Raiders' Game Against Phillipsburg Could be Good Prep for Beating Westfield

One thing is for sure. Nobody will be picking Scotch Plains-Fanwood High to beat Phillipsburg this weekend.

As a result, the Raiders can go out and play loose, with nothing to lose.

That could benefit Scotch Plains in its first-ever regular season gridiron matchup with the winningest program in New Jersey.

Saturday’s game at Scotch Plains is a 2 p.m. start because of SATs scheduled for Saturday morning.

Phillipsburg is 2-1 and coming off a home loss to Hunterdon Central 24-15 last Friday night. Hunterdon Central, which spent the last two seasons in North 2, Group 4 and is now back in Central Jersey, Group 4, is 4-0 and seeking to win CJ, G4 for the first time since the last year it was in the section back in 2006.

Phillipsburg jumped back into North 2, Group 3 for one year last season and captured the section for the first time since 1977 and for only the second time overall. The other one of Phillipsburg’s three playoff championships came in N2, G4 in 2005.

While Phillipsburg has won 622 games – which is the most of any New Jersey high school football team – the Stateliners’ biggest game is against arch rival and next door neighbor Easton, Penn. on Thanksgiving.

An interception by linebacker Sean McNerney set up a 19-yard touchdown run by Dana Lee on the very next play that gave Phillipsburg a brief 7-3 first-quarter lead against Hunterdon Central, which is the favorite to capture N2, G4 in December.

Phillipsburg then pulled to within 17-15 in the fourth quarter when quarterback Justin Scuorzo completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Wofgang Connell and then Robert Waterson caught a two-point pass thrown by Matt Deery.

Hunterdon Central sophomore tailback Brandon Brocklehurst rushed for three touchdowns, including an important two-yard score in the fourth quarter for the game’s final touchdown.

A Phillipsburg drive was halted by an interception inside the Hunterdon Central 10-yard line with less than two minutes to go.

Immaculata, which rarely loses at home, scored three of its six touchdowns against Scotch Plains – two rushing and one passing – in the first quarter of last Friday night’s 41-0 triumph on the new FieldTurf at Brooks Field in Somerville.

Putting points on the board has not been easy for the Raiders so far, yet Scotch Plains is not that far away from being 2-2 at the momentum.

The last Scotch Plains points scored came on a 17-yard pass from senior quarterback Gary Binkiewicz to senior wide receiver Doran Nelson on a fourth down play in the fourth quarter of the team’s home-opener against Warren Hills, which was a late 12-6 defeat two weeks ago.

The schedule right now is brutal, but a good performance against Phillipsburg – win or lose - could be taken as positive momentum going into a home game against Wesfield next weekend. Scotch Plains will not be as much of an underdog against the arch rival Blue Devils.

Westfield (1-2) had last weekend off and is back in action Friday night at North Hunterdon, which defeated a 2-1 Ridge team 32-17 on the road last Friday night to improve to 1-2.

North Hunterdon, which will host Scotch Plains on Nov. 6, has one of the best senior tight ends in the state in Penn State-bound Kevin Haplea.

NOTES: The only two Mid-State 39 Conference teams that are scheduled to face Immaculata and Phillipsburg in back-to-back weekends are Scotch Plains and Hillsborough.

Hillsborough, situated in Central Jersey, Group 4, is 2-2 and will host Immaculata on Oct. 23 and then play at Phillipsburg on Oct. 30.

PHILLIPSBURG VS. UNION COUNTY TEAMS THIS DECADE,

ALL OF THE GAMES IN THE STATE PLAYOFFS:

Dec. 7, 2008 at Rutgers – Phillipsburg 20, Rahway 6 in N2, G3 final

Dec. 1, 2006 at Rutgers – Elizabeth 14, Phillipsburg 9 in N2, G4 final

Nov. 17, 2006 at P-Burg – Phillipsburg 42, Union 20 in N2, G4 semis

Nov. 18, 2005 at P-Burg – Phillipsburg 56, Union 14 in N2, G4 semis

Nov. 19, 2004 at P-Burg – Phillipsburg 14, Elizabeth 12 in N2, G4 semis

SCOTCH PLAINS RAIDERS (1-3)

Sept. 12 (A) Scotch Plains 26, Cranford 24

Sept. 18 (A) Linden 35, Scotch Plains 0

Sept. 26 (H) Warren Hills 12, Scotch Plains 6

Oct. 2 (A) Immaculata 41, Scotch Plains 0

Oct. 10 Phillipsburg, 2 p.m.

Oct. 17 Westfield, 1 p.m.

Oct. 24 Summit, 1 p.m.

Oct. 31 at Rahway, 1 p.m.

Nov. 6 at North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.

Head coach: Steve Ciccotelli, 19th year

Conference: Mid-State 39

Division: Watchung

Section: North 2, Group 3

Record: 1-3

Home: 0-1

Away: 1-2

Points for: 32

Points against: 112

Shutouts: 0

Overtime: 0-0

PHILLIPSBURG STATELINERS (2-1)

Sept. 11 (A) Phillipsburg 34, Warren Hills 12

Sept. 25 (H) Phillipsburg 48, Franklin 6

Oct. 2 (H) Hunterdon Central 24, Phillipsburg 15

Oct. 10 at Scotch Plains, 2 p.m.

Oct. 16 Elizabeth, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23 at Watchung Hills, 7 p.m.

Oct. 30 Hillsborough, 7 p.m.

Nov. 6 at Bridgewater-Raritan, 7 p.m.

Nov. 26 at Easton, Pa., 10:30 a.m.

Head coach: Bob Stem, fifth year of 2^nd stint

Conference: Mid-State 39

Division: Delaware

Section: North 2, Group 4

Record: 2-1

Home: 1-1

Away: 1-0

Points for: 97

Points against: 42

Shutouts: 0

Overtime: 0-0