Greater NJ AYF Raritan Division
Hillsborough Varsity Gold (Burke) vs. North Hunterdon Varsity Gold: Won 41-0
Hillsborough JV Gold (Minetti) vs. North Hunterdon JV Gold: Won 27-0
Greater NJ AYF Delaware Division
Hillsborough Varsity Red (Ruh): Bye
Hillsborough Varsity White (Shelton) vs. Phillipsburg Varsity Red: Won 22-0
The Varsity White Raiders jumped into first place in the conference with a victory over Phillipsburg on Saturday morning. Even without two of their key players, quarterback Ryan Laties and center/defensive tackle James Barone, the Raiders high powered offense didn’t skip a beat.
Phillipsburg received the opening kickoff. On the second play of the game, defensive tackle Jack Miller stripped the ball from the Phillipsburg running back and Cole Thornton jumped on the ball. It didn’t take long for the offense to take advantage. Tanner Boczon played brilliantly filling in at quarterback for Laties. Boczon’s first pass attempt was a perfectly thrown 35-yard strike to flanker Kevin Shelton to the opponent’s 23-yard line. After an 8-yard run by FB Shane Powell, the Raiders had a second and two at the 15-yard line. Boczon then threw a quick screen pass to Thornton. After some nice blocking downfield from Shelton and Drew Scholma, Thornton sprinted into the endzone for the score. Daniel Remarkewitz booted the extra point and the Raiders were up 8-0.
Phillipsburg took over on offense and were forced to punt. Boczon’s 25-yard punt return put the Raiders offense in great field position. Boczon’s 22-yard run on second down gave the Raiders a first down on the 18-yard line. Two plays later, Cole Thornton took the ball, broke several tackles and picked up two big blocks downfield from Powell and Dan Allen and scored his second touchdown of the game. It was Thornton’s, team leading, eighth touchdown of the year. The P.A.T. was no good and the score was 14-0. The White Raiders defense forced another fourth down punt and the offense went to work again. Thornton’s 33-yard run on first down put the ball at the Raider’s own 45-yard line. Dan Allen’s 8-yard run made it second and two from the 37. Kevin Shelton then ran a sweep to the left and then cut back right all the way across the field for a 15-yard gain. Tanner Boczon then took the snap on the next play and ran to his left. Ryan Vladyka and Jack Myers both made big blocks to spring Boczon. Boczon then made several spin moves, broke a few tackles, and rambled 22 yards for a touchdown. The P.A.T. was good off the toe of Remarkewitz and the score was 22-0 going into halftime. Nick Koll, filling in for the absent center James Barone, was exceptional at center and both Nick Deluca and Jayden Wacaster were terrific on the offensive line.
The White Raiders received the second half kickoff and with a 22 point lead, the team put in a new backfield. Shelton took over the quarterbacking duties and ran the offense. The backfield of Drew Scholma, Nick Koll, and Isaiah Warner played superbly in the second half. Scholma had a few long runs and Koll and Warner ran hard for first downs. The defense was again a force and kept Phillipsburg out of the end zone securing the shutout and leading the White Raiders to their fifth straight win.
The White Raiders will get ready this week for their most important game of the season. Voorhees brings their 4-1 record to Hillsborough next week with a #1 seed in the playoffs on the line.
Hillsborough JV Red (McLain) vs. Del Val JV Red: Lost 7-25
Hillsborough Pee Wee Red (Albert) vs. Hillsborough Pee Wee White (Ughetta): Won 20-0
Saturday, Oct. 20 was the date both Hillsborough Pee Wee teams marked on their calendars at the beginning of the season. It was the day Boro Red would do battle with Boro White. On this Saturday, Boro Red came out on top with a 20-0 win, getting it’s second shutout victory of the year.
The game started with a bang as Mason Westlake exploded through the middle on a 55-yard touchdown making several tacklers miss on his way to pay dirt. Westlake followed that with a plunge off tackle for the extra point to make the score 7-0.
After the Red Raiders forced a turnover, Owen Miller powered their offense down the field with some punishing runs up the middle. Miller ended up scoring from three yards out to make the score 13-0.
