NUTLEY, NJ –The Nutley High School varsity football team showed its determination to turn around its season.
Junior slotback Nick Mainiero rushed for a whopping 260 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries to power the Raiders to a 17-14 win over Chatham on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Tangorra Field/Park Oval in a North Jersey Super Football Conference-Patriot White Division game.
Sophomore quarterback Josh O’Neill completed seven of 14 passes for 113 yards and senior receiver R.J. Ferrarelli had 31 rushing yards on four carries and two catches for 57 yards for the Raiders, who snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to a 2-5 record.
Junior receiver Frank DeMaio caught four passes for 52 yards for NHS.
Mainiero scored on a one-yard run and senior Hunter Lechthaler kicked the extra point to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead. Chatham answered on a 15-yard touchdown pass later in the quarter to tie it 7-8.
After a scoreless third quarter, Mainiero ran for an 88-yard touchdown and Lechthaler added the extra point as the Raiders took a 14-7 lead.
Lechthaler booted a 34-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-7 in the fourth quarter. Chatham cut it to three, 17-14, on a 20-yard touchdown pass, but the Raiders shut down Chatham the rest of the way for the victory.
Defensively for the Raiders, senior linebacker Sabino Coppola had 14 tackles; senior linebacker Justin Bivona had nine tackles and a sack; sophomore linebacker Jon Luberto and sophomore Vincent Russo each had eight tackles; junior linebacker Sam Abreu and junior end Ryan O’Mara each had seven tackles; junior linebacker Wayne Whittman had five tackles.
Chatham fell to 2-5.
The Raiders will host Parsippany Hills (3-4) on Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. in a divisional game.
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