify Asoluka was having no part of it. The senior defensive back drilled Sibilia, stuffing him at the two yard-line, giving the ball back to Columbia, which was still nursing its seven point lead.

On the ensuing drive, Columbia was unable to gain favorable field position, and after five plays, punted the ball and downed it at their own 48. Still down by just a score, it looked like Nutley was in business, but a fumble recovered by Sebastian Pinkney on the third play of the drive, stopped another scoring chance for Nutley.

Defensively, as they have all season long, the Cougars were fantastic. The boys forced three turnovers and three sacks, and put constant pressure on the Raider quarterback. Nutley was averaging 179.2 rushing yards per game and 36.6 points per game--that is, until they came to The Hill. The Maroon Raiders were held to their lowest scoring output since November 14, 2008, and were kept in check at 97 rushing yards on 22 carries.

Offensively, the locals looked as powerful as they have been all season long, scoring on their opening drives in both the first and second halves. In the first half, Demetrius Cooper capped a four-play, 58-yard drive with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Claude Thomas. The senior wide-out made a spectacular grab, going over the top of his defender to make the catch and touchdown run.

In the third quarter, D.J. Roberts put Columbia up 14-7 taking an option pass to the lefthand side of the end zone, for a six-yard touchdown. Denzel Nieves delivered the first knockout blow in the fourth quarter, with a seven-yard touchdown run, putting the Cougars up 20-7 with 7:34 left in the game. Nieves led all players with 122 rushing yards in the game.

“He’s like Steady Eddy. He’s just there,” Curtin said. “He doesn’t make incredibly spectacular plays, he just makes great plays. He just makes those plays week in and week out.”

Nutley scored its lone touchdown on an 87-yard, 10-play drive, finished off by Sibilia’s seven-yard touchdown run. At the time, the touchdown and extra point tied the game at seven.

With the win, the Liberty Division has come down to a two-horse race, with West Essex being the only team in the Liberty League without a division loss. The Cougar football team is now the last remaining undefeated team in the county.

Columbia will take a shot at going 7-0 when 1-4 Barringer comes to The Hill next Saturday at 1 p.m.