Phillipsburg Football Opens with Win Over Westfield

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ - Explosive offensive plays propelled the Phillipsburg High School football team to a 44-17 conquest of Westfield on Friday night to kick off the 2024 season in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Maloney Stadium.

Dominating Ground Game Sets the Tone

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE TAPINTO.NET NEWSLETTER

Junior fullback Jah’lil Dooley scored on a 79-yard sprint on the Stateliners first offensive play of the season, dynamic senior wide-out Felix Matos caught a pair of 45-yard TD passes from Jett Genovese and junior tailback Sam Dech dashed 67-yards for a score.

Whew!!! This team, with its speed, showed it can score from anywhere on the field in the season opener.

“It was nice to capitalize on those explosive plays,” said P’burg head coach Frank Duffy, who improved to 8-1 on opening night in his career. “We actually had more opportunities.”

The Stateliners ended Westfield’s season a year ago by beating the Blue Devils, 42-24, in the sectional semifinals and this game wasn’t much different. Except that P’burg’s secondary played much better.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE TAPINTO APP FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS. AVAILABLE IN THE APPLE STORE AND THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE .

Solid Defensive Play from Scerbo Jr. and the Secondary

Senior Matthew Scerbo Jr., one of the top wide receivers in Phillipsburg’s school history, played an outstanding game in his first career start at cornerback and, along with secondary mates Matos and junior Jaysen Blackwell, shut down a passing attack that torched P’burg last season's.

Senior defensive end Khalil Lewis was credited with five tackles and two sacks and senior linebacker Jayden Lucas led the ‘Liners with seven tackles to help the cause.

“We knew last year they are a passing team,” said Scerbo Jr., who moved up to second place all-time in receptions with 85 at Phillipsburg after catching three passes for 44 yards and third all-time in receiving yards with 1,247. “I got an opportunity to play defense tonight and I was confident I could do the job.”

Scerbo Jr. helped limit Westfield wide-out Enzo Ferrero who was a thorn in Phillipsburg’s side in last year’s game.

“He’s a great receiver,” said Scerbo Jr., who picked off his first career interception. “He’s up there that’s for sure. We tried to limit what their routes would be. I played honest for the most part. He got a few on me but that’s gonna happen.”

“The defensive backs played phenomenal,” Duffy said. “Matt did an unbelievable job. I was really, really impressed by him.”

Coach Duffy's Take on the Win and Room for Improvement

Phillipsburg’s new offensive line had an up-and-down night, opening holes for big gains but also committing far too many false starts . In all, as a team, the ‘Liners committed 10 penalties for 110 yards. Ouch!

“What I don’t like are too many penalties,” Duffy said. “I’m not sure what the final numbers are. Yes, it’s the first game, but it’s still unacceptable, and that starts with me. I’ll make sure I stress that this week and I’m confident our guys will get better at it.”

Key Performances from Dooley, Matos, and Dech

The Stateliners, however, also rushed 29 times for a whopping 397 yards with Dooley gaining 182 yards on just eight carries and Dech going off for 160 on 12 tries. Both are easily career highs in yardage for Dooley and Dech.

Matos, who transferred from Bergan Catholic before last season and was also an outstanding baseball player last spring for the ‘Liners, was helped off the field twice for cramps. In all, over a dozen players were treated on the field, most for cramping. There was a stretch where players went down on three straight plays. And the weather was relatively mild for an early September night.

“The one time it was hamstring and then it was my calf,”, said Matos, who plays all over the field on defense while also starting at wide receiver. “The first touchdown we saw that look on film, so we’ve been practicing all week, and they gave us the same look, and it was there. Our secondary can play better. There’s always room to get better. I trust the guys we have back there.”

Phillipsburg ran 44 plays for 546 yards in the game and scored six touchdowns. Westfield unofficially gained 219 yards from the line of scrimmage in 56 plays.

