Raiders Take on Linden in Game Two of Football Season

The only matchup of 1-0 Union County football teams this weekend will take place in Linden.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Linden will clash at 2:30 p.m. at Linden’s Cooper Field, with the visiting Raiders seeking to start the season with consecutive road victories.

Scotch Plains and Linden both beat Central Jersey Group 2 schools on opening weekend.

Scotch Plains came back to beat Cranford 26-24 at Memorial Field last Saturday. Linden opened with a 21-12 home win over Rahway last Friday night.

Scotch Plains, sparked by senior quarterback Gary Binkiewicz and junior running back Quintin Blackwell, came back from 7-0, 15-14 and 18-14 first-half deficits to outscore Cranford 12-6 in the second half.

Binkiewicz rushed for scores of one and 48 yards and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to senior end Mike Marsan. Blackwell scored the final Raider touchdown, which came on a 29-yard run with eight minutes left to put his team up 26-18.

Binkiewicz and Blackwell also teamed to make the biggest play of the game. With 1:30 left in the fourth quarter, Binkiewicz caught up with speedy Cranford running back Sean Trotter, who caught a pass at midfield and was off to the races, seeking to reach the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown.

Binkiewicz was not only able to catch up to Trotter right before the 10-yard line, but he was able to strip the ball away from him. Blackwell was then there to recover the fumble, which secured the victory as Scotch Plains just took two knees afterwards for a hard-fought triumph.

“He’s a winner and he always has the ability to make a really big play,” Scotch Plains head coach Steve Ciccotelli said of Binkiewicz. “Let’s not forget that the other kid (Blackwell) was there too to recover the fumble.”

After the opening kickoff, Cranford went right down the field and scored. Then Binkiewicz brought Scotch Plains right down the field for a touchdown, with the Raiders answering immediately being a key part of the game.

“I thought that was huge,” said Cranford head coach Erik Rosenmeier, who was previously an assistant coach at Scotch Plains under Ciccotelli. “If we could have stopped them there and built on our momentum, we might have been able to take a bigger lead and that might have made a difference.”

Linden had not faced Rahway since 1998 and had not beaten the Indians since Thanksgiving 1997. Both neighboring rivals looked forward to opening against each other last weekend, with the host Tigers coming out on top to start a second consecutive season with a home victory.

Linden began last year’s much-improved 5-5 campaign with a 7-6 home triumph over Barringer.

Leading Linden’s Multiple-I offense is three-year starting quarterback Trell Myers, a crafty southpaw who can drop back and throw the ball deep and get out of the pocket and run all over the field before being stopped.

Myers led Linden to a 27-8 triumph at Scotch Plains last year when the Raiders finished 4-6.

Myers (6-3, 180) as quarterback will put Linden in a great position to accomplish its goals this season.

“We’re looking to have everything from him,” coach Deon Candia said. “He’s a leader by example.”

Junior running backs Will Ingram and Kevin Rodriguez also show promise. Ingram replaced Rodriguez last season when he suffered an injury.

“Will surprised a lot of people last year,” Candia said. “He only played in five games and did a very good job for us. Kevin has super strength, can go real quick and is a runner sort of like Ray Rice (Rutgers and Baltimore Ravens running back).”

Candia also anticipates strong contributions from wide receivers senior Elijah Reaves (5-10, 170) and sophomore Ruhann Peele (6-0, 175).

Peele, Candia said, spent much of the summer in the weight room and gained about 12 pounds of muscle.

“We had one of the best off-seasons we’ve ever had as far as the weight room and running goes,” Candia said. “We gained confidence from being in the weight room.”

SCOTCH PLAINS-LINDEN SERIES SINCE 2003

2008: Linden 27, Scotch Plains 8 – at Scotch Plains

2007: Scotch Plains 46, Linden 0 – at Linden

2006: Scotch Plains 14, Linden 7 – at Scotch Plains

2005: Linden 19, Scotch Plains 14 – at Linden

2004: Scotch Plains 23, Linden 12 – at Scotch Plains

2003: Scotch Plains 14, Linden 12 – at Linden  

SCOTCH PLAINS’

MULTIPLE-I OFFENSE

T Mitch McNamara, senior, (6-0, 300)

G David Kreps, senior, (6-0, 240)

C John Howarth, junior, (5-10, 180)

T Matt Manns, junior, (6-4, 245)

