The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 7

A report out of Colorado says the Rockies have come to terms with pitcher Denny Neagle and will offer Mike Hampton a record-breaking contract. PACE S-2 in Monday December 4. 2000 TN. II II 1111 A perfect endin Hackensack justifies No. 1 ranking Hackensack's Dwayne Reid signaling the Comets are No.

1 in the state as he and his teammates display their trophy after capturing the Group 4, Section 1 title with a 21-12 victory over Teaneck. Mk- sic, A5EJrr V2 17. Hackensack secured its standing as New Jersey's No. 1 high school football team and one of the nation's best by capping a 12-0 season with Sunday's 21-12 victory over Teaneck in the Group 4, Section 1 final at Rutgers Stadium. Senior Bryan Wilson led the Comets by carrying 18 times for 126 yards.

He scored late in the fourth quarter on runs of 35 and 50 yards to help deliver the Comets a second consecutive title and the seventh in nine years. Wilson started in place of senior star Kaliym Hazel, who was sidelined after injuring his knee in the opening quarter of a 26-6 win over Teaneck on Nov. 23. Hackensack's defense was again stellar, particularly in the second half. Teaneck (8-4) began four consecutive possessions inside Hackensack territory and was denied each time.

"This is sweet," said Cedric Brown, the Comets' senior linebacker and lineman. "All the hard work, from the beginning of the season to the last practice, it paid off." Don Bosco Prep's bid for its first State title since 1990 came up short earlier in the day when Holy Cross' Dave King kicked a 47-yard field goal on the final play to produce a 41-40 victory in the State Parochial Group 4 final. The Ironmen (11-1) led, 40-21, in the third quarter, but were hampered by injuries to senior tailback Ryan Grant and junior quarterback Steve Levy. A blocked punt and a fumble gave life to Holy Cross (10-2). St Mary's of Rutherford could not prevent St.

Joseph of Hammonton from capturing its fourth State Parochial Group 1 title in five years, falling, 47-7, at Kean University. Sophomore running back Vincent Doffont was a bright spot for the Gaels (9-2), carrying 27 times for 107 yards. QREG MaYtuRA BETH BALBIERZ STAFF Jet get ft 1ms smm 1 1 Martin Runs for 203 yards in victory JETS 27 COLTS 17 "111 'H L3 JfiSy A 1: i By RANDY LANGE Staff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD Curtis Martin had, as always, a simple yet eloquent explanation for something magical he did to help the Jets to victory. "I believe it's about color. I just run away from the color," Martin said Sunday evening of his weaving, darting 55-yard, second-quarter run a few hours earlier against Indianapolis.

"That entire play, that's what I felt. I was running away from flashes of color. All of a sudden, I was downfield." In a similar sudden fashion, Martin had broken personal and franchise records and equaled an NFL mark in slashing for 203 yards on 30 carries. Just as suddenly, he slanted his 2 longest yards for the clinching touchdown with 3:17 to play. And just as suddenly, the Jets had the color of a legitimate Super Bowl contender after they collared the Colts, the preseason choice to dominate the AFC East and perhaps represent the conference in Super Bowl XXXV.

The score was 27-17, and the win enabled the Jets (9-4) to continue to lurk a game behind Miami (10-3), stay even with Denver and Baltimore (both 9-4) in the wildcard hunt, and open a two-game lead on Indianapolis, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh (all 7-6). "I don't know about two years ago two years ago are gone," Martin said of comparisons between this maturing Jets team and the Gang Green team that painted a path all the way to the AFC Championship game at Denver. "But this is the fourth quarter of the season, and we feel like we're playing the way we had been playing in the fourth quarter of games." The Jets constructed that kind of marvelous house of mirrors in the Meadowlands, one that looked backward as well as forward while capturing perhaps the best yet that they have to offer. Get the running game started after gaining just 3 yards in the second half of last week's hang-on win over Chicago? No problem. It started with Martin working out full all week despite his buttock strain, and it picked up steam as the offensive linemen met before the game to talk about their task ahead.

"We got together before we went out and said we have to do it today. We have to step up and take it to another level," guard Kerry See JETS Page S-6 ASSOCIATED PRESS Giants cornerback Dave Thomas jumping for joy after the Redskins missed potential game-winning field goal with 50 seconds left Sunday. Giants back on top after an all-out effort By VINNY DiTRANI Staff Writer LANDOVER, Md. Call him goofy, call him erratic, call him desperate. But also call Jim Fassel coach of the NFC East-leading Giants.

There may be a method to Fas-sel's madness after all. His playoff guarantee, his muzzling of players "This is not the ending, it's just the beginning," Fassel promised after the Giants' 9-7 win Sunday at FedEx Field over apparently not the best team money can buy. "I've been doing this a long time, but I never can remember any group of guys that put out as much positive energy as this team put out. They gave everything GIANTS 9 REDSXI 7 7A and assistant coaches, his lashing out at detractors. whatever he's done the past two weeks he should bottle, because it's working.

His Giants played an exceptional game Sunday against the Washington Redskins in a crossroads game for both teams. The Giants were aggressive from the outset against a club that had beaten them four straight times and apparently had little regard for them as opponents. they had today. The victory, combined with the Philadelphia Eagles' last-second loss to Tennessee, put the 9-4 Giants alone atop the NFC East ahead of the 9-5 Eagles. With St.

Louis and New Orleans also losing, plus Detroit's defeat Thursday night, the Giants' playoff picture as at least a wild card also got a lot rosier. See GIANTS Page S-8 ASSOCIATED PRESS Dejected Redskins kicker Eddie Murray after missing decisive 49-yard field goal attempt. It Of missed field goals and January dreams 4 beat, beat, beat of his heart. Giants co-owner Wellington Mara watched with his son, John, and his team's general manager, Ernie Ac-corsi, in the press box with 56 seconds left. One suite over, defensive backs coach Johnnie Lynn screamed, "No, no, no with the Giants assistants.

Down below, poor Cedric Jones has depth perception problems with his vision, and these kicks forever look good to him. Mike Barrow, the old LANDOVER, Md. The oldest leg in the National Football League kicked the ball into the sky, sending it end over end through the December chill Sunday. Across FedEx Field, everyone stopped to study the flight of fate on a 49-yard field goal attempt. These had been a few of the most frenetic minutes in the history of this series, the drama distilling down to a 44-year-old man listening to a stadium go so silent he had to hear the Miami Hurricane, prayed the presence of Florida State's Deion Sanders and Scott Bentley on the sideline could push it wide right.

Lomas Brown, an old Lions teammate, remembered when 49 yards used to be a layup for Murray with the game on the line, "I had seen too many game-winners from him," Brown said. The Giants had to go back a decade to Buffulo's Scott Norwood in Super See W0J Page S-8 i i -a DANIELLE P. RICHARDSSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The Jets' Curtis Martin set a team record with 203 yards rushing Sunday, breaking the plateau for the sixth straight season..