Battle of the Football Devils: Who Will Come Out On Top?

The Westfield Blue Devils, seeded eighth, will take on the top-seeded Hunterdon Central Red Devils tonight in Flemington  at 7:00 pm in a North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 quarterfinal.

Hunterdon Central is 8-1 and has won six straight since its only defeat, which was at Bridgewater-Raritan 20-3 back on Sept. 24.

Westfield is 6-2, with the Blue Devils having a five-game winning streak snapped at Immaculata last Friday night 21-7. Westfield lost at home to Bridgewater-Raritan 19-13 on Sept. 17.

The eighth seed has a good history in this section. Piscataway won the whole thing as the eighth seed in 2003. Woodbridge won at Union 23-14 as the eighth seed in last year's quarterfinals, although the Farmers were without their No. 1 running back, senior Isaiah McLean, who missed the game with an injury. Plainfield led Union by a touchdown deep into the fourth quarter of the 1999 8-at-1 quarterfinal before the Farmers rallied for a one-touchdown win.

The eighth seed has won before. It can happen again.

Of the seven teams in Union County that qualified for the state playoffs, Westfield is the only one in action Friday night.

Although Westfield has not won the section since 1977, the Blue Devils have now qualified in North 2, Group 4 for the first time in four straight seasons.

The point here is that Westfield is getting there as far as being a serious contender in the section.

"Our program is strong," DeSarno said. "Our youth program is strong and the numbers from third grade on are tremendous."

Westfield has reached the semifinals two of the past three seasons, but has lost decisively on the road both times. First was to Piscataway 31-0 in 2007 and second was to Phillipsburg 35-7 in 2009. In between, Westfield lost at Ridge 49-13 in the 2008 quarterfinals.

Both Blue Devil playoff wins under DeSarno have come at home.

"We're trying to get over the hump," DeSarno said. "We've made it, but it's not too fun getting our butts kicked."

After reaching championship games three straight seasons, Hunterdon Central was picked off at home last year by Brick Memorial 21-17 in the 6-at-3 Central Jersey, Group 4 quarterfinal. Hunterdon Central completed its regular season a perfect 9-0 before seeing its season end in a first round playoff encounter.

You can score on the Red Devils. Their last shutout victory was over North Hunterdon 40-0 at home on Oct. 31, 2008. Hunterdon Central has given up points in its last 23 games.

Hunterdon Central has outscored nine foes by a 254-143 margin this year.

Westfield has been a bit less yielding in the points department so far this season, giving up 118, which is fourth best in Union County. The Blue Devils have outscored eight opponents 204-118.

DeSarno, in his fifth year at the helm of the Blue Devils, has guided Westfield to five consecutive winning seasons and also to four straight playoff appearances in North 2, Group 4.

Hunterdon Central seventh-year head coach Matt Perotti has led the Red Devils to the state playoffs six times, including the last five seasons. He has also led the Red Devils to six winning seasons in seven campaigns.

Hunterdon Central captured the Central Jersey, Group 4 playoff championship for the fourth time in six tries in 2006 and then won North 2, Group 4 the first year it was in the section in 2007. The Red Devils got back to the N2, G4 championship game in 2008 and lost.

This year's squad is led offensively by senior quarterback Christopher Ibrahim, junior running back Brandon Brocklehurst and receiver Vincenzo DiTrolio.

Ibrahim has completed 85-of-161 passes (53 percent) for 1,253 yards and 12 touchdowns. Brocklehurst has rushed for 922 yards on 158 carries (5.84 average) and scored 10 touchdowns. DiTrolio has 26 catches for 457 yards (17.58 yards per catch) and six touchdowns.

Hunterdon Central is averaging 28.22 points per game.

"They've been playing very well of late and had some big wins the last couple of weeks," DeSarno said.

The signature victory on the schedule is its 28-25 home triumph over Phillipsburg three weeks ago, which is the only Stateliner defeat.

"That was a battle, a war, with both teams getting after it," DeSarno said. "It was just a case of when the smoke settled one team had more points.

