Westfield Football Meets Linden at Cooper Field Saturday

While the Westfield football team might not have one key player who steals the show, the Blue Devils do possess one important ingredient.

They know how to win.

Led by the outstanding play of seniors Nate Mitchell, James O’Rourke and Peter Ondi, Westfield has overcome season-ending injuries to key players such as seniors James McCrea and Mike Mondon and in-season injuries to fellow seniors John Lanzano and Joe Rinaldi.

As a result, for the third time in the last four years Westfield is off to a 5-1 start and in the thick of things in North 2, Group 4.

“We may not look the part, but we do what we have to do,” sixth-year head coach Jim DeSarno said. “We feel we’re getting better each week.”

Last year, the only loss up until this point was a 19-13 home setback to Bridgewater-Raritan. So far this season the only game Westfield did not win was a 28-13 decision at Elizabeth, which was a 6-6 game into the third quarter before the host Minutemen broke it open with three big scoring plays.

Elizabeth is the only team so far to have beaten fellow North 2, Group 4 schools Hunterdon Central (6-1) and Franklin (5-1). Hunterdon Central is at Franklin Saturday in a big game as far as the N2, G4 playoff picture is concerned.

Westfield’s Mid-State 39 Conference-East A Division clash at Linden (2-4) Saturday is just as big for the visiting Blue Devils. Kickoff at Cooper Field is set for 1 p.m.

While this will not be Linden’s first playoff season since 2007, the Tigers would love nothing better than to avenge last season’s 30-24 double overtime loss at Westfield. The huge division and power points swing game helped put Westfield in the North 2, Group 4 playoffs for the fourth straight year, while it helped prevent the Tigers from qualifying for the first time in three years.

Both teams were 6-2 at the cutoff date, but only Westfield had the necessary amount of power points to gain one of the eight berths, earning the eighth and final seed.

Should Westfield gain at least a split of its next two games against Linden and Immaculata - which it did last year - that might be enough for the Blue Devils to qualify for a fifth consecutive season.

Westfield’s defense has not allowed any points in six of its last eight quarters and leads Union County in scoring defense with only 70 points against for a 11.67 average.

The Blue Devils also lead Union County with three shutouts, including last week’s 24-0 home win over non-division foe Rahway.

In that contest, senior quarterback Nate Mitchell was on target as he completed 11 of 14 passes for 139 yards and also scored on a one-yard run. Other Westfield touchdowns were produced by O’Rourke on a four-yard run, running back Brendan Dugan on a 44-yard sprint and senior placekicker Jonathan Gribbin on a 26-yard field goal.

Linden has lost two straight after evening its record. The Tigers were thwarted in double overtime at Ridge 27-21 last Friday night. A nine-yard touchdown run by Mike Hilss in the second overtime period proved to be the winning points. Linden advanced to the Ridge three-yard line on its final possession before Ridge held the lead with a goal-line stand.

Linden seniors Ruhann Peele and Marcus Fleming scored touchdowns in regulation, while Peele produced a second one – on a run from 25 yards out – in the first overtime to give Linden a 21-14 advantage. Peele, headed to Rutgers, is one of the top running playmakers in North Jersey.

“Linden has a lot of weapons and Peele is the main threat,” DeSarno said. “Whether he’s running with the ball out of the backfield or catching it, we’ve got problems.”

DeSarno said that Rinaldi and Lanzano, both out with leg injuries, are working hard to get back on the playing field.

Westfield has a four-game winning streak over Linden, with the Blue Devils 4-1 overall against the Tigers under DeSarno’s direction.

The only time Westfield lost to Linden since DeSarno has been the head coach was during DeSarno’s first game at the helm of the Blue Devils, which was a 20-14 Linden win at Westfield on Sept. 9, 2006.

“Linden will definitely be hungry after the way they lost to us last year,” DeSarno said. “We know they’re going to be very aggressive.”

Other key Linden players to look for include junior quarterback Jeremy Stathum, senior fullback Dayvon Johnson and senior wide receiver Anthony Alix on offense and senior end Trey Baskerville, junior linebacker Desmond Blocker and senior cornerback Jahaad Smith on defense.

WESTFIELD BLUE DEVILS (5-1)

(H) Westfield 17, Scotch Plains 0

(A) Westfield 22, Bridgewater-Raritan 7

(A) Westfield 21, Watchung Hills 0

(A) Elizabeth 28, Westfield 13

(H) Westfield 37, Union 35

(H) Westfield 24, Rahway 0

Oct. 29 at Linden, 1 p.m.

Nov. 5 Immaculata, 2 p.m.

Nov. 24 Plainfield, 10 a.m.

Head coach: Jim DeSarno, sixth year

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

Record: 5-1

Mid-State 39, East A: 2-1

Home: 3-0

Away: 2-1

Points for: 134

Points against: 70

Shutouts: 3

Overtime: 0-0

LINDEN TIGERS (2-4)

(H) Hunterdon Central 27, Linden 14

(A) Elizabeth 27, Linden 14

(H) Linden 35, Warren Hills 0

(A) Linden 13, Watchung Hills 7 (OT)

(H) Immaculata 33, Linden 20

(A) Ridge 27, Linden 21 (2OT)

Oct. 29 Westfield, 1 p.m.

Nov. 5 at Plainfield, 2 p.m.

Nov. 24 Union, 10:30 a.m.

Head coach: Deon Candia, fourth year

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

Record: 2-4

Mid-State 39, East A: 1-2

Home: 1-2

Away: 1-2

Points for: 117

Points against: 121

Shutouts: 1

Overtime: 1-1