The Columbia football team's state championship hopes were snuffed out on Saturday afternoon at Lynn V. Profeta Field in the Underhill Sports Complex. The locals turned the ball over three times and were gashed for 241 yards rushing in a disappointing 27-7 loss to Bridgewater-Raritan in the first round of the North II Group 4 state sectional playoffs.
Columbia turned the ball over twice in the span of four plays between the third and fourth quarters, stifling their chances at a comeback. The first came at the end of the third quarter, with the Cougars down 20-7, at the Panther 16-yard-line, threatening to get within six points. But Demetrius Cooper was intercepted at the one-yard line, ending the scoring threat. A botched option play on Columbia's next drive led to a fumble, which was recovered by Bridgewater's Peter Machala.
The fumble recovery gave Bridgewater a short field, with a first and 10 at Columbia's 33yard line with 10:32 left to play. Michael Pennella punched in a one-yard score five plays later and the PAT had the Panthers up 27-7, and that was the ball game.
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"We did a lot of things to help them. They're not 20 points better than us," said Columbia head coach Dave Curtin. "We didn't execute our game plan. We missed blocks up front, we hit wrong holes, we did things that were uncharacteristic of us, for whatever reason."
Denzel Nieves scored Columbia's lone touchdown, taking an option right and going from the right sideline to the left sideline, weaving through Panther defenders for a 61-yard score. However, Nieves, who broke the 1,000 yard mark for the season on Saturday, was largely contained. He picked up 95 yards on 11 carries, most of which came on the single run.
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With 2:38 left in the opening quarter, Bridgewater quarterback Ray Mastroianni got the Panthers on the board with a one-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, he put the visitors up by two scores when he found Jared Hargis in the back left corner of the end zone for a 15-yard strike. Panther kicker extraordinaire Tyler Barbarich added a 34-yard field goal with three seconds left in the first half to put Bridgewater up 17-0 at the break.
Barbarich added another three points from 20 yards out, capping the Panthers' opening drive of the second half, before Nieves got Columbia on the board.
When the Cougars look back on this game they'll point to a bevy of missed opportunities, untimely penalties, dropped passes and to third down conversions.
Columbia had plenty of opportunities to score more than it did, but were unable to finish drives. To add to it, the locals converted just two of 10 third downs, while Bridgewater converted seven of 13.
"It's very frustrating," Curtin said. "I told them we had to win the third downs and we didn't and we have to win the turnover battle and we didn't. In the playoffs, that's key at any level and we didn't do that."
Late in the first quarter the locals had driven down to the Panther 20 and were set up with a manageable second and seven. But an illegal block penalty plus a false start turned it into a nearly impossible second and 23. The Cougars were eventually forced to punt.
The ball was downed at the Bridgewater four-yard line, and after forcing the visitors into a tough third and nine fro their own five, the Columbia defense was unable to get off the field. Bridgewater converted a third and nine, a third and 15 and a third and 11 on the 11-play 96 yard touchdown drive.
"We worked hard, no one packed it in, but we couldn't make plays when we had to," Curtin said. "You pin them on the three-yard line and you give up a third and 15."
On Columbia's ensuing possession, they were given a boost by Nieves returning the kickoff 67 yards to the Panther 30-yard-line. The Cougars gained one first down before turning the ball over on downs.
"It's the playoffs. You can't miss opportunities," Curtin said.
Columbia, which has seen its season ended in the first round for the second straight season following a stellar regular season, does at least have another game left to help wash the nasty taste of defeat away. The locals, who fell to 8-1, take on Irvington on Thanksgiving morning.
"It's really helpful and it's about 10 days from now," Curtin said. "We'll take a couple of days off, watch film, take another couple of days off and then we'll bring them back. Hopefully by the end of the week, it's out of our system and then we'll get our game plan in."
Bridgewater, which got 197 yards rushing from Jamar Archer and improved to 7-3, moves on to play Hunterdon Central in the second round of the playoffs next week.
