Woe And Four: Millburn Loses to Columbia

Just as things keep getting better for the Columbia football team, things keep getting worse for the Millers. The Cougars scored 34 unanswered points to run away with a 40-6 win on Saturday.

Early in the second quarter, the Millers were at Columbia's one-yard line, trailing by six on third and goal. They had moved the ball 87 yards on the drive, but a mishandled snap caused a fumble that was scooped up by Columbia co-captain Matt McGriff and returned 99 yards for a touchdown. Four plays later, Columbia senior Denzell Nieves returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown and that was the ball game.

"That was a turning point in the game. If we put it in the end zone, we're in the game and it changes the complexion of the game," said Millburn head coach Carmen Guarino. "We're always fighting different things and that was one of the things we fought today. After that we kind of let the game get away from us a bit."

The Millers gained 18 yards the rest of the game and picked up just one first down as they fell to 0-4 this season and dropped their sixth consecutive game dating back to last year.

"Eugene Klein, our line coach and defensive coordinator, he makes great in game adjustments," said Columbia head coach Dave Curtin of the change in his defense after the fumble. "That's why I turned the defense over to him. I'm not full of myself; he's a heck of a coach.

Both Nieves and McGriff added rushing touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters respectively, helping the Cougars post 40 points in back-to-back games for the first time since the last game of the 2008 season and the first of the 2009. They haven't accomplished the feat in a single season since before '04.

"Now you have to defend more guys," Curtin said of his offense. "You want to take away Denzell? OK, well, now our fullback will beat you, so now you have to tackle him. If you tackle the fullback you have to play assignment football. That's what we want to force teams to do. Fullback, quarterback, pitch. If you don't do it, we're going to find a way to beat you."

Columbia got this one started in the first quarter behind the arm and legs of senior quarterback Demetrius Cooper. In Columbia's opening drive, Cooper threw for 15 yards and rushed for 52 yards on three carries with a touchdown. In the third play of the Cougars' next drive, Cooper found Perry Mims with a 62-yard touchdown strike behind Millburn's defense. The Cougars scored in four different ways this contest, showing different ways to get points on the board.

"That's what good teams do," Curtin said. "If you want to be a good team you have to find different ways to get yourself out of a hole. I mean it was a game at 13-6... if you're the better team and you're supposed to win, you better find ways to win."

Millburn scored its lone touchdown in the first quarter off a one-yard Max Wasserman carry, capping off a three play, 31-yard drive. The score was set up by a 29-yard pass from Ryan Bednarski to wide-out Tim Swanson and by a blocked punt on the preceding Columbia drive by freshman Gabe Greenberg.

After the Miller touchdown, however, the Cougars completely wrapped up Millburn's offense. From that point on the Millers turned over the ball four times and, with the exception of the drive that ended on a fumble return touchdown, Millburn never got close to scoring again.

Columbia racked up 251 yards of total offense, all while running just two offensive plays in the second quarter. They were led by Cooper's 81 rushing yards on six carries, 62 yards rushing on four carries by McGriff (who also recovered two fumbles) and Mims's 77 receiving yards. Both Nieves, who accounted for 98 yards on special teams, and Obinna Nwanonyuri had interceptions in the game.

Millburn totaled 124 yards in the game with Swanson leading the way, collecting four receptions for 55 yards and a rush for 27 yards.

Millburn's slim playoff hopes just got that much slimmer with Saturday's loss. But after going through the toughest stretch of their schedule (last four opponents have combined record of 14-4), the Millers have an easy stretch coming up, which may save their season. But they must win the next four games against Barringer, Shabazz, Belleville and East Side (combined 4-12 record) to even have a chance at cracking into the top eight of the North II Group 3 section. Right now the Millers have 10 power points, which puts them at 12th place in the section.

"I think there's a possibility [for us to make the playoffs] but we have to win four in a row," Guarino said. "All I'm saying is right now let's just take one at a time."