"It was a well-played game, although a couple of turnovers hurt Phillipsburg and Hunterdon Central took advantage of them."

The Blue Devils had to prepare for a plethora of skill players that could hurt them the past two weeks. Westfield came back to beat Linden 30-24 at home in double overtime two weeks ago, while the Blue Devils were stopped and fell short of scoring on a long drive and saw Immaculata come back to beat them 21-7 on the road last week.

"Hunterdon Central has the quarterback and the running back and those types of players with the size and speed," DeSarno said. "It seems like we're playing the same team we played the last couple of weeks."

In Hunterdon Central's loss at Bridgewater-Raritan, DeSarno pointed to a strong defensive effort by BR that led the way.

 "Bridgewater's defense was very aggressive and that affected what Hunterdon Central likes to do," DeSarno said. "Bridgewater also ran the football and kept Hunterdon Central's offense off the field, which was huge.

"However, that game was a long time ago. Hunterdon Central has been playing very good football lately."

Like most of these games, the battle at the line of scrimmage will be key. If Westfield's offensive line can hold its own and open up enough running room for senior running back A.J. Murray that will bode well for the Blue Devils.

Then it will be up to Westfield to finish its drives once the Blue Devils reach enter the red zone.

"We needed that extra yardage against Immaculata and didn't get it," DeSarno said. "We need to get that. We have to block the right people. That's one of the things we're working on this week in practice."

Murray has rushed for more than 800 yards and is one of the leading scorers in Union County with 14 touchdowns and at least one in every game.

"He does a great job of moving the chains," DeSarno said. "We're not really a big-play team. We're successful when we're moving the chains and he's a big part of that."

If you give senior quarterback Dan Kerr just a bit of time, he will find senior Ryan Hess open to the left or junior Peter Ondi open at the right flank. Kerr had seven touchdown passes total in the wins over Rahway and Linden; four to Hess, two to Ondi and one to junior tight end John Lanzano, which were the winning points vs. the Tigers.

"He (Kerr) understands the game and what we're trying to doing," DeSarno said. "He does a good job of reading coverages and finding open receivers.

"We replaced all our receivers, so it takes time to gain confidence, get comfortable and understand routes."

Junior placekicker Jonathan Gribbin has been consistent the entire season and was a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts going into the Immaculata game. If he is able to kick the ball deep and allow Westfield special teams players to get down field in a hurry, the Blue Devils will have a chance to prevent Hunterdon Central from gaining quality field position.

Murray - among the leading tacklers in Union County - also has been a force, defensively, at linebacker. Other standouts up front include seniors Christopher Mannino, Jesse DeMartino, Nicholas Matthews and Garrett Pryor.

"We've really relied on our defense the last two years," DeSarno said. "We have to do a good job of recognizing what Hunterdon Central does and try to keep them in front of us."

Players such as Ondi (5-6, 151) and fellow junior James O'Rourke (5-5, 149) play much bigger than their size. Both have made numerous key plays for the Blue Devils over the course of their eight games.

If O'Rourke doesn't get through the line and block Linden's 39-yard field goal attempt with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter two weeks ago, then Westfield might be playing a consolation game this weekend and Linden a playoff contest.

"Those kinds of players make our team and program, go," DeSarno said. "We don't have 6-5, 280 pound kids walking around our building.

"Our players work hard and make things happen."

With Hunterdon Central and East Orange Campus coming back into North 2, Group 4 this year - East Orange Campus won its first playoff championship in 2007 when it captured North 1, Group 4 for the first time - DeSarno was well aware that the section his Blue Devils compete in became that much more challenging.

"The talent in this section is great," DeSarno said. "There's not really much control over who is coming in, with it based on school size. We have no control over it.

"It is what it is and you have to live with the teams that are in your section.

"We knew Phillipsburg (the defending champion) and Linden had everyone back and that Franklin was up-and-coming. Piscataway, with a very young team, almost won at Phillipsburg last year (in the quarterfinals).

"I'm just real proud of my kids this year. I didn't know if we could compete with all of this, but the kids have fought all year long and have played well."