Dooley scored the first touchdown of the game when he busted through the line and had nothing but clear sailing 20 yards past the line of scrimmage.

“A statement right off the bat,” Duffy said. “That was great to see that. Obviously, you want to jump on them early and you can’t get any earlier than the first play.”

Dech, who also scored on a four-yard run in the third quarter, scored on a big play once again after hightailing it for 50 and 75-yard TD runs against Easton last Turkey Day. This time he ran off the right side bounced off a hit at midfield and easily outraced defenders to paydirt.

“It was a great hole,” said Dech, who is 5-foot-8 and 172 pounds but can right through a defender as well as around him. “The line set it up perfectly and I knew what I had to do. I made my cut and ran until I got to the goal line. A lot of credit to my linemen (right guard) Alex Randazzo and (right tackle) Ryan Mulvaney for opening up a big hole.”

Phillipsburg's Offensive Line Gets Tested, Genovese Moves Up in the Record Books

Randazzo, a sophomore, and Mulvaney, a junior, are first-year starters on the line, as are senior left guard Louis Manochio and junior left tackle Zack Pherson. Senior and three-year starter center Ben Coury is the grizzled veteran on the offensive line.

“I called it first play,” said Dooley, who scored on his first carry in his first career start at fullback. “I’m seeing my tackle block out and my guard block down. Beautiful blocking. And I hit that hole and scored. I was like, just go. I looked behind me and didn’t see anybody so I just kept going.”

Dooley, who transferred from East Orange before last season, also fumbled a ball away.

“It was a successful night but I can’t turn the ball over,” he said. “I have to be better. If I want my team to go to a state championship game, no turnovers for me. I’m happy we won but too many penalties tonight, too.”

Genovese, a senior and three-year starting quarterback, scored from 13-yards out on a scramble in the fourth quarter before hooking up with Matos for another TD for a 44-10 lead with 8:27 left in the game. Genovese tossed for 149 yards to move up to fifth all-time in passing yards at Pburg.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

FIRST QUARTER

P – Jah’quil Dooley 79 run (Moreira kick), 11:40

W – Enzo Ferrero 40 FG, 10:37

P – Felix Matos 45 pass from Jett Genovese (Moreira kick), 8:10

SECOND QUARTER

P – Safety, ball snapped out of end zone, 3:55

THIRD QUARTER

P – Sam Dech 4 run (Moreira kick), 8:13

W – Colin Coyle 8 pass from Cole Weidler (Ferrero kick), 4:45

P -- Dech 67 run (Moreira kick), 2:07

FOURTH QUARTER

P – Genovese 13 run (Moreira kick(, 9:55

P – Felix Matos 45 pass from Genovese (Moreira kick), 8:27

W – Blake Rudow 8 run (Ferrero kick), 4:19

Phillipsburg Statistics

Rushing (team 29-397) -- Jah’lil Dooley 8-182, Sam Dech 12-160, Jett Genovese 4-26, Shane Moore 2-14, Ziyahn McGurn 2-8, Sincere Gilmore 1-7.

Passing – Jett Genovese 6-15 for 149 yards, 1 INT.

Receiving – Matthew Scerbo Jr. 3-44, Felix Matos 2-90, Dooley 1-15.

Tackles – Jayden Lucas 7, Aedan Hywel 6, Charles Maina 6, Scerbo Jr. 5, Khalil Lewis 5, Dooley 4.

Sacks – Lewis 2.

Interception –Scerbo Jr.

Forced fumble – Mike Bracco

Recovered fumble – Scerbo Jr.

First downs – Phillipsburg 13, Westfield 13.

Penalties/yards – Phillipsburg 10-110, Westfield 2-9.

Punts/yards – Phillipsburg 2-85, Westfield 4 punts.

Unofficial Westfield Team Stats

Rushing – 29 carries for 89 yards.

Passing – 14-for-27 for 130 yards, 1 INT.

For more local news, visit TAPinto.net