The stout Red Raiders defense regained possession after a turnover on downs. They then punched in one more score before the half thanks to two impressive runs from Westlake. The first one went around right end for 35 yards and the second went around left end for a 15-yard touchdown showcasing Westlakes’ speed to the edge.
In the second half, there were several Red Raiders with impressive runs including Tommy McNicholas, Chase Shepler, Chris Byrns, and Logan Redziniak with 10-yard bursts.
The incredible blocking of the Red Raider offensive line was the difference in the game. Joandel Nebot-Toro, Charles and Isaiah Whittlesey, Om Babaria, and Kyle Wargo did a terrific job creating holes for the Red backs.
Westlake finished the game with 130 yards rushing, two touchdowns and five tackles on defense. Miller had 55 yards, one touchdown, and six tackles on defense. The other standouts on defense were Reece Deroner with five tackles including a couple in the backfield, Lukas Richards with three tackles, and Alex Ziezula with a hit.
Hillsborough Pee Wee White (Ughetta) vs. Hillsborough Pee Wee Red (Albert): Lost 0-20
Hillsborough Jr Raiders 9U teams faced each other in a much anticipated match last Saturday. 9U Red controlled the game throughout, winning 20-0. Strong play for the white team were Mike Haines, James Casey, Brody Walton, Bradley Thomas, and Cooper Wright. The team fought hard, despite the score, with nice runs by Justin Amato and Mason Ughetta.
Flag
Hillsborough Flag Raiders (Zagari) vs. Hillsborough Flag Chargers (Cebula)
Raiders: It was a windy cool night when the Chargers and Raiders faced off. Collin Tucker, at quarterback, sprinted down the sideline for a touchdown and came up with some big defensive stops at cornerback. Joseph DiNuzzo, at fullback, ran through the middle with toughness and scored a key touchdown. Joseph, at middle linebacker, was all over the field making plays on defense too. Patrick Murphy, at running back, bounced to the outside and showed his speed by scoring the first touchdown. Patrick, at outside linebacker, was a force by making some huge flag grabs. Aidan Desatnik, at offensive lineman, opened up holes for the run game and at defensive lineman, stymied their inside run game. The teams went up and down the field; keeping them warm on a cool night
Hillsborough Flag Chiefs (Lewis) vs. Hillsborough Flag Jets (Abline)
Chiefs: On a damp and misty morning, the Chiefs battled with the Jets in what turned out to be a back and forth shootout till the very end. Behind the strong blocking from the offensive line of Johnny Tietjen, Greyson Ruh, Leo Murry, Kevin Van Cleef, and Alex Wheeler, the Chiefs were able to gain substantial yardage on the ground. Leading the rushing attack was the speedy James Davis IV with five carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Keeping the ball moving and setting up the big gains with hard runs were Bennett Thomas with 12 yards and Oliver Eschenroeder with eight yards. On the final down of the game, Dylan Araujo broke free for a 60-yard touchdown to the right side behind the awesome lead blocking of Nick Burns. The Chiefs defense was a team effort with excellent containment and contributions by everyone. Overall, a great game played by the kids of both teams. The Chiefs will now start to prepare for the next game on 10/27 against Somerville.
Hillsborough Flag Raiders (Zagari) vs. Somerville Bengals 1
Raiders: It was a cool and wet Saturday morning when the Raiders played Somerville. Alexander Christiansen, at fullback, worked hard to open holes for the running game. At safety, Alexander read the play and ran down the fast Somerville backs. Jaxon Kipila, at quarterback, ran to the outside for a big run and at linebacker was sturdy vs the run. Matthew Simonitis, continues to play hard at guard, and got into the backfield from defensive tackle to make a few plays. Grant Scolma, at cornerback, had two pass deflections and at tailback ran hard through the middle. Shaan Mansukhani, at defensive end, showed a lot of effort and made some key blocks at tight end. Ryan Fariello and Robert Jankay, both showed great effort on the offensive line and defensive line. Collin Tucker had seven flag pulls. Overall, it was a good effort versus a strong Somerville team.
