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NJAC Football: Big Wins, Nail-Biters Head Week 1

Delbarton and Jefferson get revenge while Morristown shows it's still a power.

While some teams entered this season with the goal of repeating as champions, others headed into 2011 with a chip on their shoulder, unwilling–or unable—to erase specific losses from their memories. No matter what the motivation, Week 1 of the NJAC football season started with a bang, as upsets, drubbings and nail-biters highlighted the football weekend.

For two straight years, the Delbarton Green Wave have seen their season end at the hands of state power Pope John. Last season’s 21-13 loss in the first round of the Non-Public, Group III playoffs left Delbarton looking for immediate vengeance, to Week 1 of this season.

Delbarton got its wish and made certain not to waste the opportunity to exact revenge, as senior quarterback John Schaffer lit up the Pope John defense to the tune of 207 yards and two touchdowns, earning the decisive 45-16 win, according to NJ.com. Defensively, Delbarton held Pope John scoreless in the second half, behind stellar performances from senior linebacker Dennis Bencsko (11 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery) and brothers Robert and Eric Farjardo (three turnovers combined), helping the Green Wave overcome a 16-10 second quarter deficit. Running back Jamie White added 91 yards on 20 carries in the win.

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Jefferson got its 2011 campaign off with some redemption of its own, , in a Week 1 rematch from 2010. Last season, Jefferson took a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter, only to lose a three-point heartbreaker. This time around, the Jefferson defense, led by Lauren Sanchez and Daniel Brown (five tackles and three assists each), refused to lose, forcing the Randolph offense into anonymity. The Falcons got out in front on a 26-yard field goal from Nicholas Muccia, and sealed the win with a 22-yard touchdown connection from quarterback J.R. Reese to receiver Kyle Neuschatz midway through the fourth quarter. Reese finished the day 6 of 9 for 84 yards with one touchdown, to go along with 50 yards on five carries. Devyn Sanchez added two catches for 43 yards and a touchdown, and three carries for 36 yards.

“This feels like real redemption. Last year we were in the same predicament—ahead in the fourth quarter but then lost the game in the end,” Jefferson head coach Joe Mattessich said after the win. “We had three games like that and came out on the losing end all three times. Not tonight. The kids focused on exactly what the coaches were telling them what they were supposed to do defensively.” 

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Week 1's Biggest Upset

Despite their “home-opener” being moved to Madison High School because of flooding at the Morristown High field, the Morristown Colonials remained unfazed as they began their quest to repeat as North 2, Group III champs in dramatic fashion. Facing Seton Hall Prep, ranked No. 12 in the Star-Ledger preseason top 20, Morristown locked up the biggest upset of the weekend on a 29-yard field goal by Steven Delargy on the games’ final play, sealing a 45-42 win, according to NJ.com. Senior running back Zac Carter and the Morristown offense started the game-winning drive on their own 21-yard line, before going 13 plays and leading to the last-second game-winning kick, according to the report. Carter played at another level on this night, carrying the ball 25 times for 170 yards and scoring three touchdowns in the win.

Standout performances

Butler’s senior wide receiver and strong safety Mike Tenned ran the ball eight times for 176 yards and three touchdowns, and caught three passes for 38 yards in the . On the other side of the ball, Tenned added eight tackles, helping Butler to a 1-0 start to 2011.

Chatham senior running back Cory Heidaran , carrying the ball 13 times for 171 yards. Heidaran also caught a 73-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring in Chatham’s 28-14 win.

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Standings

Standings are a combination of Patch records, as well as from NJ.com. Coaches are required by the NJSIAA to submit results to NJ.com in order to be eligible for the post season, due to a contract between the two.

American Division

Team Division Record Overall Record Delbarton 0-0
1-0 Mendham 0-0 1-0 Morris Knolls
0-0 1-0 Morristown
0-0 1-0 West Morris Central 0-0 1-0 Roxbury 0-0 1-0 Randolph 0-0 0-1 Parsippany Hills
0-0

0-0

National Division

Team Division Record Overall Record Jefferson
1-0
0-0 Sparta
0-0 0-1 Morris Hills
0-0 0-1 Pope John
0-0 0-1 Montville 0-0 0-1 Vernon
0-0 0-1 Mount Olive 0-0 0-0

Freedom Division

Team Division Record Overall Record Chatham 1-0
1-0 Lenape Valley 1-0 1-0 Hanover Park
1-0 1-0 Wallkill Valley 1-0 1-0 Kittatinny
0-1 0-1 Newton 0-1 0-1 Parsippany 0-1 0-1 Hackettstown 0-1 0-1 Madison 0-0 0-0

Independence Division

Team Division Record Overall Record Hopatcong
1-0
1-0 Pequannock 1-0 1-0 Boonton 1-0 1-0 Butler 1-0 1-0 Mtn. Lakes
1-0 0-0 Morristown-Beard
0-1 0-0 Whippany Park
0-1 0-1 Morris Catholic
0-1 0-1 Kinnelon
0-1 0-1 Dover 0-1 0-1
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