NORTH CALDWELL- Before even responding to a question about his team’s pulsating overtime win West Essex coach Chris Benacquista was quick to point to the visitor’s sideline as he praised a neighborhood rival for a superlative effort in defeat.
“This game said a lot about that coaching staff over there, how great those guys are and the way their kids play,” said the veteran Knights head mentor. “They were not Caldwell last week (season-opening 34-7 loss to Passaic Valley) and I told our guys that they would be a much-improved team.”
West Essex (2-1) locked down its defense as it staged a second half comeback and then earned a 20-14 victory over the persistent Chiefs (0-2) at Travis Field on Jake Long’s 1-yard quarterback sneak in the first overtime.
But, it was never an easy chore.
Caldwell’s defense registered three second quarter sacks of Long while taking a 14-7 halftime lead while sparked by speedy Nick Moyano’s 60-yard burst forward on a well-conceived shovel pass from QB Jake Matanin on the first play of the second quarter.
The Chiefs’ workhorse running back Nick Mignone (27 carries for 147 yards and a TD) was repeatedly picking up significant gains against the usually stingy Knights defense.
However, the West Essex coaching staff, with veteran defensive coordinator Tim Glenn and company altering strategy just a bit, limited the Chiefs’ offense for the most part the rest of the way.
“They ran the ball down our throats in the first half and we made adjustments, including bringing (DB) Anthony Drago down to linebacker, and I think that made a difference,” said Benacquista. “We had to really earn this win and we have a lot to clean up, but I’m proud of our kids’ effort tonight.”
While West Essex had won seven of eight meetings between the two local rivals between 2010-2019 in the on-again, off-again series, the past three clashes have been closely contested with Caldwell winning 16-13 in North Caldwell in 2022 and 21-14 at Bonnel Field last fall while in the midst of its 37-game winning streak.
In the latest meeting Caldwell’s defense limited the usually efficient West Essex ground game, holding the Knights to just 68 rushing yards, but Long, the first-year starting junior signal caller (5-of-12 for 163 yards and a TD), came up with big passes, including completions of 31, 31, 32 and 58 yards to highlight the attack.
His TD strike over the middle to Max Garcia, who split the defenders and raced to the end zone to complete a 58-yard aerial score, helped tie the contest, 14-14, with 4:16 remaining in the third quarter.
“Jake made big passes while our offense struggled a bit against their line’s push up front, and we weren’t able to run the ball as well as we usually do,” said Drago, the talented wide receiver and DB headed to Duke to play lacrosse. “But, we continued to fight and find a way. |