Hillsborough Flag Eagles (Horta) vs. Somerville K
Eagles: The defense played well as a unit led by Isaiah Gonzales, Finn Ricov, and Zachary Kosmoski. They kept making stops behind the line of scrimmage. Thanks to our defensive line for getting pressure from Liam Mckenna, Lillian Orr, Xavier Avila-Mejia, and Alex Kelman. The defensive backs contained them from getting to the outside as Elijah Escoffery, Konstantine Ivanko would not let them get the edge.
Our offense was sparked from the first play of the game which was a touchdown run from Zachry Kosmoski, his first offensive play of the year after recovering from a broken collar bone. We also had touchdown runs from Sophia Montes and Gavin Horta, along with some great runs from Benjamin Steinhauser, Jackson Shrewsbury, and Isaiah Gonzales. Truly an all round great effort from all of our players.
Jr Raiders Field Hockey
Little Stix Maroon (2-4) (DiGanci) vs. North Hunterdon 2/4-1: Won 3-0
Little Stix Maroon had a very exciting weekend filled with lots of field hockey. On Saturday, a bunch of the girls from all the Little Stix teams were able to put together two teams and participate in the 2018 MJYFH 3rd/4th Grade Playday event in Chatham. It was a beautiful day, weather wise, and the girls got to experience playing on turf in four different 7v7 games with short sided fields, no goalies, no circles, and no corners. It was different but I think the girls really enjoyed having a little more freedom on the field and it was such a great experience all around.
Then on Sunday, Little Stix Maroon had their last home game against North Hunterdon 2/4-1. Weather was a bit chillier but the girls were still fierce and resulted in a 3-0 win for Hillsborough. Our first quarter started in a lot of corner action between Chloe Delacruz, Zeia Rothenthal, and Brianna Gibson where both Brianna and Zeia almost got us on the board.
The momentum continued into the second quarter where we were so close to scoring in a play between Sabrina Sheilds and Jessica McKelvey but we ended with an assist from Zeia Rothenthal to Jessica McKelvey and now Hillsborough was 1-0. The third quarter had some great plays by the girls and Cailyn Bugal almost had us on the board again. Then, we had a pass from Jane Rodrigues to Morghan DiGanci who scored our second goal. The third goal was scored by Jane Rodrigues in the last quarter. We also got a chance to play some of the girls at different positions yesterday and got to see Sabrina Shields hustle at Center and Zeia Rothenthal really put up a great fight at Midfield. We are looking forward to our last game next week against Phillipsburg in Stewartsville.
Little Stix Gold (2-4) (Vogt) vs. North Hunterdon 2/4-4: Won 4-2
The Little Stix Gold Raiders hosted North Hunterdon at Woodfield Park. The setting for this game was sunny, but there was a strong, chilly wind causing the patrons and players to dig out their hats and gloves for the first time this year. The cold didn’t have an effect on the Gold Raiders.
They got off to a quick start as Bella Ruh took the ball right up the field and put a strong push shot in the net in the first quarter. Bella potted her second goal of the game early in the second quarter after the Gold Raiders maintained consistent offensive throughout the half. Solid wing play by Eleanor Enna, Brielle Emmich, and Addison Daisey allowed the Gold Raiders to keep possession and use the wing alleys to advance the ball. The passing in the first was was great as Bailey Wolfe and Megan Vogt funneled slap-passes up the field and swept clearing passes wide, utilizing the wing advantage properly. The score was 2-0, Gold Raiders leading at halftime.
The second half started with more offense by the Gold Raiders. Olivia Kay and Alexa Gaspar worked the midfield effectively to advance the ball into the offensive circle. With Eleanor Enna drawing defenders, Alexa was able to track down a circle entry by Olivia to score the Gold Raiders’ third goal on a rebound follow-up. At this point, North Hunterdon set their jaw, bowed out their chest and marched right up the field to cause a series of defensive corners to be played. They were determined to score a goal, which they did after a prolonged possession in the circle. They then came right back down the center of the field on a dominating run to score a quick follow-up goal, cutting the Gold Raider lead to 3-2.
