Minutemen All 'Business' Heading Into Football Semifinal

This time a year ago the Mendham Minutemen football team had cleaned out its lockers and headed for off-season workouts following a three-win season.

What a difference a year makes.

The Minutemen are heading into their toughest test yet, and it comes with as much on the line as any team could ask for.

“(The players) have been very business-like this week,” said head coach Bill Carpluk, in his first season back after retiring from the same post seven years ago. “They’re being very level-headed and approaching practice in a business-like manner.”

Those practices will lead up to an NJSIAA state sectional semifinal matchup Friday night at West Morris Central against sister school and rival Wolfpack, the North 2, Group 4 defending champions. The winner goes on to play for the sectional title at Rutgers University on Saturday, Dec. 7, against the winner of Phillipsburg vs. Iselin Kennedy.

When the two teams met earlier this season in Mendham, the Minutemen got out to an early lead, but were unable to hold on as Central powered ahead and came out on top, 28-21.

Winning is still most important, no matter who the team is playing, Carpluk said.

“There’s definitely an added dimension to it, playing Central,” Carpluk said. “But it doesn’t matter who they play, the kids just want to win.”

Mendham is riding an offensive hot streak into the semifinal game and has won four of its last five games. In the first round of the tournament last Friday, the Minutemen – big underdogs against No. 3 seed Colonia – scored on seven consecutive possessions to secure a 47-26 win.

“That game against Colonia was a war,” Carpluk said. “It was very physical and the scoring just kept going back and forth, back and forth. They did some things defensively we knew we could exploit, and our players executed very well.”

Mendham rode its running game to the first round victory, and has relied heavily on quarterback Jack Horan throughout the season.

“He’s as good as any quarterback I’ve ever coached,” Carpluk said of his signal caller.

Even West Morris Central head coach Kevin Hennelly recognized his opponent’s abilities.

“We’ve been watching (Horan) on film and we know we have to account for him,” said Hennelly, who’s won sectional titles four times in his 16 years at the helm. “He’ll make plays and we won’t be able to completely shut him down, but we know we have to keep everything in front of us.”

It wasn’t just recently that Carpluk saw what the team was capable of, however.

“I saw the potential in the preseason,” the coach said. “I knew if the (offensive and defensive) lines could come along, there was a chance we could make something happen.”

That something is here now, and Mendham has an opportunity to achieve greatness.

“I’m very happy for the players,” Carpluk said. “I get great satisfaction out of them experiencing this.

“They’ve earned their way here,” he said.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 at West Morris Central.