The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 3

S-18 THE SUNDAY RECORD vi lyflliTI MunrirTnrT? DECEMBER 7. 1997 CALL THE RECORD'S LOCAL (201) 525-4600 EXT. 0110 TEENS: Take a look at http:www.teenvoice.com NJSIAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS AMY WWM ri By GREGORY SCHUTTA Start Writer WESTWOOD When Pompton Lakes lost to Passaic Tech, 38-13, to fall to 1-2 this season, Ryan Earley, Brian Compel, and the other two seniors on the team vowed that the Cardinals would not lose again this season. Earley certainly did his part to make that happen Saturday, catching a 9-yard touchdown pass on the Cardinals' first possession and forcing two fourth-quarter turnovers deep in Pompton territory in the fourth quarter to preserve the lead. But it took a junior to make it a reality.

Linebacker Justin Jones broke up a two-point conversion attempt with 45 seconds left as the Cardinals held on to defeat Westwood, 7-6, for the Group 2, Section 1 championship. It was the first sectional championship for Pompton Lakes since a Group 1 victory over Mahwah in 1982. '01 1 rrm fflf-rrr "I can still remember that day," Jones said of the PCT loss. "We're all in the locker room yelling at each other and saying that we stink and we don't deserve to be here. And Brian gets up and says 'That's it.

We're not going to lose We just got the crap kicked out of us, and we're all walking out of the locker room confident with our heads held high." The final moments of their eighth straight victory Saturday were pretty harrowing, however. Westwood finally got its passing game in gear in the fourth quarter, marching deep into Pompton Lakes territory on two straight possessions before being turned back by turnovers. But on the third attempt, Mike Stankowitz made an incredible over-the-shoulder catch of a Neal Hodges' pass, with PL's Justin Luciani hanging on his back, for a 35-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 7-6 with just 45 seconds left. Westwood immediately set up for two. Hodges rolled left and tried to hit Corey Lane in the front of the end zone, but Jones was right on top of him and the ball bounced off Lane's shoulder incomplete.

"I'm telling you when I saw that ball fall, I didn't know what to do," Jones said. "I just got up and ran. I was just trying to keep my body between him and the end zone to try to keep him out." "I have absolutely no regrets about going for two," said Westwood coach George DiGrande, who saw placekicker Neal Okarter sustain an injury in the second half and his best receiver, Stankowitz, helped off the field after the touchdown. "It's even more special ED HILLSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER streaking down the sidelines with Westwood's Mike Ruttenber In pursuit In Group 2 final. Matt Mariconda of Pompton Lakes because there were a lot of people who never thought we'd be able to do it.

At the beginning, I was one of them. But once we beat Glen Rock and Lodi, I felt we had a shot." Thanks in no small part to Early, who almost never leaves the field for the Cardinals. He showed his versatility Saturday, catching a 9-yard pass from Jones on a simple left-to-right crossing pattern to cap a 72-yard opening drive and give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead. Three of Earley's four catches came Wayne Hills caift cope with swift North Pompton Lakoa 7, Westwood 6 (t-2) Pompton Likes 7 0 0 0 7 (M) Weitwood 0 0 0 6 PL-Ryan Earley 9 pass from Justin Jones (Chuck Quant kick) W-MIke Stankowltz 35 pass from Noel Hodges (pass failed) PL First downs 10 15 Rushing yards 1 184 Passing yards 91 108 Comp-Att-lnl 8-14-2 9-14-2 Punts-ayg. 5-31 4-32 Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-1 Penalties-yards 1-5 3-25 RUSHING PL-Matt Mariconda 22-85, Justin Jones 6-25, Chuck Quant 1-(-l).

W-Noel Hodges 12-50, Shawn Manley 13-48, Corey Lane 8-47, Stanley Dove 5-33, Neal Okarter 3-4, Brandon Helman 1-2. PASSING PL-Justin Jones, 8-14-91-2; W-Noel Hodges 9-16-108-2. RECEIVING PL-Ryan Earley 4-46, Brian Compel 3-38, Kim Jeong 1-14; W-Mtke Stankowltz 6-90, Bryan Sheldon 2-15, Mike Werthelm, 1-6. Iks. a) yard gain down to the PL 10, but he took the ball right out of his hands and returned the fumble to stop one threat.

Westwood got the ball back on the Pompton Lakes 32 with 3:35 left, but Earley again stopped them cold with an interception on the PL 10. When Westwood got the ball back with 1:14 left on their 40, they kept their distance from Earley and went 60 yards in three plays for the touchdown. "We went out winners," Earley said. "There's nothing better." ereeia wrapped up their scoring when a penalty allowed Tom Lyons to kick a 28-yard field goal after time had run out in the first half to cut it to 21-10. The Patriots' defense kept their hopes alive by shutting out the Bruins in the third quarter but another mistake finished them.