As the fourth quarter was ready to start, Coach Vogt must have come up with some inspiring words, because the Gold Raiders were back to their dominating first half form. Samantha Dandy was in the middle of her best game of the year, playing midfield and forward. Sammy tackled a North Hunterdon possession effectively just outside the “25” and then moved quickly into the circle to slam home the insurance goal. It was a great, controlled shot – just how the coaches teach. Late in the game, Megan Vogt played an aggressive defense to take away time and space from the North Hunterdon forwards well outside the circle, allowing no more threats by the visitors as the back pressure team support caught up to the play, shutting down all advances. Final score, Gold Raiders 4, North Hunterdon 2. Next week is the final game of the season vs. Mansfield at Woodfield Park.
On Saturday, the Little Stix Gold Raiders traveled to Chatham to play in a fun “Play-Day” tournament on field-turf. The Gold Raiders performed excellent. Passing was essential for success on the fast track. The Gold Raiders maintained proper spacing and passed the ball great, utilized the wings properly, even without alley markings, centered the ball well, and even dribbled great. The defense was awesome. The Gold Raiders did not let up a single goal over the four games played. Each of the players interchanged positions throughout the games on the fly, and the game play knowledge was apparent by each individual. We should all be proud of how they played. The coaching staff appreciates the support of the families who were able to show up. Your daughters played with class and that helped shine a very positive light on our organization – thank you.
Gold Raiders Chatham Tournament Team – Bella Ruh, Alexa Gaspar, Megan Vogt, Bailey Wolfe, Samantha Dandy, Sylee Damle, Olivia Kay, Brielle Emmich, Anna Antonelli.
Junior Stix Maroon (5/6) (Redziniak) vs. Forks 5/6-2: Lost 1-2
Junior Maroon played the Forks team at home today. Due to absences, we had two girls from the Little Stix Maroon 2/4 team come and substitute. This game was the most exciting to date, with equally competitive teams. Our team scored the first goal, with Madelynn Taras (center) taking a shot on goal and Evelyn Reese (wing) positioning her herself perfectly at the goal post to sweep it in past their tough defense and goalie, it was excellent teamwork. There was so much screaming from the crowd thru the game as our forwards had more shots on goal but their tough defense was able to stop them. Hannah Herterich, Morghan DiGanci (2/4 team), and Kiara Jones helped support as forwards. Forks responded by scoring a goal leaving us tied 1-1 going into second half of the game.
Sofia Bambaci, goalie, did a great job stopping and kicking out multiple shots supported by Devin Redziniak, defender, who worked to drive the ball out of the circle. Our midfielders worked to keep the ball on the opposing side. Isha Swaminathan was consistent in putting pressure on with her speed and positioning on the field to continue to pass to her forwards. Jane Rodrigues (2/4 team) and Rebekah Redlich also helped defend our goal.
Unfortunately, Forks was able to secure one final goal in the last 10 minutes, but it was an exciting game to watch as the girls performed well.
Junior Stix Gold (5/6) (Citatella, Harding) vs. Forks 1: Won 4-1
Team Gold came out strong in the first quarter with two solid goals off the stick of left wing Addison Harkin. Forks answered late in the second quarter with one goal. Forks was a strong offensive team but midfielders Natalia Simcak, Kerry Lydon and Jessie Timler stopped their momentum and returned the ball to Boro offense.
Starting the third quarter Forks continued to push offensively. Dynamic Duo, sweeper Maggie Harding and Keira Kruchowy were able to keep the ball out of the circle and out of the goal. All-star goalie Keira had at least 8-10 saves and Maggie dribbled the ball up the field multiple times to the offense. Keira has let only five goals in the entire season! Late in the third quarter, Team Gold had multiple shots from forwards Karolina Matejczyk, Milan Citarella, and Victoria Byra. With a minute left in the third, Victoria teamed up with Milan who assisted to put the third goal in the cage.
The fourth quarter flew by and with one minute left, Shannon Rice put the final goal in the cage. As the clock reached 0:00, Team Gold rushed their goalie to celebrate their undefeated season!
