Even With Things To Clean Up
Hillside Off To A Solid 3-0 Start

HILLSIDE - There were plenty of reasons for host Hillside to celebrate getting out to a 3-0 start and doing so against a team that was seeking the same result.

However, there were enough moments of mistake-filled football that tempered the Comets being undefeated three games into the season for the first time since 2022.

Yes, being 3-0 is where you want to be after playing your first three games. However, Hillside's coaching staff made it a point to explain that there is so much to clean up.

Leading from start to finish after scoring on its fourth play from scrimmage, Hillside went on to produce a convincing 20-3 win over Delaware Valley in the first Big Central Conference-Patriot Gold Division game for both played Saturday, Sept. 12 at Hillside's Woodfield Stadium.

"We gave a decent effort, but there were too many penalties and turnovers that in other situations could have prevented us from winning," second-year Hillside head coach Isa Abdul-Quddus said. "There's still a lot of work to do."

Hillside and Delaware Valley entered with overall records of 2-0. The Patriot Gold Division consists of Delaware Valley, Hillside, New Brunswick, North Plainfield and Voorhees. The division expanded to five teams with the addition of Hillside, North Plainfield and New Brunswick.

Hillside is now preparing for its Friday, Sept. 18 game at Voorhees in Glen Gardner out in Hunterdon County. The Vikings are 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the division after beating visiting North Plainfield 14-7 on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Delaware Valley next hosts out-of-division foe Warren Hills (1-2) also on Friday, the 18th.

Some of the 'unclean' plays Abdul-Quddus was referring to included Delaware Valley executing an onsides kick and then taking the ball away from a Hillside receiver after he caught it in the first half and then in the second half Hillside gaining a first down only to lose the ball on a fumble on the same play and then on a long drive that ultimately concluded with a touchdown Hillside had a touchdown pass of 90 yards to senior receiver Travis Miles called back on a holding penalty.

"I was also upset with our tackling," Abdul-Quddus said.

"We wanted to attack their quarterback by putting as much pressure on him as we could, but we could have done a better job," said Hillside senior lineman Kamsi Igboanugo, one of Hillside's leaders on defense.

Hillside has outscored the opposition 96-10 so far, yielding only one touchdown and a field goal.

"We should have also had a doughnut last week," Igboanugo said, referring to Hillside's home-opening 35-7 triumph over Roselle.

"There's a lot for us to clean up," said Hillside junior quarterback Muwahid Williams, who scored Hillside's first touchdown on a 19-yard run in the first quarter and then threw a touchdown pass of 29 yards to senior receiver Jabir Parker in the second.

After holding Delaware Valley to just one first down on its initial drive, Hillside was ready to go offensively, especially confident from what it saw on film.

On first-and-10 from its own 35 on its first play from scrimmage, Hillside immediately went to the air. Williams threw a deep ball on the right side that senior receiver Zahir Granberry came down with, making a fine, two-handed catch against single coverage.

The play covered 39 yards and gave Hillside a first down on the DV 26. Three plays later Williams ran left and dove into the end zone for the game's first points.

"From what we saw on film we thought we could attack right away and put that pass play in," Abdul-Quddus said.

"We thought we had a mismatch there and executed it," Williams said.
For what would be the only points it would score on the day, Delaware Valley answered with a drive that began on its own 20. The big play was a 56-yard run to the Hillside two produced down the left sideline by senior Brayden Picardo-Leask.

However, Hillside did well to keep the visiting Terriers out of the end zone. On first down Hillside senior linebacker Chacce Richardson had a solo tackle of running back Brooks Brunner for a three-yard loss. Then on second down Igboanugo tackled junior quarterback Chase Kraucheunas for a five-yard loss.

Following an incomplete pass over the middle on third down, Delaware Valley had to settle for a 27-yard field goal kicked by Brayden Costello that pulled the undefeated Terriers to within 7-3.

Hillside extended its lead midway through the second quarter after an interception by junior Malensdjy Garcon gave the Comets the ball on the DV 35. Three plays later, after recovering its own fumble on first down, Hillside struck through the air with Williams getting the ball to Parker, who then raced down the left sideline for six. Xavier Da Silva's extra point attempt failed as it hit off the left upright, but did not go through as Hillside remained ahead 13-3.

Da Silva did a good job of making his other two extra-point kicks.

The only points of the second half were produced on a drive by Hillside that went 11 plays, covered 95 yards and took just over seven minutes off the clock. After the 90-yard touchdown pass to Miles was called back on the very first play of the drive, Hillside went down the field using a mix of run and pass to move the chains.

On fourth-and-five from its own 40, a pass interference call against the Terriers gave Hillside a first down at the DV 30. Six plays later senior running back Josiah Hicks scored up the middle from the seven-yard line to make the score 19-3. Hicks carried five times for 22 yards on the touchdown drive.

Hillside had two fumble recoveries in the first half, the first by Parker and the second by senior Kaylen Mauril, and a sack for an eight-yard loss in the second by senior Yandel Maria.

NOTES: The last three times Hillside started 3-0 - 2022, 2019 and 2018 - the Comets reached a sectional final, winning in 2018 and 2019…Abdul-Quddus gave the game ball to assistant coach Kendall Ashford, who coaches the offensive and defensive linemen.

BIG CENTRAL CONFERENCE-PATRIOT GOLD DIVISION CONTEST
Delaware Valley (2-1, 0-1)                 03          00          00          00 - 03
Hillside (3-0, 1-0)                                 07          06          07          00 - 20

FIRST QUARTER:
Hillside - Muwahid Williams 19 run, Xavier Da Silva kick (H 7-0)
4 plays, 65 yards, 1:59 used
Delaware Valley - FG Brayden Costello 27 (H 7-3)
9 plays, from own 20 to Hillside 10, 3:55 used

SECOND QUARTER:
Hillside - Jabir Parker 29 pass from Muwahid Williams, kick failed (H 13-3)
3 plays, 35 yards, :56 used
Hillside capitalized on a turnover - an interception by Malensdjy Garcon.

THIRD QUARTER:
Hillside - Josiah Hicks 7 run, Xavier Da Silva kick (H 20-3)
11 plays, 95 yards, 7:06 used

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