After trailing just 7-0 at halftime, the Watchung Hills High football team gave up four touchdowns in the second half en route to a 34-6 loss to visiting Rahway Sunday in Warren. The game had been postponed from Friday due to the area-wide power outage last week. The loss dropped the Warriors to 1-8 entering next week's consolation game.
IN SHORT
The Warriors lost Sunday's Senior Day game in the same way it had lost most of its games this fall—an offense which struggled to score points and a defense which played well for the most part, but gave up the big play. Rahway quarterback Hakeem Kornegay ran for the lone touchdown of the first half from 48 yards out and he scored on an 84-yard sprint on the first play of the second half.
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TOP WARRIOR
Nick Mastrobattista didn't get into the game until the outcome had been decided but he led the Warriors on a 13-play, 53-yard scoring drive that ended with his 6-yard scoring pass to Andrew Keller. Mastrobattista, a junior, completed three of his six passes for 18 yards.
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TOP PERFORMANCES
Offense—Anthony Prus rushed for 64 yards to pass the 500-yard mark for the season. Frank Urso took direct snaps on the game's first three plays and gained a total of 12 yards. Urso also caught two passes to increase his team-high total to 15. Kudos to 5-foot-9, 180-pound lineman Matt Schenk for his effort against Rahway's 6-foot-4, 275-pound Dion Dawkins on every play.
Defense—Similarly, defensive tackle Chris George, one of the few seniors on the team, battled Dawkins on every play on defense. Anthony Rizzolo had a fumble recovery.
Special teams—The Warriors' touchdown was set up by a 27-yard kickoff return by Frankie Mercuri.
TOUGH OPPONENT
Kornegay rushed for 181 yards and passed for another 86 yards.
THEY SAID IT
"It's been a windy road, a lot of emotion. We kept working hard ... It's not about any one player and or any one class. This is a great team sport and it's the team that matters. They will have a lot of talent next year and I hope they do well ... For me, there have been a lot of ups and downs, good and bad. But I love playing football. There's nothing else that I'd rather be doing on a Friday night." Senior linebacker Matt Nielsen
"Every time we would have a positive play, we'd have a negative play. We couldn't capitalize on the mistakes they made and the mistakes we made turned into six points ... The seniors we have on the team this year hung in there and I have to give them a lot of credit. They did a nice job and were committed to the program. Chris George, Matt Nielsen and Kyle McLaughlin, who was hurt, are guys that we will miss having in the program. They did a lot both before I got here and after I arrived." Watchung Hills coach Marc Crisafi.
Up next—The Warriors will play a consolation game against an opponent to be announced on Monday. The time and site will also be announced at that time.