Junior Stix White (5/6) (Minakas, DiStasio, Smith) vs. Franklin 5/6-1: Tie 1-1
Hillsborough White completed the second half of their doubleheader Sunday against Franklin and tied 1-1. Franklin scored early and held on for a 1-0 halftime lead, but Hillsborough dominated the second half and tied it up when Mackenzie Smith scored on a breakaway, getting around a defender and hitting a sharp shot past the goalie. Hillsborough kept the pressure on throughout the half but was unable to put away the game winner. Lindsey Buisson played a great game at mid, setting up several scoring chances, while Simran Buch, in only her third game, made several key plays off the left wing. Laura Weintraub, in goal, held Franklin scoreless the remainder of the game with strong defense from Zaina Ahmed, Demi Moleski, and Maia Minakas.
Junior Stix White (5/6) (Minakas, DiStasio, Smith) vs. Washington 5/6-1: Lost 1-4
Hillsborough White traveled to Washington to battle the cold and wind and a strong Washington squad. Washington scored an early goal but Hillsborough responded as Zaina Ahmed dribbled down the field and fed a perfect pass in front of goal to Isabella Franks who put it in for her first goal of the season. The teams played even for the rest of the half and into the second half before Washington broke through for three goals late. Miranda Trevino made several nice saves in goal with defensive support from defender Maia Minakas and mids Demi Moleski and Lindsey Buisson. Forward Kaylee D’Avanzo had a stand out game at both center and wing and challenged the Washington defense throughout the game.
Junior Stix Grey (5/6) (Romano, Freeman, Hand) vs. Franklin 5/6-1: Won 2-1
Hillsborough Junior Stix Grey 5/6 field hockey team opened their Sunday doubleheader with a 2-1 victory over the Franklin 5/6-1 field hockey team. Sara Thompson opened the scoring for the Grey team, as they took their first halftime lead of the season. However, Franklin was able to score the equalizer early in the second half. Goalkeeper Kaylin Agaman and sweeper Lily Hand each had strong games, and had the Grey team maintaining possession for the majority of the game. Defender Christiana Muller played well, with support from midfielders Sydney Russo, Meghan Radler, and Madisyn Freeman. The midfield was able to create a good push, and the Grey team had plenty of chances, but managed to shoot just wide of the goal on a lot of shots. Forwards Thompson, Alexis Shumaker, Autumn Pina, Emily Enna, and Paige Romano were sent off on quite a few breaks, and they showed great teamwork to move the ball towards the goal. Enna and Russo combined for the game winner, with Russo pushing the ball over the goal line with 10 seconds left in the game. It was a fantastic effort in really cold conditions.
Junior Stix Grey (5/6) (Romano, Freeman, Hand) vs. Washington 5/6-1: Lost 3-7
Hillsborough Junior Stix Grey 5/6 field hockey team completed their Sunday doubleheader with a tough 3-7 loss to the Washington 5/6-1 field hockey team. After a short break from their Franklin game, the Grey girls had to face a team that had 17 girls to their 11. This led to some mismatches towards the end of the game, as the Washington team was better rested in cold and windy conditions.
The Grey girls spotted the Washington team a 0-3 lead early in the second quarter. But then, Emily Enna set up Autumn Pina for the first Grey goal, and the Grey girls started to claw back. Shortly after that goal, Enna was able to score two quick goals, and the Grey team went into halftime tied 3-3. Goalkeeper Kaylin Agaman and sweepers Lily Hand and Christiana Muller each had strong games. Midfielders Sydney Russo, Meghan Radler, and Madisyn Freeman provided a lot of support for both the defense and the attack. Forwards Sara Thompson, Alexis Shumaker, Autumn Pina, Emily Enna, and Paige Romano were sent off on quite a few breaks, and they showed great teamwork to move the ball towards the goal. The Grey girls played tough and the game entered the fourth quarter still tied at 3.
Unfortunately, the length of the day caught up with them, and the Grey team slowly gave way to the better rested Washington team, as Washington scored four goals in the fourth quarter.
Overall, the Grey girls put forth an amazing effort over the entire day especially considering this was the first time all season we had to contend with cold conditions. The Grey team has been an amazing team all season long, and many of the losses we had could have been wins if some bounces went our way! While our regular season is over, we are heading into the year end tournament as a middle seed. We know the girls will be ready to bring their A game heading into the championships next Sunday.
