Delbarton Continues Undefeated Streak With Senior Day Blowout

NJ Football Recap & Preview

Joseph Udina
November 3, 2020

As COVID-19 wreaks havoc on high school football programs all across New Jersey, Delbarton continues its dominant season, improving to 5-0 after a game which seemed to be over before it had even started. More than anything else, this game solidified that Delbarton is a dominant team against all forms of opponents, both good and not-so-good. The Green Wave appeared highly motivated after a great week of practice and didn’t take their foot off the gas until the game was well beyond Hudson Catholic’s grasp. Hudson Catholic has talented athletes, but the Green Wave is operating like a very well-oiled machine at this point in the season. It would have taken a Herculean effort for Hudson to come out on top.

For both of our sakes, I’ll make this summary brief. Every side of the ball scored. The offense was responsible for most of the scoring, however. Over the course of several drives in the first half, Delbarton was seemingly capable of anything offensively. However, they opted for a predominantly rush-oriented approach. Quarterback Cole Freeman began the onslaught with a rushing touchdown from two yards outside the end zone to cap off a strong drive on the Green Wave’s first possession.

The following drive was one play: an eleven-yard touchdown rush courtesy of running back Gary Lewis. This would be his first of many yet to come. Drive three consisted of two plays. Lewis scored yet again, this time from twenty yards out on the same outside zone play as his previous touchdown. If ever the edge of an opposing defense was exposed, Saturday was it. Drive four lasted three plays. This time, however, Cole Freeman completed his second pass of the day to receiver David Link, who seems to be growing accustomed to the end zone. Link broke a tackle and strolled in for the TD to put the Green Wave up by a comfortable margin. Drive five concluded the first half with another Gary Lewis rushing touchdown. The Green Wave was firing on all cylinders offensively on Saturday. The scoreboard was indicative of this dominance. A 49-0 lead going into the half is nothing to complain about.

At the start of the second half, the Green Wave honored their seniors, sitting the starters and giving the second string an entire half to play. Every senior touched the field. Despite never quite reaching the end zone, it’s clear everyone was having a good time. At the end of the day, Saturday was, simply put, fun. Sometimes fun gets overlapped by competition, especially in such a competitive league. But this wasn’t the case Saturday.

Delbarton’s defense had themselves quite a day as well. Hudson Catholic was rendered practically incapable of moving the ball. Whenever it seemed as though they might be the beneficiaries of a big play, a fumble or interception would set them back to where they started. Cornerback Jack Eisenhardt began the defensive turnover compilation by forcing a fumble on what would’ve been a forty-yard completion. Safety Jake Jarmolowich was in on the recovery. On the ensuing Hudson Catholic drive, Jarmolowich recorded his second forced turnover, making a diving interception on a deep pass attempt. One drive later, outside linebacker RJ Martini created perhaps the play of the day, with a pick-six ripped out of the hands of a receiver and returned for a touchdown. Safety Azarai Lewis also got in on the turnover action. A deflected pass-turned-diving-interception put the Green Wave inside Hudson Catholic territory and led to a Green Wave touchdown. The defensive line didn’t skip a beat despite captain defensive tackle Elijah Hills’ absence. All in all, Saturday was yet another dominant performance from the Delbarton defense. They did their job and more, achieving their weekly goal of scoring. As was the case with the offense, every senior got a chance to play in the second half.

I’d be remiss if I neglected to mention Coach Gallagher’s special teams, who had their most impressive week to date. Jake Jarmolowich, who was all over the field, recorded a blocked kick which Matt Gemma jumped on in the end zone for a special teams touchdown. These were the first points and the first block of the season for the Green Wave, who pride themselves on their strong special teams effort and coordination. The Green Wave also forced a fumble on a kick return. Jack Eisenhardt and PJ Casale combined for an impressive hit, which forced the ball to pop up into the October sky. The ball floated, by pure happenstance, right into the hands of senior Jack Murphy. Ultimately, as was the case all around, Delbarton’s special teams dominated Hudson Catholic. It’s safe to say Coach Gallagher will be a happy camper come film on Monday.

There’s really no reason to beat a dead horse, especially when it’s burial occurred so quickly. Hudson Catholic was not a well-coached football team and Delbarton was. Hudson Catholic did not have the heart that Delbarton did. Hudson Catholic did not execute as well as Delbarton did. Those three factors will almost always combine for a massacre on the football field. This was, simply put, a fitting win on Senior Day and a fitting denouement to this class of seniors’ Regan Field reign. Nearly every senior got a chance to play in front of a packed crowd on a beautiful October day.

Final Score: Delbarton – 49; Hudson Catholic – 8

The best thing to do at this point is to look forward to next week, which was originally scheduled as an away game against Morristown. However, due to COVID-related circumstances, Morristown has canceled, therefore eliminating this game. Delbarton was able to find another opponent, Paramus Catholic, a historically dominant program that Delabrton has never beaten. Delbarton will look to continue their dominance into Week Six and complete the undefeated season against a worthy opponent.

Score Prediction: Delbarton – 27; Paramus Catholic – 21

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