WESTWOOD- The Caldwell Chiefs came into this season as a team on a mission, looking to return to state glory after back-to-back seasons at or near the .500 mark.
Call it mission accomplished.
Dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, the Chiefs used a pair of Adam Sepe touchdowns and a smothering defensive effort to defeat Westwood 14-7 on a raw, wet Friday night in Washington Township.
The win gives Caldwell (10-1) the North 1 Group 2 championship, and is its first state title since the undefeated state championship season of 2022.
The Chiefs will face Hoboken (11-1) next Friday, Nov. 20, for the North regional title and a berth in the overall Group 2 state final at MetLife Stadium (Nov. 28 or 29).
The Redwings punched their ticket with a 50-13 thrashing of Waldwick/Midland Park for the N2G2 crown.
Other than the score, the most important statistic of the night at top-seeded Westwod (8-3) was 34:31: Caldwell’s time of possession. They held the ball for all but 6:07 of the first half, running 29 plays to 12 for the Cardinals.
It wasn’t the game plan coming in, but Caldwell coach Todd Romano adapted to his team’s strength, and the elements.
“It was not the plan coming in, but that’s just kind of how this game developed,” said the veteran Chiefs head mentor. “We felt our defense was playing extremely well so the more we can keep the ball and just churn out first downs, we were going to increase our chances to win, so it developed into that type of game.”
Even when possessions did not result in points in the second half, the second-seeded Chiefs played intelligently, keeping the ball on the ground and taking as much time as possible between plays. When Westwood finally scored, they never got the ball back.
The Caldwell defense set the tone on the game’s first play, when senor DL Logan Arnott stopped Westwood QB Bruno Vega for a three-yard loss. That led to a three-and-out and the Chiefs started at their own 41.
For Arnott, the revenge factor played a big part in the preparation for the game.
“This is big for us,” said the standout Chiefs lineman “Last year, you know, they ended our season. Last year, I was hurt and couldn’t play so this was definitely a revenge game and it felt great.”
Behind the running of junior QB Adam Sepe (23 carries, 103 yards, 2 TD), and four consecutive completions, Caldwell moved to the Westwood 11. A four-yard burst by Lucas Alcazar (in for the injured Nicco Capaldo), set up first-and-goal from the 7. On 3rd-and-goal from the 4, Sepe scampered in for the score and it was 7-0 with 1:41 left in the first quarter. The 14-play drive took 8:37 off the clock and was a harbinger of things to come.
Westwood tried to respond, but the Caldwell defense came up with a takeaway on the first play after the kickoff when Nico Sozio picked off a pass and the Chiefs were in business at the Cardinal 41.
This time, the Chiefs needed eight plays to double their lead. Sepe (10-of-12 for 93 yards) was 4-for-4 on the drive with two completions resulting in first downs. His 5-yard run converted a 4th-and-3 from the 34 as the Caldwell offense methodically moved the ball into the redzone. On a first-and-goal from the 6, Sepe galloped in for his second touchdown and it was 14-0 with 8:31 left in the half.
Caldwell was poised to extend their lead, moving into Westwood territory late in the half, but the Chiefs fumbled and Westwood’s Patrick Stark recovered at the Cardinal 10 to end the threat.
While the Chiefs did not score in the second half, they did put together a 15-play drive that went 75 yards and took 9:37 off the clock. It resulted in a missed field goal attempt, but gave the Cardinals less time to mount a comeback.
Westwood then had its best offensive series, with Vega (8-of-17 for 49 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) completing a pair of 12-yard passes to Tyler Hanson. It came to an end when Caldwell’s Dante Placenti picked off a pass at the Chiefs 7 with 5:56 left.
The Cardinals would get one more chance, and they would get on the board late. Starting at the Caldwell 49, they needed 13 plays to reach the endzone. The key play was a 15-yard scramble by the elusive Vega on 4th-and 10 from the 22. On 4th-and-goal from the 1, Vega rolled right and found Ed Rasmussen open for the TD to make it 14-7 with two minutes left.
Caldwell recovered the ensuing onside kick, and ran out the clock behind the running of Sepe to seal the victory.
Westwood finishes the season at 8-3. A year ago, the Cardinals won the sectional and lost to Shabazz in the regional round.
Caldwell is enjoying its most successful season since the back-to-back undefeated seasons of 2021 and 2022.
North 1, Group 2 Sectional Final:
Caldwell (10-1) 7 7 0 0 14
Westwood (8-3) 0 0 0 7 7
C – Adam Sepe 4 run (Matt Murtagh kick)
C – Sepe 6 run (Murtagh kick)
W – Ed Rasmussen 1 pass from Bruno Vega (Christian Tiner kick)
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