By Jeff Moeller
MaxPreps.com
St. Peter's Prep's Will "The Thrill" Hill should receive his share of fanfare when he embarks on his four-year career at the University of Florida next fall.
In the meantime, Hill gave the country a sneak preview of future highlights in St. Peter's 54-6 shellacking of North Bergen Friday night.
The game, which featured a battle of two unbeaten teams, was broadcast live by ESPNU, an opportunistic move from the sports cable giant a few days after Hill officially agreed to attend Florida.
As expected, Hill provided plenty of fireworks with four touchdowns on the evening.
But it was North Bergen who initially captivated both the TV and local audience. In the opening quarter, Hill, who began the game at quarterback, looked to the end zone on a pass play from the North Bergen 7-yard line. North Bergen's Eric Salgado picked off Hill's pass six yards deep in the end zone and returned it 106 yards for the score.
"We were a bit shocked," St. Peter's head coach Rich Hansen said. "But we knew Hill would respond to the adversity and turn it to his favor."
Not to be undone, Hill took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 80 yards, nearly untouched, down the sideline to give St. Peter's the lead at 7-6.
Hill later scored on a two-yard plunge early in the second quarter that gave the Marauders a 14-6 lead. And as usual, Hill demonstrated his versatility as he took snaps at quarterback, scored from the backfield, and hauled in passes from the slot.
Later in the quarter, Hill exhibited his receiving skills, catching a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Perez, who has taken the majority of snaps under center after he missed all of last season with an injury.
"I knew what I had to do," Hill said. "I had to show my team that we were still in it. We do not want to be denied this year."
However, Hill saved his best for last. On a keeper at quarterback, he took off on a 34-yard touchdown scamper, breaking a series of tackles in the process.
It was a night when MaxPreps' No. 2 team clearly substantiated its status and they also gave the country a peak at one of the country's top teams and players.
North Jersey Showdown
As the fifth week of action approaches, it is the time to circle some key match-ups on the calendar.
This weekend, No. 4 Wayne Hills will square off against Northern Valley in a battle of unbeatens and also the promise of one of the more interesting games in North Jersey and throughout the state.
Wayne Hills held on to defeat Mahwah, 14-0, Friday night. Quarterback Mike Giampapa tossed a 37-yard scoring strike in the second quarter and he later flipped a 27-yard touchdown in the fourth.
But it was the Patriots' defense that again stiffened in the clutch, posting their third shutout in four games. Wayne Hills' offense, which entered the game with 153 points in its first three games, was slowed in a hard-fought game.
Yet, its defense, which has allowed only 7 points all season, forced a Mahwah fumble from the Wayne Hills 1-yard line in the third quarter, a move that thwarted a potential momentum builder.
Northern Valley, 33-21 winners over Pascack Valley, were again led by running back Jaime Rowe, who rushed for 183 yards and four touchdowns. Rowe, who is leading the state with 14 touchdowns, broke a 63-yard touchdown in the second half that gave Northern Valley a 26-14 advantage.
Wayne Hills' Dan DeCicco is second in the state behind Rowe with 11 rushing touchdowns.
New Kittatinny Kids in Town
Two years ago, Kittatinny could have been considered one of the laughing stocks in the Sussex County Interscholastic League as it posted an 0-10 campaign and had a program mired in the depths of despair.
Now, Kittatinny may have the last laugh.
With its impressive 16-0 shutout of Lenape Valley Saturday, Kittatinny raised its mark to 4-0 and found a new home atop the conference standings.
"This is unbelievable for us right now," Kittatinny head coach Jim Green said. "We just stood toe to toe with a solid program like Lenape Valley. We just needed to prove to some people that we weren't doing it with mirrors."
Through its resurgence, Kittatinny has relied on its defense. In the shutout, Kittatinny held Lenape Valley's bruising fullback Mike Groome (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) to just 24 yards, a far cry from his usual 100 to 200-yard effort through the first three games.
Offensively, Kittatinny has been paced by quarterback Kyle Hayes, who provided all of the offense against Lenape Valley with a 40-yard field goal, a 20-yard run and a 30-yard interception return.
Big Guns Keep Firing
Montgomery's Kevin Watson continues to lead quarterbacks throughout the state in passing yardage with 842, including a 126 quarterback rating. Watson completed 14 of 27 passes for 213 yards in his team's 25-3 win over North Hunterdon Friday. He now has 12 touchdowns and just one interception for the season.
It also was a big night for Wayne Valley's Derrick Bleigh, who had a pair of touchdowns in the Indians' 44-6 pasting of West Milford. Bleigh, ranked second in passing yardage behind Watson, completed 14 of 26 attempts for 225 yards in the victory. He now has 682 yards passing, eight touchdowns, one interception and a QB rating of 116 for the season.
Teammate Matt Dortsch has a big night on the ground for Wayne Valley with touchdown runs of 16, 15 and 65 yards.
