The Herald-News from Passaic, New Jersey • 23

Mflfsfd-Ngfs. ftyhi C-ec. 8. 5SC Serving Nor Jersey C-9 Wist tte By GREG BAIH ANN SUff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD Jim Sullivan was savoring the immediate aftermath of West Essex's North Jersev Tripucka missed the kick, finalizing matters at 22-7. "Hey, when we lost here last year (15-12 to Union), we sat in this same room and vowed to be back here this year." said Belleville coach John Senesky.

"We just made the same vow. See ya next year." front of 7.844 fans at Giants Stadium Sunday evening, The distant chant of the players could be heard. "We're number one, we're number one," -We are, you know." the physically-drained Sullivan whispered. He stood motionless, waiting for someone to agree with him. But instead, a reporter asked Sullivan about the blood covering a good portion of his jersey.

He wasn't Sullivan, a first team All-Area slotback, got a fast start by returning the opening kickoff 43 yards to the Belleville 47. And he never slow ed dow n. Neither -did his poised teammates, The Knights scored the game's first touchdown ith 3 38 left in the first quarter when fullback Steve Schelling ran over from the seven. The four-play, 63-yard drive was highlighted by Sullivan's 55-yard sweep on a third-and-eight Chris Tripucka's (another H-N All-Area selection) kick made it 7-0. West Essex, which lost a 35-34 decision to Morris Knolls earlier in the year for its only blemish, scored again on a third-and-eight play with 5:59 left in the half.

Quarterback John Papa found end John Fell for a 10-yard touchdown pass, capping a nine-play, 46-yard drive. Sullivan ran for 21 yards in the drive. Tripucka's kick failed, leaving it 13-0. "THAT DRIVE was a big one." said Roca, the area's 1980 Coach of the Year. "It was important to go up bytwo(TDs)atthetime." Belleville, after an unusually long halftime meeting, came out firing.

All-Area quarterback John Melillo. a transfer from Essex Catholic, engineered a seven-play, 61-yard drive to open the half. Melillo. on a flrst-and-25 call, threw a 43-yard touchdown strike to receiver Ken Constantino at 8.49 in the third quarter. Bob Cancelliere's point-after made it 13-T.

But West Essex came right back, taking over at its 30 and driving to the Bucs' eight before Tripucka's 25-yard field goal increased the advantage to 16-7. The drive was keyed by Sullivan's 32-yard run and an interference call against Melillo (for hitting Tripucka) at the 10. When Belleville came out and scored on us. it just made us tougher," explained Roca. "We have a gritty, determined team and they hung tough.

When the field goal put us up by nine, they (Belleville) knew they would have to score twice to beat us. It forced them to open up and start to throw." THE BUCS had the ball four times in the final period, but came away empty-handed. Twice they were forced to punt, once Melillo was intercepted (by Mike McGrath) and once they fumbled in the end zone setting up another West Essex score with 10 seconds left when Tim Driver pounced on the loose ball. "Well, we lose 22 seniors," said Roca. whose 14-13-2 career record is over the .500 mark for the first time evej.

"But they're the ones who turned a 2-7 team into league (Iron Hills) and state champs. God bless 'em, they one the 2, Group 4 state football Just he and head coach Bill Roca remained to answer questions in the Knights' locker-room which had been suddenly vacated by the homeward-bound and jubilant West Essex players. Sullivan, who was awesome from beginning to end in gaining 173 yards on 24 carries, had played the last and probably most important game of his high school career and he knew he had been successful Now it was all over and the Knights (10-1) were state champions for the first time via their impressive 22-7 win over Belleville (9-2) in Group 4 WrtttwidH) telltnl t-2 i it a I 7 I 7 "WHERE'D THE blood come from?" the writer "My opponents, ha, ha," Sullivan quickly replied. But no one laughed. They figured he wasn't kidding.

SC0RWS OT-Scneig 7 tun (TnpucKa ten) WE-Fet! 10 pass from Papa Constantino 43 cjss from Mio (Canwiiwt wck) WE-FGTnpua25 WE-D' fejmbie rscovwy a and zone (luek-taiied) I TT71 i.4 1 -V? 1 1 5 1 s( i intii in ii i i mum miiiiMii HnaMl News PfioJos ty Wax Pwnowso Belleville's Ken Constantino is brought down by Chris Tripucka. Jim Sullivan of West Essex tries to break Pete Haverick's tackle. mm atein by yards. Defensive ends Tip Spina and Stanley Woods and All-Area linebacker Kevin O'Callaghan constantly pressured McGovern in the first 24 minutes, sacking him three times for 21 yards in losses. Crusaders' halfback Vin Garcia led all ballcarriers with 73 yards on 16 carries, with most of his attempts coming on option pitchouts from McGovern.