G Mike Tufaro, junior, (6-0, 260)

WR Doran Nelson, senior, (6-3, 175)

QB Gary Binkiewicz, senior, (6-2, 190)

RB Javin Hawkins, senior, (5-7, 165)

RB Quintin Blackwell, junior, (5-9, 150)

FB Neville Hall, junior, (5-10, 230)

FB Kyle Berwick, junior, (5-10, 175)

TE Alex Graham, senior, (5-10, 175)

WR Mike Marsan, senior, (5-11, 175)

PK-P Mike Burke, senior, (6-3, 180)

SCOTCH PLAINS’

4-4 DEFENSE

NG Mitch McNamara, senior, (6-0, 300)

T David Kreps, senior, (6-0, 240)

E Mike Tufaro, junior, (6-0, 260)

E Matt Manns, junior, (6-4, 245)

ILB Neville Hall, junior, (5-10, 230)

ILB Kyle Berwick, junior, (5-10, 175)

OLB Javin Hawkins, senior, (5-7, 165)

OLB Alex Graham, senior, (5-10, 175)

CB Doran Nelson, senior, (6-3, 175)

CB Mike Marsan, senior, (5-11, 175)

CB Quintin Blackwell, junior, (5-9, 150)

S Gary Binkiewicz, senior, (6-2, 190)

S J.C. Davidson, junior, (5-10, 160)  

SCOTCH PLAINS RAIDERS (1-0)

2009 SCHEDULE

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

Sept. 18 at Linden, 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 26 Warren Hills, 1 p.m.

Oct. 2 at Immaculata, 7 p.m.

Oct. 10 Phillipsburg, 1 p.m.

Oct. 17 Westfield, 1 p.m.

Oct. 24 Summit, 1 p.m.

Oct. 31 at Rahway, 1 p.m.

Nov. 26 at North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.

Head coach: Steve Ciccotelli

Section: North 2, Group 3

Record: 1-0

Home: 0-0

Away: 0-1

Points for: 26

Points against: 24

Shutouts: 0

Overtime: 0-0

LINDEN’S MULTIPLE-I OFFENSE

G Sumir Burns, sophomore, (6-0, 240)

T Austin Frank, junior, (6-1, 265)

C Joe Krech, junior, (6-0, 185)

G Steven Carabali, junior, (6-1, 235)

T Luke Jarmolowski, senior, (6-5, 210)

TE Ismil Abdul-Wahid, sophomore, (6-1, 190)

WR Elijah Reaves, senior, (5-10, 170)

FL Ruhann Peele, sophomore, (6-0, 175)

QB Trell Myers, senior, (6-3, 180)

TB Will Ingram, junior, (5-11, 180)

TB Kevin Rodriguez, junior, (5-9, 180)

FB Kranston Green, senior, (5-10, 190)

PK Ruhann Peele, sophomore, (6-0, 175)

P Trell Myers, senior, (6-3, 180)  

 

LINDEN’S 3-4 DEFENSE

MNG Shareem Jenkins, senior, (6-0, 245)

T Luke Jarmolowski, senior, (6-5, 210)  

T Sumir Burns, sophomore, (6-0, 240)

OLB Jalen Johnson, senior, (6-0, 180)

OLB Will Ingram, junior, (5-11, 180)

MLB Jaurice Jones, junior, (6-1, 175)

MLB Kranston Green, senior, (5-10, 190)  

CB Jahaad Smith, sophomore, (5-10, 165)

CB Elijah Reaves, senior, (5-10, 170)

S Ruhann Peele, sophomore, (6-0, 175)  

S Jalil Spann, junior, (6-0, 170)  

LINDEN TIGERS (1-0)

2009 SCHEDULE

Sept. 11 (H) Linden 21, Rahway 12

Sept. 18 Scotch Plains, 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 25 at Elizabeth, 7 p.m.

Oct. 3 at Plainfield, 1 p.m.

Oct. 16 at North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23 Hunterdon Central, 7 p.m.

Oct. 30 Westfield, 7 p.m.

Nov. 6 at Immaculata, 7 p.m.

Nov. 25 Union, 7 p.m.

Head coach: Deon Candia

Section: North 2, Group 4

Record: 1-0

Home: 1-0

Away: 0-0

Points for: 21

Points against: 12

Shutouts: 0

Overtime: 0-0