MONTCLAIR- For a young Montclair High team that had endured the sour post-game scent of seven straight defeats it was definitely time to finally savor the taste of its first victory.
Thanks to a key late third-quarter drive, highlighted by the effective pass-catch combo of senior quarterback Jake Martin and freshman running back Brad Webb, the Mounties were able to snap a 12-12 tie and put what proved to be a game-winning touchdown on the board to earn a 20-12 victory over Barringer on ‘Senior Day’ and with several newly-inducted Montclair High School Sports Hall of Famers taking in the action on a beautiful warm and sunny Saturday (Oct. 18) afternoon at historic Woodman Field.
MHS (1-7) had relinquished a 12-0 halftime lead when the Blue Bears (2-5) tallied two third-quarter touchdowns in a span of less than three minutes; however, Martin’s 42-yard pass completion to Webb set the stage for the Mountie QB’s 10-yard TD scamper around right end followed by his 2-point conversion run with 14 seconds left in the quarter for a lead that would hold up the rest of the way.
“I am so happy and proud of our players,” said MHS first-year head coach Ron Anello. “They have a great attitude and have been working so hard every day all season despite the losses, and they learned how to play to win today, which is totally different than playing not to lose.”
Barringer, behind the guidance of its first-year coach Markell Thomas, entered Saturday’s game on a 2-game winning streak while playing much better football of late.
The Blue Bears took the second half kickoff and proceeded to mount an effective and time-consuming, 11-play, 71-yard drive that culminated with a 12-yard TD run by QB Marshon Wooten, cutting the Mounties’ lead to 12-6 with 4:59 left in the third quarter.
Then, after a quick 3-and-out for the Mounties, Barringer quickly tied matters when Sean Smith fielded a bouncing punt and then eluded MHS would-be tacklers while taking off down the left sideline on a 65-yard TD jaunt, and just like that the game was tied, 12-12, with 2:21 still remaining in the third quarter.
MHS didn’t buckle and responded by putting together its critical, late third-quarter 7-play, 67-yard drive that took just two minutes and was highlighted by Martin’s pass to Webb with the fleet-footed freshman then taking off down the left sideline on a 42-yard catch-and-run all the way to the Barringer 18-yard line.
A Blue Bear personal foul moved the ball half the distance and inside the 10-yard line where two plays later Martin (7 carries for 31 yards) raced around the right end for what proved to be the winning TD.
“Coming out of the half we knew that even though we were up 12-0 we couldn’t take the foot off the gas,” said Martin, who took over as the team’s starting QB midway through the season. “We had to keep it going, but when they had that punt return for a touchdown to tie things up, we knew that we had to still stay ‘up’ as a team and respond by getting some more points on the board.”
The Martin-Webb combination epitomizes both the present and the future for a young Mounties team which has just five seniors on the roster and will rely on their freshmen and sophomores for any future success after a tough 2025 campaign.
Webb, who doesn’t turn 15 next September, has made a smooth transition from slot receiver where he started the season to perform now as a starting running back. He had eight carries for 30 yards on Saturday, but his prime worth was as a very timely target for Martin’s well-timed passes.