The 5-foot-8. 160-pound senior had 54 yards on nine carries in the second half. "They were just as good as they were last time," commented O'Callaghan. "They were really up for the game." By MARC BRODSKY Herald-News Staff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD Seton Hall Prep football coach Tony Ver-ducci remarked before his North Parochial A championship final with defending titlist Bergen Catholic that the team that makes fewer mistakes in a defensive struggle would probably win. The final turnover count read Seton' Hall 5, Bergen Catholic 2.

Case closed! Last year's champs turned a couple of those miscues into touchdowns and came away with a 12-0 win Sunday afternoon at Giants Stadium. It marked the fifth time in seven years that the Crusaders have copped the Parochial A crown. The two most glaring errors ac-' counted for the fiVst touchdown of the day. With 4:59 remaining in the third quarter, the Pony Pirates were for roughing Bergen Catholic punter Bob Wetzel berger. Parochial A Verducci saw (he call a bit differently than the referee.

"That was not roughing the. kicker it was a poor call. Their kid jumped into our guy and tripped him Despite Verducci's protest, the Crusaders took possession at the Seton Hall 41-yard line. Again the" Pony Pirates-defense forced their opponents to punt, but the ball hit returner Dom Trezza as he attempted to come up with the kick in the air. Dan Minoque recovered for BC, and they were in business at the 21.

seven-yard scramble by quarterback tony Guidice on first down brought the ball to the Crusaders' 24. but two incomplete passes and a run for no gain stopped the drive. "The difference is that the line came off the ball better in the second half." explained Karcich. "We didn't make too many adjustments at halftime. we just went to the split end side more, with Minoque cracking back on the pursuit.

It was a game of manipulation." "They didn't do anything we didn't recognize," observed Doherty. "They played very conservatively they opened up more last time (the 8-8 regular season tie)." Defense was the name of the game in the first half. Seton Hall came up with 76 total yards, while the Bergen Countv club could manage just 36 fumble and the ensuing recovery by defensive lineman Doug Pilatowski. With 1:05 left in the game. McGovern rolled to his left and spotted a wide open Guy Darienzo in the left corner.

Darienzo caught the ball at the three and waltzed in for six. The winners dominated play in the second half, as the statistics reveal. They picked up 131 yards and seven first downs in the first half, while holding their counterparts without a first down and minus eight yards. They also controlled the ball, running 34 offensive plavs to Seton Hall's 14. THE LOSERS biggest opportunity in the third quarter, when defensive end Tip Spina recovered a fumbled handoff bv Dohertv.

A THIS TIME the winners cashed in on the opportunity. The Crusaders needed five running plays to reach the end zone, the big play an eight-yard keeper by quarterback Bill McGovern on third and five at the 16. Tim Doherty went off tackle from the four for the score. Verducci maintained that the roughing the kicker call was the game's turning point, but Bergen Catholic coach Tony Karcich had a different opinion. "I wouldn't say the call was the difference in the game because I think that would be cheating our offense and defense.

I feel we had already established momentum. The call certainly did help us though." The insurance TD followed re-' serve quarterback Pete Reavey's Beron Cathatic IS! SUM mil Pap (8-2-11 119 I SCORING BC -Doherty 4 run (kit UC-Danenzo 20 pass horn McGovetn (run tailed) nil 1.1111 .1. I I I IMIBWWIIUWMW 11 1 3 4 Dave King skirts end for Seton Hall Prep.i I ,3 Ws Hqvv The H-N top 10 fared l'(He) Passaic Valley (10-1) defeated Fair Lawn, 20-0. 2 BelleWlle (9-2) lost to West Essex, 22-7 Fair Lawn (9-2) lost to Passaic Valley, 20-0. '4.

West Essex (10-1) defeated Belleville, 22-7. 5. DePaul (9-1) season complete. i 6. Saddle Brook (8-2) lost to Sparta.43-7.

1 7. Si'ton Hall (8-1-2) lost to Bergen Catholic, 12 0. 8. Passaic (7-2) season complete. 9.

Clifton (8-2) season complete. 10.St. Mary's (9-0-1) season complete. vW1 VtWM 'Vv v. -W-W Tim Doherty of Bergen Catholic scores his club first touchdown Sunday.

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