Football Preview: Governor Livingston Highlanders vs. South Plainfield Tigers
The Governor Livingston Highlanders will venture away from home to challenge the South Plainfield Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Governor Livingston will be hoping to continue their three-game streak of scoring more points each game than the last.
Having struggled with five defeats in a row dating back to last season, Governor Livingston finally turned things around against North Plainfield on Friday. They claimed a resounding 41-12 win over the Canucks at home. The Highlanders' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Governor Livingston's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Lucciano Santamaria, who rushed for 92 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries, and Jack Dally, who gained 231 total yards. That's the most rushing yards Santamaria has posted since back in September of 2023.
Another reason for the win was Governor Livingston's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. In that department, Ryan Vapenik was the leader with 2.5. He also set a new season high mark in total tackles with nine.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Governor Livingston was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 300 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, South Plainfield fell victim to Cranford and their airtight defense on Friday. They were dealt a 38-0 loss at the hands of the Cougars. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' New Jersey football rankings (they are ranked 257th, while the Cougars are ranked 116th).
Governor Livingston's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for South Plainfield, they dropped their record down to 1-3 with the defeat, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Governor Livingston has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 186.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like South Plainfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 260.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Governor Livingston strolled past South Plainfield when the teams last played back in September of 2023 by a score of 25-6. Will Governor Livingston repeat their success, or does South Plainfield have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
