WEST CALDWELL- Over the last month, the Caldwell Chiefs have become well acquainted with dramatic finishes, rallying from 22 down to defeat West Essex, and losing to Cedar Grove a week ago on a last-minute touchdown.
So, when the Chiefs fell behind to seventh-seeded High Point, there was no panic in the locker room at halftime. They regrouped and reeled off 28 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 35-28 win in the first round of the North 1, Group 2 playoffs on a cool Friday evening at Bonnel Field.
The win gives the Chiefs a date next weekend with third-seeded Rutherford, a 22-21 winner over #6 seed Hillside.
Junior quarterback Adam Sepe led the Caldwell comeback, throwing for two second-half touchdowns and running for another.
Trailing 21-7 at the half, the second-seeded Chiefs (8-1) needed only two plays to make it a one-score game. Starting at their 45, Sepe (6-11, 147 yards, 3 TDs) scrambled for 12 yards and then found junior wide receiver Dante Placenti for a 43-yard score and it was 21-14 just 30 seconds into the third quarter.
The defense then did its part, holding the Wildcats (7-3) to a three-and-out, giving the offense the ball at the Caldwell 5. A 38-yard scamper by Sepe (16 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD) set up the Chiefs at the High Point 21. Facing a 3rd-and-14 from the 25, Sepe found Nico Sozio open on a slant pattern and the senior WR found the endzone to tie the score at 21 with 5:32 left in the third.
After the defense forced a punt, the Chiefs took over at their 22. This time the big play came from senior running back Nicco Capaldo (9 rushes, 121 yards, 1 TD) with a 49-yard burst to the Wildcat 9. Sepe then barreled in from the 1 to give Caldwell its first lead of the night at 28-21 with 10:53 remaining.
After holding High Point on downs at the Chiefs 46, Caldwell needed just four plays to extend the lead. After a 6-yard gain by Capaldo to the High Point 40, the senior then found a hole up the middle and outran the Wildcat defense for a 40-yard TD to make it 35-21 with 4:36 remaining.
High Point would answer with a 1-yard sneak by junior QB Joey Elko (17 carries, 74 yards, 2 TD) to pull with a touchdown, but the Chiefs would run out the final 3:15 to punch their ticket to the sectional semifinal.
Sepe admitted it took the Chiefs a half to find their game.
“The first half we came out a little slow, sloppy, we looked asleep and then second half, we came out and everyone did their job,” said the veteran Caldwell signal caller. “We came out, scored right away, set the tone for the second half and the defense held it down for the whole time.”
Placenti had 3 catches for 84 yards and 2 TDs, and his QB noted the chemistry between quarterback and receiver.
“Me and Dante have been playing football together since we were five years old,” continued Sepe. “We’ve always had that connection and I mean it’s great that we’ve extended it this long and I hope it can just keep getting better from there.”
The night started out well for the visitors from Sussex County with the Wildcats needing only four plays to go 82 yards and open the scoring. Senior RB AJ Sampson burst up the middle for a 60-yard TD scamper and High Point led 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
The Wildcats would double the lead, embarking on 20-play, 96-yard drive that took over 13 minutes.
Starting at its own 4, High Point methodically moved the ball down the field. Elko (8-13, 90 yards, 1 INT) only completed two passes, a 32-yarder to Tyler Brarman and a 14 yarder to Domenic Parise. The drive came to a close on a 1-yard sneak by Elko and it was 14-0 with three minutes left in the half.
