Morristown @ Seton Hall Prep Football
West Orange, NJ - Seton Hall Prep defeated Morristown High School 13-12 in what turned out to be a nail biter of a game.
CLICK HERE to view all the photos from the game or just enjoy those below.
Photos by Tim McDonald
Steve Tober at Sidelinechatter wrote up the game on his site…
By Steve Tober
for sidelinechatter.com
WEST ORANGE- Grant Mayes’ chance for redemption was there right before his very eyes and he knew exactly where Morristown’s George Bass was headed while also realizing what he had to do to stop what could be a game-winning two-point conversion pass by the resilient Colonials.
“Get gutsy and go jump for it,” said Seton Hall Prep’s Syracuse-bound senior cornerback, who made the game-saving play of the day with a diving pass break up to preserve the Pirates’ thrilling 13-12 season-opening victory over Morristown before a sun-drenched and heat-packed crowd of 1,500.
Mayes’ terrific defensive play sealed the deal for SHP, which won an anticipated battle between the two most highly-touted teams heading into the Iron Hills Conference, Iron Division season. The play also made up for a couple of dropped passes Mayes had in the first half, including one which would have been a sure touchdown reception on a gorgeous pass by quarterback Tyler Thomas on a perfectly executed fly pattern.
“I can sleep tonight now because I wasn’t feeling good at all about my first half,” said a smiling Mayes, who had an interception return for a TD called back due to a penalty, two tackles and a couple of nice pass deflections to prevent important completions to Morristown standout wide out Jerry Carter. “My teammates picked me up with their play. They expect me to be the leader and make those big catches and I couldn’t complete ‘em.
“My head was down a little and I told my teammates I’m going to try something in the second half and that it was time for me to play.
“Fortunately, I was able to make that play at the end to keep Bass from making the catch.”
Meanwhile, before Mayes’ late-game heroics, Morristown quarterback Michael Colvin could feel the cramps grabbing at his calves as the unrelenting heat and humidity continued to take hold and SHP was still clinging to its seven-point lead.
Despite an exhausting afternoon for the entire Morristown football team, which had more than a half a dozen guys enduring going both ways in contrast to the more two-platoon oriented Pirates, the ultimate goal was still in sight as the Colonials faced a third-and-19 at their own 36 with just over a minute to go.
Colvin proceeded to connect with wide out Jerry Carter on a deep post pattern with the latter beating the SHP defensive back on a 64-yard touchdown pass play with 1:01 left to pull the Colonials to within one, 13-12.
Then came the ultimate decision for Morristown Coach Chris Hull: either kick the extra point for a tie and force overtime, or go for two and the victory.
Unfortunately, for Morristown, Colvin’s two-point conversion pass attempt to George Bass was broken up by an alert Mayes and SHP hung on for a 13-12 victory in a game many feel could very well decide the IHC, Iron Division championship in the first weekend of the season.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we made the right decision to go for two, and Bass did his job, trying to get open in the right flat, but they just covered it well,” said Colvin (12-of-21 for 149 yards, 1 TD, 1 interception). “This loss hurts right now, but one defeat will not keep us from what we want to accomplish this season.
“We’re not putting our heads down after a tough loss like this, and we still have our goals set that include winning a state playoff title, which I know we can do.”
In a game that had its flurries of action followed by lulls brought on by both the strong defense of both teams and the unbelievable heat and humidity that took its toll on the more two-way oriented Colonials, Morristown hung tough despite trailing the entire contest.
“I do like the fact we went for the win at the end,” said Brendan McCloskey, the Colonials’ standout linebacker and one of the team’s leaders on the field. “We really fought through the heat and we never gave up no matter how tired we were, and I’m proud of our team for that.”
Morristown, which was held to 64 yards rushing by the stingy SHP defense, could not ultimately overcome the strong leg of the Pirates’ placekicker, Bill Prendeville, who booted a pair of 41-yard field goals.
SHP also displayed a potent ground attack, led by fullback Rob Paxson (18-110, 1 TD) and halfback John Merklinger (13 for 66). The Pirates are going at it without standout halfback-linebacker Alan Buzbee, their best all-around player, who broke his left foot in a recent, pre-season scrimmage with Delbarton and will not have a hard cast removed from the foot for six weeks before he can even contemplate a return to action.
