EAST HANOVER- The West Essex Knights are a battle-tested team, having won 10 sectional championships and reaching the Group 3 State finals a year ago. So, when they fell behind 14-0 at Hanover Park in the first quarter on Friday night, there was no need to panic.
Two second quarter touchdowns put the Knights back in the game, and an early third quarter touchdown gave them the lead for good. The Hornets had a chance to win late, but a 20-yard field goal attempt sailed wide with two minutes left and the Knights were able to run out the clock for a hard-fought 22-21 victory over the previously-unbeaten Hornets.
It was also the 114th win for West Essex coach Chris Benacquista, who became the winningest coach in school history, surpassing his mentor Dave Drozjock.
The Hornets supplied fireworks on the game’s opening play. Jack Kovacs took the ball on an apparent jet sweep, then stopped and fired a left-handed strike to Joseph Tantawi for a 69-yard score and a 7-0 lead just 17 seconds in.
West Essex tried to answer, but a fourth down pass fell incomplete and Hanover Park took over at their 41. It appeared that the Knights defense had held, with a 4th-and-2 from the HP 49, but a shovel pass out of punt formation gained five yards and a first down. On the next play, Joey Borrello (11-12, 127 yds, 2 TD 1 INT) found Darien Iannacone over the middle on a slant pattern and the junior WR raced to the house for a 46-yard TD and it was 14-0 with 2:52 left in the first.
It wouldn’t take long for the Knights to get on the board. A 36-yard completion from Jake Long (9-14, 119 yds, 1 INT) to Anthony Drago put the ball at the HP 13, and five plays later Brady Phillips blasted in from the 1 to make it 14-7 a half minute into the second quarter.
The Knights defense then came up with a big play when Vincent Giaquinto picked off a Hanover Park pass at the Hornets 37. Behind the running of Max Garcia (9 carries, 31 yds), Nicholas Sangillo (8 rushes, 51 yds, 1 TD) and Phillips (14 carries, 36 yds, 2 TD), West Essex got a pair of first downs. On 2nd-and-8 from the 13, Sangillo scampered to the endzone for the score. On the conversion, Hanover Park was called for a penalty, putting the ball at the 1. Long scored on the sneak and suddenly, the Knights had a 15-14 lead with 4:03 left in the half.
The lead would be short-lived, with the Hornets needing seven plays to regain the advantage. Borrello was 4-for-4 for 55 yards on the 64-yard drive. A 13-yard strike to Kovacs (6 rec, 95 yds, 2 TD) moved the ball into West Essex territory at the 38. Tantawi then hauled in a 22-yarder to put the ball at the 16, and Borrello then found Kovacs for the 16-yard TD to make it 21-15 at the half.
West Essex took the second half kickoff and put together a sharp, 10-play, 65-yard drive to take the lead. With seven of the plays on the ground, the Knights were able to methodically move the ball and take almost half the quarter on this drive. A 13-yard pass to Drago move the ball to the HP 17. Facing a 3rd-and-4 from the 11, Long found Justin Perini for seven yards and a first down at the 4. On the next play, Phillips bulled his way to the endzone to make it 22-21 with 6:43 left in the third.
The Knights defense then held the Hornets, forcing them to punt from the WE 40. It would be the first of only two Hanover Park possessions in the second half. |
