Madison Overwhelms Summit For Title, 47-7
UNION, NJ–Championship Football is usually defined by three things: Â Cold wintry weather, a strong running game, and solid defense. Â Summit had to deal with all three on Friday night in the North Jersey Section 2 Group II Championship Game at Alumni Stadium on the main campus of Kean University. Â The Dodgers of Madison scored 33 points in the first half and never looked back.
Coming into this game, Summit had been known as the more high octane offensive team totaling just under 4,400 yards of total offense while averaging 43.5 points per game. Â However, it was Madison, a team that entered the contest as the defending sectional champion, and winners of 24 straight that showed it can move the ball and score points as well. Â Not even midway through the first period, the Dodgers took charge.
First, the Morris County school made the first of many plays on defense by picking off a wobbly pass and returning it 32 yards to about the Summit 30 yard line. Â On the very next play, the Dodgers, which came into this title game having only thrown the ball 44 times all season, went right to the end zone with a touchdown strike down the middle from Justin Goodwin to Joe Penney-Hadewycz. Â After missing the extra point, Madison led 6-0. Â The score remained that way until the second period.
After the Dodgers recorded some tackles for losses including a couple sacks on defense, they took over with great field position, and marched down the field for another score thanks to a 20 yard touchdown run by Goodwin. Â Madison couldn’t score on the two point conversion play, and with 8:22 remaining in the first half, it led 12-0. Â On Summit’s next possession, the Hilltoppers continued to struggle on offense, and gave Madison good field position thanks to a shanked punt. Â The Dodgers would score a short time later on a one yard run by Shone Register, and make the extra point for a 19-0 lead midway through the second.
On the ensuing kickoff, Madison tried to keep the ball away from Summit’s talented Kyr’e Negron with a squib kick, but it gave the Hilltoppers decent field position at the 35 yard line. Â The Union County school then showed its true firepower on offense with a quick 65 yard drive consisting of two pass completions and then a short four yard run by Negron for a touchdown. Â The key play in the drive was a 45 yard pass play from quarterback Ryan Bringewatt to Negron to set up the eventual touchdown run.
Trying to get back into the game, Summit tried to kick an onside kick on the subsequent kickoff, but it backfired. Â The Dodgers took the kick, and returned it 34 yards to about the 25 yard line of Summit. Â On the first play of the drive, Madison returned got a first down run, and several plays later, the Dodgers wound up scoring for a 26-7 lead. Â While Summit continued to flounder on offense, Madison punched another score in on a quarterback sneak by Carson Lassiter with 25 seconds to go in the first half to take a 33-7 lead. Â
The Dodgers almost had another chance to score before the intermission. Â Thanks to a Summit penalty on the previous touchdown, Madison was able to kickoff from midfield. Â After taking an offsides penalty, the Dodgers tried to pooch kick the ball, and the Hilltoppers had difficulty, but were able to hang on to the ball, and take a knee to end the first half trailing by nearly four scores. Â The second half started out with some promise for Summit. Â The Hilltoppers defense forced Madison to go a rare three and out on the opening drive of the third period. Â Then, Summit took the ball, and drove to the Madison 12 yard line, but was stopped on downs.
Neither team scored in the third period, but Madison had the ball to open the fourth, and put the icing on the cake with an 81 yard drive that was highlighted by a 74 yard pass play by Lassiter to down the middle of the field to Ben Anderson for a 40-7 lead with less than ten minutes to go. Â The Dodgers would get a short field again after forcing Summit to turn the ball over on downs. Â Madison then ran the clock down by running the football, and it eventually resulted in a four yard touchdown run by Register to wrap up the 47-7 victory.
With the win, Madison earns its second straight North Jersey Section 2 Group II title. Â The Dodgers have now won 25 in a row, and finish the season at 12-0. Â Meanwhile, Summit falls to 11-1, and lost for only the second time in 34 games.