Early in the fourth quarter Wiley took a punt and sprinted 54 yards and it was 27-10. "The ball came right to me," said Wiley, "I saw the hole and with some great blocking just turned it up and I was gone. But what I'm really happy was maybe now people will see how good our defense is. "Today everybody turned it up the win was a team effort!" North Brqn 33, Wayn Hill 10 (9-2) Wayne HUH 7 0 0 10 (11-Q) North Bergen 7 14 0 12-33 WH-Brlan Pengitore 60 Interception (Tom Lyons kick) NB-Ryan Schoener 80 run (Schoener kick) NB-Czar Wiley 1 run (Schoener kick) NB-Roly Zorrilla 24 run (Schoener kick) WH-Lyoni 28 field goal NB-Wlley 64 punt return (kick tailed) Catlro 9 run (kick tailed) WH 4 4 69 4-18-2 7-26 2-1 4-18 NB 13 250 13 1-4-2 3-26 0-0 6-40 First downs Rushing yards Passing yards Comp-Att-lnl Punts-avg. Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards RUSHING WH-James Millon 14-40, Brian Pengitore 3-4, James Bonadies 7H-40): NB-Zorrllla 16-93, Schoener 8-83.

Wiley 22-63, Castro 1-9, Willie Nunej 1-2, Mike Perez 1-2, Justin Feurtado H-2). PASSING WH-Bonadlee 4-18-2-69; NB-Schoenw 1-2-1-13. Peru 0-2-1. RECEIVINO WH-Ertc Magrlnl 4-69; NB-Joey Chaparro 1-13. crown mates are great.

I wish I could play football with them for the rest of my life." By BOB KURLAND Staff Writer NORTH BERGEN Speed kills on the highway, but it leads to victory on the football field. North Bergen illustrated that Saturday as it raced past Wayne Hills, 33-10, to win the Group 4, Section 1 championship. "Their overall quickness was outstanding," said Wayne Hills coach Chris Olsen. "I said coming into the game I was more concerned over their defense than offense." He had a right to be concerned because the Bruins held the Patriots' vaunted ground game to 4 net yards, as Rollie Zorrilla and mates sacked James Bonadies five times for 39 yards in losses. Winning coach Vin Ascolese agreed with Olsen: "The key for us has been our lines and its quickness.

When you have that, you can beat bigger lines." Despite the one-sidedness of the score and statistics, the game might have been different if not for a big comeback play by Ryan Schoener. Midway through the first quarter Schoener tossed a pass toward the right sideline, only to have Brian Pengitore intercept and return it for a 60-yard touchdown. Division I prospect Czar Wiley pointed out, "That was the first time we've been behind this season." Schoener quickly made amends on third-and-16, when he avoided a couple of would-be tacklers and sprinted 80 yards for the equalizer. "That play was called because we had gone sweep on that opening drive, and Jones came out smoking completing his first five passes for 63 yards. Matt Mariconda set the tone with a 30-yard blast on the game's opening play for PL.

The PL defense, outweighed by a huge Westwood line which averaged 247 pounds across, bent but didn't break in the first three quarters. But Hodges and Stankowitz began to hook up in the fourth. With six minutes left, Earley didn't just stop Westwood's Lane after a 9- GROUP 4 twice," said Schoener. "There were three guys waiting for me, so I planted myself on the slippery field and then cut it up. There was a big hole to get me started and I was surprised that I was so open." Olsen felt that was a turning point that shouldn't have happened.

"We could have sacked him and then they would have punted," said Olsen. "On the next series we had our first punt blocked since 1993 and that led to another touchdown and got them rolling." Linebacker George Mazzetti blocked James Millon's punt late in the opening quarter and the Bruins took over on the Hills' 23. And early in the second period the highly-touted Wiley took it in from the 1 for his 18th touchdown to make it 14-7 and the undefeated Bruins never looked back. However, North Bergen almost let the visitors back into the game when it attempted a fake punt only to be stopped on its own 47. But two plays later Jason Lamberty, who along with fellow linemen Chris Kocaj, Carlos Torres, and Joey Chaparro, held gainer Millon to 40 yards, recovered a fumble on the WH 43.