Still, even without its star, SHP amassed 203 yards on the ground in 39 attempts.
“With ‘Buzz’ out, it’s a big hurt because he’s our best player,” said Merklinger. “We could fall down, or pick it up and Paxson and I tried to do our part along with the other guys.”
The Pirates, who were blitzed by Morristown out of the gates in last fall’s season opener, 26-10, made sure they jumped out on top in the latest meeting between the two top teams in the IHC, Iron, as Paxson burst up the middle on a 42-yard touchdown jaunt with 59 seconds remaining in the first quarter to cap a 7-play, 66-yard drive for a 7-0 lead.
“It’s a ’70 Belly’ play, right up the gut,” said Paxson. “We were looking to pick up two yards for the first down, but my line opened up just a huge hole and I was able to break out into the open.”
Morristown pulled to within 7-6 midway through the second quarter as Bass scampered nine yards with a great change of direction to ‘deke’ out and avoid an SHP defender to get into the right corner of the end zone. The touchdown was set up by a 32-yard Colvin to Bass pass play that brought the ball down to the SHP 7.
“There was no way I was going down before I got into the end zone to finish that drive (eight plays, 65 yards),” said Bass, who had a fine all-around game (12 for 42 rushing, 5-34 receiving). “After that drive, though, we didn’t play with as much energy as we need to, and that’s something we definitely have to work on.
“We have to come out stronger in the third and fourth quarters no matter how bad the heat is out there!”
SHP took a 10-6 lead on a Prendeville 41-yard field goal with 3:34 left in the second quarter to cap its subsequent drive following the Bass score. The Pirates’ great field position was set up by a terrific 39-yard kickoff return by Merklinger to the Morristown 49.
Prendeville’s second 41-yard field goal came with 3:47 remaining in the fourth quarter for a 13-6 lead, and it appeared that might be enough, especially when Buzbee’s replacement at outside linebacker, junior John Wiet, came up and made a crushing hit on Bass for a 10-yard loss to force the Colonials into their eventual late-game 3 rd and long from their 36
“I saw Colvin dropping back and Bass moving over on a bubble screen and I just jumped at it and got lucky,” said the undersized but tenacious Wiet (5-9, 165). “But, to Morristown’s credit, they still had a big play left in them.”
Indeed, Morristown did have one last gasp, and despite the cramps from the heat that had several players working with trainers on the sidelines throughout the second half trying to stretch their legs while drinking more and more fluids, the never-say-die attitude that Hull and his staff instill was still there right to the end as Colvin connected with the ever-present Carter (4 receptions for 90 yards) on the TD pass play that temporarily electrified the huge contingent of Colonial fans.
That was before SHP’s ever-alert DB Mayes was there to break up the two-point conversion attempt and seal the victory for the Pirates.
Morristown attempted an onsides kick, but SHP recovered and ran out the final seconds for the victory.
“I had been cramping up throughout the game, just like a lot of other guys, but you have to try and battle through it,” said Colvin. “We almost pulled it off, but Seton Hall came up with the big play at the end and you have to tip your hat and move on to next week and start working hard once again on Monday.”
Meanwhile, SHP shows every indication that it will be right there with East Orange, Morristown and perhaps Randolph in pursuit of an IHC, Iron Division crown.
“You’re not going to win the conference without knocking off teams like Morristown,” said SHP Head Coach John Finnegan. “We feel we have a pretty balanced football team and still have a strong running game even with Buzbee out.
“Plus, our defense always seems to rise to the occasion and Grant made a huge play out there to knock down the two-point conversion pass, and we won a very big game to start the season.”
Morristown 0 6 0 6 –12
Seton Hall Prep 7 3 0 3 –13
S- Rob Paxson 42 run (Bill Prendeville kick)
M- George Bass 9 run (kick blocked)
S- Prendeville 41 FG
S-Prendeville 41 FG
M- Jerry Carter 64 pass from Mike Colvin (pass failed)
Team Records: Seton Hall Prep 1-0 Morristown 0-1
