Holy Spirit (11-0) vs Immaculata (11-0) @ State Final
Piscataway, NJ – (Written by Louis Rossi for NJSI.net/Photos by Alex Cena)
CLICK HERE to view all the pictures from the game or just enjoy the pictures below and be sure to read on…
The Spartans from Holy Spirit and Immaculata faced off against one another on December 1st at Rutgers Stadium. Consistency was the key throughout
the game for Holy Spirit, scoring at least 6 points every quarter to outlast Immaculata’s fourth quarter would be comeback of 13 points.
Coming off a 23-game winning streak, Immaculata was beaten at their own game – a victim of two interceptions and only one penalty negatively affecting their Rival Spartans.
Holy Spirit would rush 239 yards in a 26-13 victory in the NJSIAA/Gatorade Non-Public, Group 3 championship, taking down the defending champions in what many felt was their best overall team effort all season.
“The coaches told us we had to play the perfect game and I think we came pretty close,” Holy Spirit linebacker Chris Mancuso, who led his team with seven tackles, said. “It was our best overall effort of the entire year, considering the stage.”
This was the second meeting in the playoffs for these two teams; last year Immaculata sent Holy Spirit home after a dominating 35-6 victory.
Continuing his opponent-punishing season, the state’s leading scorer, Will Washington, carried the ball 27 times for 148 total yards and two TD’s – capping off his impressive season with 39TD’s, and a hair over 2000 yards rushing.
Nick Hall also performed with precision; picking up 100 yards in 14 carries and scoring a touchdown for himself.
Holy Spirit would go into halftime leading 14-0 coming from, an almost alliterating, two 2-yard touchdown runs, one each from Washington and Hall.
Lenny Baldino’s blocked punt at the Immaculata 5-yard line set up Washington to barrel into the end zone two plays later.
Holy Spirit would come out off of the touchdown swinging, with a six-play, 53-yard drive. Hall would find the end zone with 2:59 left in the half, charging through the defensive line.
This was the third time Immaculata trailed at the half during its 23-game winning streak. Holy Cross only passed the ball twice the entire game. “Our game plan was to do what we do best. Run the ball,” Coach Bill Walsh would say after his team came out victorious.
Immaculata quarterback Frank DeNick would be intercepted on fourth down to set up Holy Spirit’s third TD of the afternoon. Hall ran four times for 42 yards on a seven-play, 78-yard push into Immaculata territory. Washington would eventually find himself in the end zone once more with 2:34 left in the third quarter, putting his team up 20-0.
Immaculata Quarterback Frank DeNick turned to his arm in the fourth quarter. Despite being sacked three times for a total of 33 yards, he helped direct a six-play, 40-yard drive, completing six of seven passes before scoring as he hit wide receiver Brad McAdam on a 5-yard hitch play.
McAdam then hit Riddick on the next series with a lateral allowing an open-field run and seemingly storyline comeback opportunity with 11:02 left in the game.
Riddick’s 15th TD of the season was also only the sixth rushing TD allowed by Holy Spirit this season.
Shutting down the opportunity for an upset, Holy Spirit came up a textbook defensive stop when Michael Blee chased down DeNick short of a first down on fourth-and-2 from the Holy Spirit 45.
Sealing the deal would be Quarterback A.J. Holland finding Jason Smart-el far out of coverage from the Immaculata secondary, completing a 52 yard pass and further inflating the relief buffer of time standing between Holy Cross and Victory in the remaining five minutes.
