VERONA, NJ — The Verona High School football team lost to Newark Central 26-7 on Friday, Sept. 26, at home.
It is officially the midway point of the season for those teams who had Week 0 season openers as the race for the playoffs are beginning to simmer.
In the Super Football Conference–National Red Division, there’s a two-legged horse race between perennial division champs Cedar Grove and Glen Ridge, with Verona hot on their heels. Meanwhile, Newark Central was looking for its first divisional win this season after dropping a close 20-12 divisional week 2 clash to Glen Ridge.
Newark Central opened the season to Bloomfield where they lost to the Bengals 26-20, defeated Snyder 28-8 and edged out Hudson Catholic 28-19.
Verona bookended their two victories over St. Mary’s (Rutherford) and Newark Collegiate with a combined score of 48-8, while losing back-to-back games to Kinnelon and Cedar Grove by a combined score of 63-27.
The Blue Devils and Hillbillies were heading into their clash to see who will have a lock on second place or is there going to be another two-legged horse race in the mix? Just to make things more interesting, Verona won the last four out of five meetings dating back to 2013.
To answer that question, we have to look at the pregame warm-ups when Verona fans showed their team spirit with “Beat the Blue Devils” signs, which Newark Central took notice of before the game. Using that as motivation from the opening kickoff, Newark Central sophomore QB Zahyir Taylor came out firing from the opening snap at their 18-yard line. He fed his fellow sophomore RB Ryan Desauguste, who promptly powered his way to a speedy 12-yard gain and a first down. Taylor quickly followed that up with a 36-yard aerial strike to junior WR Tyshawn Bailey Jr. Taylor’s quick march was just getting started, once again feeding Desauguste for another 5-yard gain before finding junior WR Dishon Jerman on a deep 32-yard connection, setting up Des Auguste’s direct snap and subsequent 1-yard scoring plunge cap the nearly three-and a-half minute 82-yard march in five plays and the early 6-0. “I knew we had to show our best effort at the start of the game. They gave us a look and I trusted my receivers to go get the ball,” said Taylor after the game.
Verona countered with junior QB John Mc Enerney and senior RB/LB Bodie Maisano who seemed to have a small answer to Newark Central’s challenge. But Newark Central’s defense, led by their spirited senior DL Andrew Wheeler, kept meeting the Hillbillies at their front door, preventing them from breaking past the defensive first level. In fact, there was a constant meeting in the backfield where the pressure was heavy and QB John Mc Enerney was sacked, forced to run or turnover the ball.
The score remained 6-0 through the second quarter and much of the third quarter when Newark Central’s QB Zahyir Taylor felt it was time to switch gears.
Taylor and his squad were on their own 42-yard line with 3:35 left in the third quarter. He gave the ball to his classmate, Des Auguste, three consecutive times for gains of 7, 5, and 5 yards, but the Blue Devils were hit with a 15-yard personal foul penalty, spurring Taylor to find his third junior WR Jahir Grandberry with a 60-yard bomb and a successful two-point conversion to take 14-0 lead with just over a minute left in the third quarter.
Newark Central wasn’t done as they got a stripped fumble by sophomore special teams player Yasin Diggs, creating a scramble for the ball when teammate and fellow classmate Symeir Sorrey scooped the ball for a 7-yard score for the quick 20-0 lead with 1:11 remaining in the third quarter.
Newark Central would force Verona to turn the ball over on downs for the second time of the game, creating yet another opportunity to score again. This time, with 11:46 remaining in the final quarter, Des Auguste, after being dropped for a 6-yard loss by an angry Hillbillies defense ripped off an 18-yard rumbling gain. Taylor followed that up with a 30-yard strike to Jerman, who fought off Verona junior DB Drew Krusznis making it look like a WWE Battle Royale while dragging Krusznis with him for the 27-0 lead with 9:56 remaining in the game.
Verona was able to score late in the game and avoid the shutout after some costly penalties by Newark Central’s defense. They marched 70 yards in 10 plays with Logan Lipinski doing the honors of diving into paydirt from a yard out to get on the board with clock reading 0:00 after the successful point-after kick.
“There were many mistakes made by us and they were able to capitalize on them,” said Verona head coach Manj Singh, who stated that Newark Central was well-coached and he wished them well during the season.
“I told my defense to give us one series and to be patient,” explained Newark Central’s head coach Mark Ingram, “I knew we had to score one more time and they wouldn’t be able to hang with us.” He stated that there were a couple of plays they were working on in practice that helped break the game open.
Verona has an undefeated Hoboken Red Wings coming on Friday, Oct. 3, for a Super Football Conference–National Red Divisional tilt that may decide the divisional race early. Hoboken edged out Glen Ridge 21-14 this past weekend. Verona also owns the last four of five victories over Hoboken dating back to 2017. Newark Central will remain on the road this coming week as they will be playing Orange at Bell Stadium during their homecoming. “We haven’t played in anyone’s homecoming game in two years,” said Ingram,. citing the game was scheduled with Orange’s former Head Coach Khalfani Alleyne, who is now an assistant coach at West Orange. “This will be an interesting game.” The game will also be on Friday Oct. 3, and both games will kick off at 7 p.m.
Photos Courtesy of Kerry E. Porter
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