Hasbrouck Heights quarterback Daniel Amendola passes to Michael Napolitano in the third quarter in their home game against Weehawken Friday night. Credits: Faith Ballantine-Armonaitis
HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ – Michael Napolitano had four touchdown runs to lead Hasbrouck Heights to a 35-20 victory over Weehawken in a NJIC crossover game on Friday night at Depken Field. Hasbrouck Heights improved to 4-2 overall. Weehawken falls to 2-4.
Napolitano scored on the opening drive, capping off a 65 yard drive with a seven-yard catch and run from quarterback Daniel Amendola to give the Aviators a 7-0 lead with 6:56 left in the first quarter. He accounted for 58 of the 65 yards on the drive.
Weehawken returned the favor, marching into Hasbrouck Heights territory before the Aviators defense stiffened, stopping the Indians on fourth and seven at the Hasbrouck Heights 32-yard line.
Weewawken scored on its next drive, going 75 yards to cut the score to 7-6. Christian Ramirez to Manny De La Hoz 8-yard pass capped off the drive. The Aviators blocked the kick to maintain the lead.
Starting at their own 28, it took two plays for Napolitano to find the end zone, going 68 yards for his second touchdown of the game, and with Brady Shine’s extra point, a 14-6 lead,
A 35-yard strike from Ramirez to De La Hoz quickly brought Weehawken right back into scoring position on Weehawken’s next possession, putting the ball at the Aviators' 10-yard line. Two plays later, he hit De La Hoz with a five-yard touchdown pass, cutting the lead to 14-12. Eneaz Wells ran the ball in for the two-point conversion, tying the score at 14-14 with 1:49 remaining in the first half.
Weehawken’s kickoff pinned the Aviators back at their 15-yard line, and it appeared that they were going to run off the first half clock as Jake Summers went up the middle for a five yard gain on first down. But on second and five, Amendola hit Shine down the middle of the Indians defense, and he went 80 yards for a momentum-changing score, giving the Aviators back the lead, 21-14 with Shine’s extra point.
“Huge touchdown there at the end of the first half,” stated Hasbrouck Heights head coach Ed Suri. “We noticed they were playing us man, and we took a shot, and we made a play there.”
Turnovers by both sides started the third quarter, as Jake Britton picked off a Ramirez pass inside the Aviators on fourth and 10 to end the Indians' opening drive.
The Aviators gave the ball right back, as Summers fumbled on second and two, giving Weehawken the ball at the Hasbrouck Heights 16-yard line. The Aviators defense came up with the stop once again, taking over at their own seven-yard line.
Backed up in their own end, the Aviators were forced to punt back to Weehawken after three plays netted only three yards. Weehawken took over following a Shine punt once again on the Hasbrouck Heights side of midfield.
Britton once again came through on defense, making a juggling interception at the Hasbrouck Heights five-yard line.
What had started out as an up-and-down the field offensive game in the first was settling into a field position battle in the third quarter, with Weehawken keeping the Aviators bottled up deep in their own territory.
But after Napolitano gained two yards on first down, he broke through the Weehawken line and went 95 yards for his third touchdown of the day with 1:13 remaining in the quarter, to extend the Aviators' lead to 28-14, following Shine’s extra point.
Weehawken once again began effectively moving the ball down the field to begin the fourth quarter. But the Indians fumbled the ball at the end of a big run, with Nico Nipitella recovering the ball to stop the Weehawken drive.
Following a false start, and a two-yard loss by Summers, Napolitano went 65 yards for his fourth touchdown of the game, pushing the lead to 35-14 with 6:23 remaining in the game.
Weehawken once again went on the offensive, with the Aviators playing a bit of prevent defense to not allow the big play to allow the Indians back into the game quickly. Weehawken capped off a 10-play drive with Ramirez rushing the ball in from the one-yard line with 1:39 remaining in the game. The conversion failed, making the score 35-20.
The Weehawken onside kick went out of bounds, and freshman running back Nick Haines ran the ball twice before the Aviators took a knee for their 35-20 victory.
1
2
3
4
Final
Weehawken
0
14
0
6
20
Hasbrouck Heights
7
14
7
7
35
First Quarter
HH - Amendolal pass to Napolitano 7 yards (Shine kick)
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