Football: West Essex Rallies to Hand Hanover Park its First Loss, 22-21

EAST HANOVER, NJ -- After falling behind by 14 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, West Essex stormed back for a 22-21 football victory over previously undefeated Hanover Park on the road Friday night.

The victory was the 114th in the career of head coach Chris Benacquista, making him the winningest football coach in West Essex High School history.

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Fullback Brady Phillips' 4-yard touchdown run with 6:43 left in the third quarter followed by Robert Warmington's extra point gave West Essex (6-1) a 22-21 lead, and the Knights' defense shut Hanover Park (6-1) down the rest of the way.

The Hornets looked like they had an excellent chance to go ahead after a long drive that saw them move from their own 20-yard line to the West Essex 3 in 10 plays. But, on fourth down, Hanover Park elected to attempted a go-ahead field goal rather than going for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 3, and the kick was wide left. After that, West Essex was able to run out the clock.

Hanover Park stunned West Essex on its first play from scrimmage, as wideout Jack Kovacs took a handoff on a jet sweep, pulled up and completed an option pass to a wide open Darien Iannacone for a 69-yard touchdown. The Hornets also scored on their second possession when Joey Borrello found Iannacone on a slant pattern over the middle for a 46-yard TD pass with 2:22 left in the first quarter.

West Essex found itself down, 14-0, before its second possession of the contest. But that's not an unfamiliar challenge for this program. The Knights came from behind in three post-season victories in a row in 2023 en route to the North Jersey, Group 3 championship.

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Phillips scored on a 1-yard run on the second play of the second quarter and Warmington kicked the extra point to cut Hanover Park's lead to 14-7. The touchdown capped a 55-yard, seven-play drive highlighted by Jake Long's 37-yard completion to Anthony Drago to the Hanover Park 13-yard line.

Hanover Park's next possession was snuffed out by an interception by Vince Giaquinto that gave the Knights the ball on the Hornets' 38-yard line. Eight plays later, Nick Sangillo scored on a tough 13-yard run around left end in which he broke several tackles and maintained his balance en route to the end zone with 4:03 to go in the half. After Hanover Park committed a penalty on the extra-point attempt, West Essex got the ball at the 1, close enough to attempt, and make, a two-point conversion on Long's run to give the Knights a 15-14 lead.

But Hanover Park came back to take a 21-15 halftime lead on Borrello's 16-yard TD pass to Kovacs and Ryan Galioto's PAT with under two minutes left in the half.

West Essex took the opening kickoff of the second half and controlled the ball for more than five minutes, marching 65 yards in 10 plays capped by Phillips' second touchdown. Long was 3-for-3 for 26 yards passing on the drive, which was also aided by a 15-yard penalty on Hanover Park.

West Essex finished with 272 yards from scrimmage. Drago caught five passes for 100 yards, Long completed 9 of 16 for 120 yards and Sangillo led the Knights on the ground with 53 yards on nine carries. West Essex' defense held Hanover Park to 40 rushing yards on 16 carries.

West Essex has another showdown with an undefeated opponent next week, only this one will be at home when the Knights host Morris Knolls next Friday night.

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