NUTLEY, NJ (updated Monday Nov. 6, 1:32 p.m.) – After turning around its season, the Nutley High School varsity football team is now looking to make a strong run in the state playoffs.
The Raiders, who recovered from an 0-3 start, will visit Voorhees in the quarterfinal round of the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 state playoffs on Friday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.
Nutley, with a 5-4 record, is the No. 6 seed. Voorhees is seeded No. 3. The winner will face the winner between Cranford and Parsippany Hills.
The Raiders, who had their four-game winning streak snapped with a loss at Parsippany Hills the previous week, rallied in the second half to beat Barringer, 29-20, at the Park Oval on Saturday, Nov. 3. The win denied Barringer a playoff berth in North Jersey Section 2, Group 4.
Nutley trailed 20-8 at the half before storming back. Junior defensive back Vince Russo intercepted a Barringer pass. Russo then caught a 29-yard TD pass from junior quarterback Josh O’Neill to cut it to 20-15 with 1:15 left in the third quarter.
Senior running back Nick Mainiero scored on a 19-yard TD run, followed by the extra point kick, to put Nutley up 22-20 with 11:09 remaining in the game.
The Raiders sealed it when O’Neill hit senior Wayne Wittmann on a 55-yard TD pass with 3:09 remaining.
O’Neill hit Russo on an 8-yard TD pass in the second quarter to cut Barringer’s lead to 14-8.
The Raiders are led by head coach Steve DiGregorio, who returned at the helm this season. DiGregorio, a 1979 NHS alumnus, was the head coach of the Raiders for eight seasons from 2004-2011, leading Nutley to the North Section 2, Group 3 title game at the Meadowlands in 2010 where it lost to Morristown.
The top seed is West Essex, which beat Nutley at the Park Oval in the season opener on a game-winning kickoff return for a touchdown as time expired.
NORTH JERSEY SECTION 2, GROUP 3
8-Ridgefield Park (4-5) at 1-West Essex (8-1)
5-Rahway (5-3) at 4-Summit (6-3)
6-Nutley (5-4) at 3-Voorhees (7-2)
7-Cranford (6-3) at 2-Parsippany Hills (8-1)
Nutley (5-4)
Sept. 9, Loss, West Essex, 27-22
Sept. 15, Loss, Bloomfield, 49-21
Sept. 23, Loss, at Pascack Valley, 35-31
Sept. 30, Won, Irvington, 34-12
Oct. 6, Won, at Paramus, 27-22
Oct. 14, Won, Orange, 21-14 (OT)
Oct. 21, Won, at Chatham, 49-7
Oct. 28, Loss, at Parsippany Hills, 42-14
Nov. 4, Won, Barringer, 29-20
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