Montclair Jr. Football Teams Take Beating From Rahway Chiefs In Opening Games

Sunday was a day of firsts for the young Jr. Bulldog Mitey Mites football teams: their first day in their new uniforms, their first time playing on a real football field, their first official football game — and their first beating at home.   

Although it was a home game the Montclair Mitey Mites and Jr. Pee Wees felt as alien to Woodman Field as the visiting Rahway Chiefs. The younger Mitey Mites — aged 7 to 9 — were first to perform, arriving at 8:30 a.m. They walked onto the epic regulation-sized football field for the first time in the quiet of the cloudless dawn of a 90-degree day. As they came onto the artificial turf, they almost looked like ants.  The goal post towered over them. Most had never even kicked a field goal before.   

The uniforms that just arrived at practice the day before were put on for the first time — adding to the sense of strangeness they all seemed to feel facing their first official game of the football season.

As the parents and players tried to assume the role of a hosting team they began to realize this indeed was a home game but with strings attached. The bathrooms were locked and the electronic scoreboard  would not be activated to keep score. This was the Montclair High School Mounties Stadium and the young Bulldog players were in fact guests with second-class stature and only two portable toilets brought in by the town. Many of the women in attendance expressed their annoyance when they realized they could not use a clean bathroom and the boys just felt a little strange.

It wasn't going to be easy to feel any home field advantage.   

The Rahway Chiefs arrived like an invading army. Organized and intimidating, crying war chants and being lead by a flag holder, the coaches peered at the Bulldogs with the force of Attila the Hun. This was a hungry ball club that took their football seriously. A Rahway coach blared at his team 'this is war...'

The Mitey Mites  seemed baffled from the start, with many of them unfamiliar with the game and not knowing what positions to take. On their first drive they had a turnover that resulted in a Rahway Chief touchdown with a successful kick for the extra point.

The Mitey Mites tried to play catchup in the sweltering heat but were unable to score on their next drive and were forced to punt — giving the Chiefs more confidence.  

However, the Bulldog Mitey Mites finally fought back, forcing a Rahway turnover that was run over 30 yards to a touchdown for Montclair by number 7 John Painter who was also doubling as a quarterback. A missed Montclair extra point set the tone for the rest of the game as the Mitey Mites failed to tie the score at 7, leaving the score 7-6 in favor of the Chiefs. 

The Rahway Chiefs then stepped up the pressure as the Mitey Mites seemed to slow down in the oppressive heat. Without throwing the ball at all, the Chiefs ran right through Montclair's game defense to score another touchdown and a perfect extra point kick to make the score 14-6 at the half in favor of the Chiefs.

The Mitey Mites knew they had to go out in the second half and score to slow down the Chief's momentum but it wasn't to be. Attempting only to run the ball, the Mitey Mites met stiff opposition from the Chief's defense to begin the second half and failed in a desperate attempt to score and keep the Chief's at bay with time running out.

The Rahway Chiefs capitalized and ran the ball to another easy touchdown, solidifying their lead with their third  accurate and successful kick in the end zone to cap their victory at a final score of 21-7.

It seemed like, at the end, the Mitey Mites were just glad it was over. It was getting hotter and they were tired.

The Jr. Pee Wees ages 9 to 11 took a bigger beating than the Mitey Mites with their game ending in a shutout 35-0 rout of Montclair. The Jr. Pee Wees could not even get a first down during the entire game.

To round out the Jr. Bulldogs opening day losses, the Junior Midgets — which are ages 13 and 14 — played well but lost a nail biter to the Rahway Chiefs 6-8 in a game that was won with a 25-yard touchdown pass at the two-minute warning. Montclair's Jamil Best scored a 50-yard interception that he ran for a touchdown in that close final game of the day.

On the brighter side the Pee Wees ages 9-12 won their battle against the Rahway Chiefs 14-6, with outstanding plays by Nasir Walker who scored a 50-yard  touchdown thrown by Montclair quarterback  Eli Simmons . Ryan McCarthy also shined and, according to coach Lenny Banks "Led the team in all aspects." This is one of the Jr. Football teams that has a lot of talent to keep an eye on.