Post 589 – Becton 14 Hasbrouck Heights 0

After a scoreless first quarter, Becton scored touchdowns before the half and early fourth quarter to beat Hasbrouck Heights 14-0 and stay unscored upon this year. 

First Quarter: With a 7:00 start, both teams kept to the ground in a quarter that was over by 7:15. Becton drove to midfield and Hasbrouck Heights drove well into Becton territory before a penalty pushed them back, as both teams turned it over on downs. 

Second Quarter: After a Becton punt early in the quarter to the 2-yard line, Heights held the ball for over nine minutes. The drive featured the running of Rocco Minichello, but the Aviators turned it over on downs on the Becton 36 with 2:16 left. Becton struck when Joe Crifasi connected with Cencir Bacote for 31 yards to the 5 on a pass that deflected off a Heights defender close to the right sideline. After a penalty cancelled a touchdown by Crifasi, the Wildcats got on the board when Sonny Ragusa ran for a 4-yard touchdown through the middle. 

Third Quarter: A Heights punt gave Becton the ball at midfield and a Bacote run on the jet sweep went approximately 20 yards to the 29. A Crifasi run went 10 yards to the 16. With third-and-1 on the 7, a penalty brought Becton back to the 12. A field goal attempt fell short and Heights took over but were forced to punt. Becton moved the ball, with Crifasi having runs of 19 and 5 sandwiched around a completion to Ryan Reid with the ball on the 13 when the time expired in the quarter. 

Fourth Quarter: Ragusa scored on the quarter’s second play, an 8-yard run. After two Minichello runs gave Heights a first down, the Aviators were forced to punt. Heights had one more chance, but Jake Diaz was pressured by Bobby Colaneri, with the pass being tipped by Reid, before Marcus Duran intercepted on the 14. After a Ragusa run, Becton ran out the clock. 

Conclusion: Despite being a game that went quickly, there were numerous penalties on both teams. Becton’s offense was centered around Crifasi and plays coming from Ragusa and Bacote. Becton’s defense did their part. Heights’ nine minute drive in the second quarter went 62 yards (seven yards per minute), as every one of their yards was earned and the Wildcat defense would not allow a big play. The defense worked in tandem with the offense to be in control of the clock the rest of the way. They showed some good tackling; in the fourth quarter, I noticed good one-on-one tackles by Ragusa and Bacote. They pressured Diaz, filling in for the injured Steven Faussette, who scrambled around to only find no room wherever he went. While the game wasn’t always pretty, Becton was the better team.  

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