By Steve Spiewak
MaxPreps.com
Most of the teams featured in MaxPreps Preseason Top 25 had their seasons well underway, but Saturday night, No. 11 St. Peter's Prep (N.J.) proved it was worth the wait.
The Marauders pummeled the Delbarton Green Wave, 36-0, in the nightcap of the High School Kick Off Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
If the 12,000 fans that poured into the stadium throughout the course of the day were any indication, the contest was wildly-anticipated by fans, as well as players.
"On the bus there was absolute silence from the players, and just pump music on the radio," Prep senior co-captain Steve Pankiewicz said. "Everyone was focused on the game, and what they had to do."
It didn't take long for the Marauders to get on the board, as Will Hill scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 35-yard quarterback keeper on the first Prep possession. Hill was a presence at quarterback, as well as wide receiver, making a sparkling catch deep in the corner to convert a two-point conversion, giving St. Peter's a 21-0 lead in the second quarter.
Delbarton, playing without starting quarterback Jack McBride, who had been diagnosed with mononucleosis, had a chance to get on the board at the end of the first half, but a missed field goal left the team trailing 28-0 at half.
St. Peter's did not let up after taking the big lead into halftime.
"I was telling the team when we came out for the second half that we scored 28 points in the first half, and they can score 28 points in the second half," Pankiewicz said. "We stayed focused and continued to do what we had to do."
Prep senior linebacker Will Thompson gave Prep a 34-0 leading after intercepting a botched toss and returning it for a touchdown on the first play of the second half. After fumbling the snap, placeholder Mike Lang scrambled around the field only to find kicker Nick Lalumia standing in the back of the end zone to connect on a wild two point conversion, giving Prep a 36-0 lead.
Senior Shariff Harris paced the St. Peter's ground attack. The Marauders look to go 2-0 next week against Memorial.
Phillipsburg 28, Bergen Catholic 27
The day's events got off to a thrilling beginning when Phillipsburg edged Bergen Catholic, 28-27, in overtime.
After a back-and-forth battle between two proud programs, Phillipsburg quarterback Justin Viscomi darted into the end zone from 25 yards out to tie the score at 27 in overtime.
After Bergen Catholic kicker Dave Kuncios, regarded as one of the top kickers in the state, had previously missed nailing his team's extra point, Phillipsburg's Dennis Hardick knocked in game winning point-after to score a dramatic victory.
The touchdown was Viscomi's second rushing touchdown of the game, to go along with a successful air strike to Blair Decker that gave Phillipsburg an early 6-0 lead.
For the first high school football game played at Giants Stadium since the title games last December, the thriller certainly had all the intensity of a championship-caliber
matchup, and did not disappoint the thousands in attendance.
St. Joseph's 30, Brooklyn Poly Prep, N.Y. 6
The middle matchup of the tripleheader featured St. Joseph's-Montvale taking care of Poly Prep (Brooklyn, N.Y.) by a score of 30-6.
Senior tailback Wayne Drummond led the way for St. Joe's, rushing for 174 yards and three touchdowns, including a 65-yard scoring scamper.
Poly Prep struggled to contain the St. Joe's offense throughout the day, and had an equally difficult time mustering points of its own. Only a fourth quarter touchdown prevented a shut out.