The Governor Livingston Highlanders will venture away from home to square off against 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 matchup than the last.
Having struggled with five losses in a row dating back to last season, Governor Livingston finally turned things around against North Plainfield on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Canucks 41-12 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 relied on 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 beaten by the Cougars 38-0. 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 win this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for South Plainfield, their defeat was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-3.
Friday's game 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 contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Governor Livingston strolled past South Plainfield in their previous matchup back in September of 2023 by a score of 25-6. Does Governor Livingston have another victory up their sleeve, or will South Plainfield turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