Westfield's last road playoff win came at Morristown 7-0 in the 2001 6-at-3 North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal. Since then the Blue Devils have lost road playoff games at Montclair (2001), at Roxbury (2002), at Sayreville (2003 in North 2, Group 3), at Piscataway (2007), at Ridge (2008) and at Phillipsburg (2009).

"We'll get on the bus again and strap it up and be ready to go," DeSarno said. "We'll still do the things that we do and that we work on all year long.

"We are who we are and don't concern ourselves with what other people do."

Westfield under fifth-year head coach Jim DeSarno:

2010 – 6-2, reached North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals so far

2009 – 8-3, reached North 2, Group 4 semifinals

2008 – 7-3, reached North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals

2007 – 7-4, reached North 2, Group 4 semifinals

2006 – 6-4

Record: 34-16 (.680). Playoff record: 2-3.

Winning seasons: 5. Playoff seasons: 4.

Hunterdon Central under seventh-year head coach Matt Perotti:

2010 – 8-1, reached North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals so far

2009 – 9-1, reached Central Jersey, Group 4 quarterfinals

2008 – 9-3, reached North 2, Group 4 final

2007 – 11-1, won North 2, Group 4 championship

2006 – 9-3, won Central Jersey, Group 4 championship

2005 – 6-4

2004 – 5-5, reached Central Jersey, Group 4 quarterfinals

Record: 57-18 (760). Playoff record: 8-3.

Winning seasons: 6. Playoff seasons: 6.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4

SEEDING:

1-Hunterdon Central. 2-Piscataway. 3-Phillipsburg. 4-Columbia.

5-Bridgewater-Raritan. 6-Franklin. 7-East Orange Campus. 8-Westfield.

QUARTERFINALS:

Friday, Nov. 12

8-Westfield at 1-Hunterdon Central, 7 p.m.

6-Franklin at 3-Phillipsburg, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 13

5-Bridgewater-Raritan at 4-Columbia, 1 p.m.

7-East Orange Campus at 2-Piscataway, 1 p.m.

SEMIFINALS:

Nov. 19-20 at higher seeds.

FINAL:

Dec. 2-4, TBA.

WESTFIELD BLUE DEVILS (6-2)

(A) Westfield 28, Scotch Plains 0

(H) Bridgewater-Raritan 19, Westfield 13

(H) Westfield 35, Watchung Hills 14

(H) Westfield 30, Elizabeth 20

(A) Westfield 17, Union 7

(A) Westfield 44, Rahway 13

(H) Westfield 30, Linden 24 (2OT)

(A) Immaculata 21, Westfield 7

Nov. 12 at Hunterdon Central, 7 p.m.

Nov. 25 at Plainfield, 11 a.m.

Head coach: Jim DeSarno,

fifth year: 34-16 (.680)

Section: North 2, Group 4

Vs. North 2, Group 4 playoff teams: 0-1

Record: 6-2

Mid-State 39-East A Division: 4-1, tied for second

Home: 3-1

Away: 3-1

Points for: 204

Points against: 118

Shutouts: 1

Overtime: 1-0

HUNTERDON CENTRAL RED DEVILS (8-1)

(H) Hunterdon Central 24, Linden 7

(H) Hunterdon Central 35, Elizabeth 26

(A) Bridgewater-Raritan 20, Hunterdon Central 3

(A) Hunterdon Central 23, Hillsborough 7

(H) Hunterdon Central 41, North Hunterdon 17

(A) Hunterdon Central 28, Ridge 21

(H) Hunterdon Central 28, Phillipsburg 25

(H) Hunterdon Central 37, Franklin 13

(A) Hunterdon Central 35, Montgomery 7

Nov. 12 Westfield, 7 p.m.

Head coach: Matt Perotti,

seventh year: 57-18 (.760)

Section: North 2, Group 4

Vs. North 2, Group 4 playoff teams: 2-1

Record: 8-1

Mid-State 39-West A Division: 6-1, tied for first

Home: 5-0

Away: 3-1

Points for: 254

Points against: 143

Shutouts: 0

Overtime: 0-0