Hillside beat Bernards, 20-7, in a game that ran three hours and fifteen minutes, due to 25 penalties, many players cramping, and overall chippy play.
First Quarter: Bernards had good field position when they stopped Hillside on fourth-and-2 on their 44. Three plays later, they were threatening on the 18 when they fumbled and Jayleen Neals recovered for Hillside on the 27. Hillside punted and Bernards had possession on their 41. Teddy Gouldin went 16 yards on the keeper, maneuvering his way through defenders, to give them a first down on the 13. Gouldin found Joey Billotti for 12 yards before he sneaked in from the 1 to make it 7-0 one minute into the second quarter.
Second Quarter: After an exchange of punts, Hillside was on the board with a 23-yard touchdown run by James Louis. The extra point was blocked by Gavin Chieff and it was 7-6, Bernards with 6:40 left. The big play of the drive was a 33-yard pass from Gavin Melendez to Nahree Biggins. Hillside continued where they left off on their next possession. At the 50, Melendez found a wide open James Westry down the left sideline for 48 yards. Louis scored on the following play and Melendez successfully ran in the 2-point conversion to make it 14-7 with 1:14 left.
Third Quarter: This quarter took approximately one hour because of what I mentioned in the opening statement. Bernards had a chance to cut their deficit, but a 48-yard field goal attempt failed. Hillside drove into Bernards territory and were stopped on fourth down at the 33. A penalty gave Bernards possession on their 18 and faced a fourth-and-1 on the 27. They went for the first down, but Gouldin was stopped for no gain, giving Hillside the ball. Three plays later, Melendez scored from the 8 on a quarterback draw. The 2-point attempt failed and it was 20-7 with over two minutes left. Bernards threatened on a jet sweep by Billoti for 32 yards and a 29-yard pass to Billotti for 29 yards. But Jason Hunter intercepted for Hillside and returned it to the Hillside 34, ending a good opportunity for Bernards.
Fourth Quarter: Bernards had two more possessions and their last chance was intercepted by JD Delva and Hillside ran out the clock.
Box Score:
Bernards -0-7-0-0-7
Hillside – 0-14-6-0-20
B – Gouldin 1-yard run (kick good)
H – Louis 23-yard run (kick blocked)
H – Louis 2-yard run (Melendez run)
H – Melendez 8-yard run (pass failed)
Summary:
Hillside made the most of their opportunities, scoring twice in the second quarter and once in the third when they had great field position. Louis had 83 yards on two touchdowns on 13 carries, while Jahon Moore added 49 yards on 12 carries. Both backs ran hard throughout the game. Defensively, Neals was around the ball for much of the game. The Comets were physical, coming out with some big hits throughout the game. Unfortunately, the penalties and extracurricular activities took away from the game; both teams were to blame.