HILLSIDE - The Comets are two touchdowns away from producing five shutout victories in seven games.
They are one score away from being undefeated this late in the season for the first time in seven years.
However, one thing is for sure. Hillside captured the Big Central Conference's Patriot Gold Division championship outright with a perfect 4-0 record.
More importantly, the Comets moved into a position to land a North, Group 2 playoff berth despite previously being on the outside looking in even with just one defeat so far this fall.
Hillside proved dominant enough to shut out visiting North Plainfield 26-0 Saturday, Oct. 10 at Woodfield Stadium. The Comets scored one touchdown in the first half on a fine, one-handed catch by senior receiver Travis Miles of a tipped pass thrown by starting quarterback Tyler Childs, while their second score came on defense when junior defensive back Eli Wicker returned an interception 34 yards for six points.
Hillside improved to 6-1 overall, while North Plainfield fell to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the Patriot Gold Division.
Hillside won the Patriot Gold Division by defeating league opponents in Delaware Valley, Voorhees, New Brunswick and North Plainfield. The Comets came out with a bit of extra inspiration vs. North Plainfield following their 20-19 Oct. 3 home loss to out-of-division foe Bernards.
The Patriot Gold Division expanded to five teams this year and next with the addition of Hillside, North Plainfield and New Brunswick.
"The kids came into this season with their heads right," second-year Hillside head coach Isa Abdul-Quddus said. "Losing to Bernards was tough and hurt a lot, but the kids went right back to working as hard as they could."
Hillside was below the 16 teams that will qualify for the playoffs out of North, Group 2 following the Bernards setback. After beating North Plainfield, which is situated in North, Group 3, the Comets moved up to No. 14 in North, Group 2 and would be in the playoffs if they began this weekend.
There are two more regular season weekends to go, with Hillside lined up for tough Friday night road games at Group 1 Manville (5-2) Oct. 16 and at Group 3 Cranford (6-0) Oct. 23.
"It was a different level of focus," Abdul-Quddus said of his team's preparation for North Plainfield. "They were on point to every assignment. It was also Senior Day and that is a big day for these kids."
Ahead only 7-0 at intermission after scoring on its first possession, Wicker increased Hillside's advantage just five plays into the second half when he picked off a pass on the right side and rambled into the end zone from just over 30 yards away to make the score 13-0.
It was his second interception of the season and second pick-six. His first came in Hillside's 29-7 win at Voorhees Sept. 18. Miles also returned an interception for a touchdown in that Comet triumph.
"I saw both receivers communicating, I reacted and just made the play," Wicker said of his interception vs. North Plainfield.
A big component of Hillside keeping North Plainfield off the scoreboard was the pressure it put on senior quarterback Zion Fairley. The The Comets produced four completely, solo sacks, with the first three taking place in the first half.
The first two sacks came on North Plainfield's first possession, with senior Chacce Richardson getting to Fairley for a 10-yard loss and senior Jabir Parker for a 13-yard setback. Hillside's final two sacks were produced by senior Kamsi Igboanugo, the first for a seven-yard loss on North Plainfield's third possession and the second for a six-yard loss in the third quarter.
"Our guys have been putting in a lot of great work," Abdul-Quddus said. "They take it personally. They want to win their reps. They work their tails off."
Hillside's other two shutouts were road wins at Columbia 41-0 on Opening Day Aug. 28 and over New Brunswick 51-0 Sept. 25. This was Hillside's first shutout at home since Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 when it blanked visiting Carteret 31-0.
Hillside has produced three shutouts in a season for the first time since the 2022 team went 9-2 and reached the North 1, Group 3 sectional state championship game, falling at Old Tappan 28-14. The other two shutouts that season came back-to-back at Metuchen 45-0 and then home against Roselle 28-0 in games No. 2 and 3.
Hillside has only allowed touchdowns in three games this year, two of them just one. The Comets allowed just a field goal in another.
Hillside's final touchdowns against North Plainfield were scored on the ground in the fourth quarter by senior running back Josiah Hicks on a two-yard run and by junior quarterback Muwahid Williams on a 13-yard scamper where he dove into the endzone just past the right pylon.
Hicks rushed for 40 yards on five carries in the first half and finished with 83 on 11. Williams, who played the second half, completed all three of his passes for 60 yards.
Childs completed five-of-nine passes for 75 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Hillside had a touchdown called back on its second possession of the second half, which was a drive where it did not score. On first-and-10 from its own 45, Williams dropped back and threw a deep ball on the left side to Miles, who was wide open for a 55-yard score. However, the play was called back because Hillside was penalized for holding.
Assistant coaches after the game warned Hillside players that mistakes like that could come back to haunt them as they pursue their goal of winning a state championship.
The Comets are now preparing for a new opponent in much-improved Somerset County school Manville. The Mustangs went 10-1 last year and reached the Central Jersey, Group 1 semifinals. They are in search of their third consecutive winning season.
Manville is coming off a 28-20 win at Middlesex last Thursday, Oct. 8.
"They run the single, Wing-T," Abdul-Quddus said of Manville, which is situated in South, Group 1 and is presently qualifying for the playoffs as 12th in those standings. "We'll have to go up there. It will be a real challenge for us."
BIG CENTRAL CONFERENCE - PATRIOT GOLD DIVISION CONTEST AT HILLSIDE
North Plainfield (4-3, 1-2) 00 00 00 00 - 00
Hillside (6-1, 4-0) 07 00 07 12 - 26
FIRST QUARTER:
Hillside - Travis Miles 40 pass from Tyler Childs, Xavier DaSilva kick (H 7-0)
6 plays, 70 yards, 4:05 used
THIRD QUARTER:
Hillside - Eli Wicker 34 interception return, Xavier DaSilva kick (H 14-0)
FOURTH QUARTER:
Hillside - Josiah Hicks 2 run, kick failed (H 20-0)
9 plays, 83 yards, 4:03 used
Hillside - Muwahid Williams 13 run, pass failed (H 26-0)
2 plays, 51 yards, :19 used
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