It took the Bruins four plays to up the lead to 21-7 with Zorrilla, who rushed for 93 yards, taking a pitch around right end for a 24-yard touchdown. The Pats records, away speed. It doesn't matter because he's got 100-and-somothing catches." Butler (10-1) played a more characteristic second half its defense stifling Mountain Lakes' Delaware Wing-T offense and its offense getting in sync. The Bulldogs went 69 yards in three plays on their first possession of the third quarter, as Brown threaded a needle to O'Brien on a 15-yard slant pattern for an 18-7 lead. It was more of the same on the next drive, an Butler abused the Lakers defense underneath.

Mountain Lakes (8-3) used a blitz front with seven men in the box for virtually tho entire gnmo. The Lakers limited the long ball, but left themselves vulnerable to the short pass, which Brown and Co. exploited with glee. "This one is awesome. The other ones felt great, but this Is awesome," Brown said.

"I'm the most grateful kid In the country right now, All my team i a id i v. I KLAUS-PETER STEITZSTAFP PHOTOGRAPHER ager got to play. It was the greatest thing. I can't explain it." He didn't have to. The devastating tandem of Brown and O'Brien again racked up gaudy numbers.

O'Brien caught 21 passes, giving him a State-record 111 this season, and finished with 1,689 receiving yards, another State record. Brown completed 32 of 54 passes, four for touchdowns. He connected with senior wide receiver Jon Buntzen on an 18-yard score with 9:39 left in the game to give him 39 touchdown passes this season a State record. The previous mark was held by former Butler quarterback Dan Mndine, who now plays at Fordham. The phrase "Brown to O'Brion" sounded like a broken record while they were breaking records.

The two appeared to be playing catch in the backyard not a pressure-packed championship gome in their high school Wayne Hills' defender John Stanchak trying to get his hands on North Bergen's Rollle Zorrllla. North Bergen completed an unbeaten season with a 33-10 win. Butler stars State Butler 30, Mountain lakes 7 (1-3) Mountain lakoo 7 0 0 07 (10-1) Butler 30 By TIM LEONARD Correspondent BUTLER Quarterback Scott Brown wore a smile as big as his passing numbers. Wide receiver Mike O'Brion was genuinely touched by what he and his teammates especially hia fellow seniors had just accomplished. Several other Butler players were clearly caught up in the moment as they tack ed assistant coaches in the mud.

There were all kinds of emotion on display at Butler High School on Saturday, the most obvious being the pride a group of seniors displayed after earning the school's fourth straight Section 2, Group 1 championship. Top-seeded Butler thoroughly dominated No. 3 seed Mountain Lakes in a 30-7 victory that solidified a dynasty. Its the greatest thing that could ever happen to us, an emotional O'Brien said. "Everything was just per fect.

We broke all the records. Our man GROUP 1 finale. Mountain Lakes had scored the game's first touchdown when Andrew Hokenson blocked a punt, and Carlton Holbig scooped up the ball and rambled 25 yards to the end zone. Brown, who scored on a 3-yard run for the Bulldogs first touchdown, went to O'Brien to give Butler its first lend with 3:41 left In what was a mistake-plagued first half. He scrambled right to avoid some pressure and flung a pass down the right sideline to O'Brien, who dragged a defender Into the end zone to put the Bulldogs ahead 12-7.

"We knew something was going to break open sooner or later. I think he's got every receiving record the State ever had," Brown said of O'Brion. "I used to bust on him about not having break ML-Carllon Holbig 26 tumble return (Robert Lena kick) D-ocun grown 3 run (kiok taneo) B-Mike O'Brien 32 paae from Brown Ipaaa tailed) Btlen 16 pate from Brown tpaea tailed) B-Tom Sparger 20 paea from Brown (paee tailed) B-Jon Bunuen 16 peel trom Brown (kick tailed) First downs tg Rushing yards 36 Passing yard! 469 Comp-Att-lnl 34-62-2 Puntt-avg, 2.17 tumbles-lost 0-0 Penaitiee-yardi 7.6O ML 4 74 19 3-6-1 7-26 1-0 S-23 RUtHINO 6-ftcott Brown t-M, Slav Paddock 2-7, Dan-nit Carrlero 1-6. Roberto DeVllla 2-3, Jason Connelly 1-0; ML-Carlton Holbig 17-37, Michael Chlara 6-33, John Shea 6-9, Robert Lane 1-3, Joseph Duncan 1 Blakt Yarallan 4-(-7) PASSING I Brown 34-62-406-2; ML-Yaralitn 3-6-19-1, RICIIVINQ l-Mike Brlen 21-267, Tom Sparger 8-60. Connolly 3-6.

Peddook 1-29, Jon Bunlten 1-16. DeVllla 1-4, Ray Bradley 1-3, Alayi H-2); ML-Thomaa Weinberger 1-14, Holbig t-6. 1 1.