Summit Gets Off To Fast Start
While Remaining Undefeated

SUMMIT - Anxious to finally play its 2025 home-opener, Union County's only 2-0 football team was ready to show their fans just how high-powered its traditional no-huddle, run-first offense could be by reaching the end zone on its first two drives.

The host Hilltoppers had visiting Hillside on its heels early on and it appeared that the game might be headed toward the mercy scoring rule once the second half commenced.

However, the Comets, who at one point trailed by four touchdowns, managed to come back and make a game of it. Hillside came within two scores after scoring on its first possession of the third quarter and then just three plays later recovered a Summit fumble at its own 44-yard line.

A huge, drive-stopping, solo tackle by junior linebacker Gavin Schnall halted Hillside's momentum.

Summit then went on to score its final touchdown and ultimately held off Hillside 35-20 in Saturday afternoon's Big Central Conference-United Gold Division season-opener for both at Tatlock Field.

Summit, now Union County's only 3-0 squad, improved to 1-0 in the United Gold Division. Hillside fell to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the United Gold.

"That was a big-time win over a good team," Summit head coach Kevin Kostibos told his players in his post-game talk. "That's the kind of win that could lead to a championship."

Summit took the opening kickoff and marched 67 yards in 10 plays to take the lead for good when senior quarterback Alex Schwark hit senior running back Charlie Garvey with a well-placed, over-the-shoulder pass that Garvey came down with in the right corner of the end zone.

After holding Hillside to a three-and-out that included Hillside's first of many penalties, a 23-yard punt return by senior Jake Reimold set the Hilltoppers up again at the Hillside 32. Three plays later Schwark hit senior wide receiver Will Holmes over the middle for a 35-yard touchdown pass. Summit led 13-0 with 5:58 still remaining in the first quarter.

"Alex is a converted running back who is getting more used to the position with game reps," Kostibos said. "Nothing he does surprises me. He's doing an excellent job of running our offense."

A dead-ball penalty helped prevent Summit from scoring on its third possession and an interception by Hillside senior cornerback Sean Caldwell halted its fourth.

At this point of the contest, "flag on the play," was the game's theme. The refs were, literally, throwing a flag on every single play.

Summit scored again in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by junior Matt McKeever. It was announced that nj.com reported it was McKeever's first varsity touchdown as he was pushed over the goal line by his teammates.

Summit struck once more in the first half, very quickly, the next time it had the ball. Schwark dropped back on the second play of a short-field drive and tossed a well-executed, 31-yard spiral that fell into the arms of senior end Connor Gawronski. Schwark threw three touchdown passes on the day, all to different receivers: Garvey, Holmes and Gawronski.

Summit now led 27-0 with just 2:50 to go before intermission.

Hillside, which played Group 2 power Bernards tough in its opener before falling 24-14, answered Summit's fourth score immediately when its best player, senior Kamari Robinson, scored on the following kickoff. Right after receiving the kick at his own 10-yard line, Robinson bounced off two tacklers and found a seem which allowed him to run free down the middle of the field.

A Summit holding penalty negated a Schwark completion to Garvey and the Hilltoppers had to punt the ball back to Hillside one more time before the half.

At the break Summit was in control at 27-7.

Hillside, after winning the coin toss and deferring, had the ball first in the third quarter and made the most of its first second-half possession. A zig-zag run by Robinson on the drive's initial play, good for 30 yards, put the Comets at the Summit 24.

After Summit tackle Anthony Trujillo swarmed Hillside quarterback Justin Ashford for a two-yard loss. He was all over the field making key stops, the Comets rebounded to score two plays later. Ashford, throwing against his body, hit junior wide receiver Travis Miles over the middle for a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Now Hillside was back in the game, trailing only 27-14.

The momentum continued in Hillside's favor when, just three plays later, senior outside linebacker Ian Clark fell on a Summit fumble to give the Comets the ball back on their own 44-yard line.

On fourth-and-four on the Summit 35, Robinson was given the ball and he was stopped cold by Schnall on a fine one-on-one tackle.

"Gavin was a tailback for us last year and is proving to be a fine linebacker for us this year," Kostibos said.

Summit's longest and final scoring drive immediately followed. Twelve plays later McKeever was pushed one-yard over the goal line again for his second score and Summit's fifth touchdown. The big play on the drive was Schwark completing an 18-yard pass to Garvey against one-on-one coverage on a fourth-and-six situation from the Hillside 36.

Schwark, rolling right, hit Garvey again, this time over the middle, for the ensuing two-point conversion.

Ashford completed an eight-yard touchdown pass to Miles in the left corner of the end zone for the only points of the fourth quarter. In Hillside's first two games Ashford has completed three touchdown passes to the 6-foot-4 Miles, the tandem proving to be a combination worthy of attention.

For the second year in a row Summit will attempt to get to 4-0 as the Hilltoppers are next scheduled to play at 1-1 Carteret this Friday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. in another United Gold Division clash. Carteret is 0-1 in the division after falling at Cranford 25-14 Friday, Sept. 12.

Summit beat Carteret 33-12 at home last year. Dating back to last year, six of Summit's last eight games have been on the road. Summit's next two are also scheduled to be away from home, including Carteret and at Cranford Sept. 26. Hillside returns home Oct. 4 vs. Somerville.

Although Summit did not produce a zero on the visitor side of the scoreboard, Summit's last shutout victory came in 2022, Trujillo took pride in his team's performance.

"It was a great team effort," Trujillo said. "Hats off to Hillside. It was a fast and physical game. We prepared well all week and executed every play."
Trujillo produced his first tackle on Hillside's beginning possession and sacked Ashford for a seven-yard loss on its second.

"He's been phenomenal," Kostibos said. "He's going to be a steal for the school that gets him. On the inside for us he's been a terror."

Trujillo felt the Hilltoppers were in control the whole way, even when Hillside's offense put up its first points of the game in the third quarter to close to within two scores.

"We're the most resilient team in the state," Truillo said.

BIG CENTRAL CONFERENCE-UNITED GOLD DIVISION GAME
Hillside (0-2, 0-1)                                  00       07       07       06 - 20
Summit (3-0, 1-0)                                 13       14       08       00 - 35

FIRST QUARTER:
Summit - Charlie Garvey 17 pass from Alex Schwark, Charlie Rosoff kick, (S 7-0)
10 plays, 67 yards, 3:06 used
Summit - Will Holmes 35 pass from Alex Schwark, kick failed, (S 13-0)
3 plays, 32 yards, :43 used

SECOND QUARTER:
Summit - Matt McKeever 1 run, Charlie Rosoff kick, (S 20-0)
5 plays, 52 yards, 1:43 used
Summit - Connor Gawronski 31 pass from Alex Schwark, Charlie Rosoff kick, (27-0)
2 plays, 41 used, :29 used
Hillside - Kamari Robinson 90 kickoff return, Xavier Da Silva kick, (S 27-7)

THIRD QUARTER:
Hillside - Travis Miles 26 pass from Justin Ashford, Xavier Da Silva kick, (S 27-14) 
4 plays, 69 yards, 2:04 used
Summit - Matt McKeever 1 run, Charlie Garvey pass from Alex Schwark, (35-14)
12 plays, 62 yards, 3:28 used

FOURTH QUARTER:
Hillside - Travis Miles 8 pass from Justin Ashford, run failed, (S 35-20)
8 plays, 88 yards, 3:05 used