SP-F Up Against Tough Team to Beat in Friday Game

Whatever kind of season the Scotch Plains-Fanwood football team ultimately produces this year, the Raiders can never be criticized for playing a “soft” schedule.

Scotch Plains is now in the midst of a five-game stretch against teams that made the state playoffs last year, with three of them reaching championship games and one of them capturing a state title.

The Raiders are preparing for perennial parochial power Immaculata at the moment, with the Non-Public, Group 3 Spartans at 2-1 and coming off a 25-0 home triumph over Rahway Saturday night.

Scotch Plains will play at Immaculata Friday night at 7 p.m. in Somerville.

What follows on the schedule are three straight home games against Phillipsburg, Westfield and Summit and then road games at Rahway and North Hunterdon. Phillipsburg defeated Rahway 20-6 in last year’s North 2, Group 3 state championship game at Rutgers, while Immaculata lost to St. Joseph’s of Montvale 27-6 in the Non-Public, Group 3 title contest at Rutgers.

“We’re in the meat grinder part of the schedule,” Scotch Plains head coach Steve Ciccotelli said.

Phillipsburg, Rahway and Immaculata all finished 10-2 last year. Summit, which reached the North 2, Group 2 semifinals last year for the first time since 2003, concluded at 5-6. Presently, the senior-laden Hilltoppers are 3-0 and have outscored their first three foes by a whopping 139-35 margin.

North Hunterdon, like Scotch Plains last year, did not make the state playoffs and finished 4-6.

Scotch Plains improved its play greatly against a more even opponent in Warren Hills during the Raiders’ home-opener Saturday.

Scotch Plains came back to tie the game at 6-6 in the fourth quarter when senior quarterback Gary Binkiewicz hit senior wide receiver Doran Nelson with a 17-yard touchdown pass on fourth down that Nelson dove straight ahead for and caught in the left corner of the end zone.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, Warren Hills was able to score on a touchdown pass with 21 seconds left – also on fourth down – and the Blue Streaks were able to leave Union County with a 12-6 triumph.

Scotch Plains was one play away of getting the game to overtime.

The Raiders went seven straight quarters without scoring until Nelson’s touchdown reception.

“We have no margin of error on offense,” Ciccotelli said. “We can’t sustain things. We didn’t play bad defense. We just didn’t score. We played better and with more intensity, but we need more consistency.”

Scotch Plains was unable to get its ground game going, with Warren Hills doing a good job of stopping senior back Javin Hawkins for the most part.

Binkiewicz did have success in the air and completed 16-of-26 passes for 160 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Warren Hills took advantage of the interception and scored the winning touchdown.

A blocked punt by Chris Smith set up the Scotch Plains score.

Warren Hills was led by senior quarterback Dave Lance, who completed 14-of-17 passes for 147 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Senior wide receiver Storm Deemer caught 10 passes for 71 yards.

Senior wide receiver-defensive back Justin Barends had the interception and caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the right corner of the end zone on fourth-and-16 from the Scotch Plains 28.

The return of Nelson was huge for Scotch Plains, with the tall and lanky receiver catching five balls for 56 yards and one touchdown. Nelson missed the first two games after suffering a bone bruise on his left leg during Scotch Plains’ game-scrimmage at home against Elizabeth on Sept. 4.

“We had some positive things and moved the ball,” Ciccotelli said.

Scotch Plains junior safety J.C. Davidson made a nice touchdown-saving tackle on a key play in the second half and later in the fourth quarter batted a pass away that could have been caught for a score.

NOTES: Immaculata has outscored two home opponents 56-0, including a 31-0 win over North Hunterdon in its Sept. 11 season-opener.

Saturday night’s game against Rahway was the first the Spartans played on the new FieldTurf at Brooks Field in Somerville.

Ishmil Mack scored on runs of 24 and five yards in the first quarter to put Immaculata up 13-0. The Spartans added a safety and a 48-yard field goal by Nick DeLouisa in the third quarter and then received a 40-yard touchdown run by Ralph D’Agostino in the fourth.

Rahway was limited to less than 200 yards of total offense. The Indians fell to 0-2 after having the previous weekend off. Rahway opened with a 21-12 setback at Linden on Sept. 11.

The Indians are scheduled to face Cranford (1-2) Saturday at 1 p.m. in their home-opener at Veterans Field.

 Immaculata leads Rahway 6-0 in their short series.

This will be the first time Scotch Plains and Immaculata will be facing each other in the regular season. The teams used to scrimmage each other. 

SCOTCH PLAINS RAIDERS (1-2)

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 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, 19th year

Conference: Mid-State 39 - Watchung Division

Section: North 2, Group 3

Record: 1-2

Home: 0-1

Away: 1-1

Points for: 32

Points against: 71

Shutouts: 0

Overtime: 0-0 

IMMACULATA SPARTANS (2-1)

Sept. 11 (H) Immaculata 31, North Hunterdon 0

Sept. 17 (A) Ridge 35, Immaculata 21

Sep. 26 (H) Immaculata 25, Rahway 0

Oct. 2 Scotch Plains, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9 at Warren Hills, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16 Voorhees, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23 at Hillsborough, 7 p.m.

Oct. 30 at Montgomery, 7 p.m.

Nov. 6 Linden, 7 p.m.

Head coach: Pierce Frauenheim, 44^th year

Conference: Mid-State 39 – Raritan Division

Section: Non-Public, Group 3

Record: 2-1

Home: 2-0

Away: 0-1

Points for: 77

Points against: 35

Shutouts: 2

Overtime: 0-0