SP-F Defeated by Linden, 35-0

Whether you win by a big score or lose by a big score, you have to go back to work and prepare for next week’s opponent.

There’s a saying: “You’re never as good as you think you are or as bad as you think you might be.”

Let’s put it this way, the Scotch Plains football team is happy to be 1-1 after the first two weeks of the season considering its very rigorous schedule this year.

Escaping Cranford with a hard-fought 26-24 victory last Saturday night was huge.

Why?

Because although the visiting Raiders were fired up to play Linden Friday in a battle of 1-0 Mid-State 39 Conference-Watchung Division teams, they simply didn’t match up with the host Tigers at all.

Linden–behind a bigger and faster squad—scored on three of four possessions in the first half–including its first two–and never looked back en route to posting a dominating 35-0 triumph at Linden’s Cooper Field.

Scotch Plains must now prepare to battle Warren Hills, whose season also currently stands at 1-1, next Saturday at 1 p.m., at Warren Hills.

Linden is now 2-0.

This is the second year in a row for Linden to come out on top against the Raiders. The Tigers won at Scotch Plains 27-8 last year. Scotch Plains went 7-3 vs. Linden this decade.

The Raiders were held to 27 yards of offense in the first half–25 rushing and only two passing.

Coming up with touchdown-saving tackles of Linden junior running back Will Ingram during the Tigers’ first two possessions was Scotch Plains junior safety J.C. Davidson.

Although Linden ended up scoring on both drives, Davidson was quick enough to trip up Ingram after a 50-yard run and then tackled him again after a 16-yard gain on the first play of Linden’s second possession.

Scotch Plains inside linebacker Kyle Berwick also had two fine tackles in the first half.

The Raiders came close to scoring in the second quarter, when a nine-play drive that started at the Scotch Plains 30 ended at the Linden 20 on an incomplete pass. But senior quarterback Gary Binkiewicz only managed to complete three-of-12 passes for two yards.

Linden was sparked by senior, three-year-starting quarterback Trell Myers, who did not play at QB in his team’s first game after not playing the position at all in the pre-season because of injuring an ankle while playing on defense in the very beginning of Linden’s first scrimmage.

Myers completed eight-of-12 passes for 141 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and one two-point pass. In the first half, he completed six-of-nine throws for 108 yards and his one TD pass.

NOTES: Four of Scotch Plains’ next five games are at home, including a first-ever home regular season match-up with perennial West Jersey power Phillipsburg on Oct. 10 at 1 p.m.

Although the Raiders lost, Scotch Plains did pick up one residual power point from Linden having won its first game last weekend against Rahway.

For the first time this year, teams can gain residual power points from opponents even though they lost to them.
 
MID-STATE 39 CONFERENCE-WATCHUNG DIVISION GAME

AT LINDEN’S COOPER FIELD

SCOTCH PLAINS (1-1)                                       0       0       0    0   -   0
LINDEN (2-0)                                                        7     14     14    0   - 35

FIRST QUARTER:

LINDEN – William Ingram 10 run, Yardley Batelus kick (L 7-0)
10 plays, 76 yards, 3:59 used

SECOND QUARTER:

LINDEN – Trell Myers 4 run, kick failed (L 13-0)
11 plays, 52 yards, 5:55 used

LINDEN – Ruhann Peele 17 pass from Trell Myers, Ruhan Peele pass from Trell Myers (L 21-0)
9 plays, 82 yards, 3:36 used

THIRD QUARTER:

LINDEN – Kranston Green 1 run, Yardley Batelus kick (L 28-0)
7 plays, 61 yards, 3:25 used

LINDEN – Ruhann Peele 48 punt return, Yardley Batelus kick (L 35-0)
 
SCOTCH PLAINS RAIDERS (1-1)

(A) Scotch Plains 26, Cranford 24

(A) Linden 35, Scotch Plains 0

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. 6 at North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.

Head coach: Steve Ciccotelli

Section: North 2, Group 3

Record: 1-1

Home: 0-0
Away: 1-1

Points for: 26
Points against: 59

Shutouts: 0

Overtime: 0-0
 
LINDEN TIGERS (2-0)

(H) Linden 21, Rahway 12

(H) Linden 35, Scotch Plains 0

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: 2-0

Home: 2-0

Away: 0-0

Points for: 56
Points against: 12

Shutouts: 1

Overtime: 0-0