North Hunterdon head coach Kevin Kley after his team won the North 2, Group 4 championship on November 12, 2022 in Annandale. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
It’s a group that has played together for years, in many cases going back to youth football.
And whatever obstacle comes their way, whether for one, or the collective, they seem to be able to handle it.
There weren’t too many in the opening round of the playoffs, a 34-7 win over Middletown North.
But the second round was a different story. In the semifinals, the Lions fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter to Morris Knolls. But after a key timeout by head coach Kevin Kley, it was all North Hunterdon the rest of the way against the Golden Eagles, resulting in a 25-14 win.
This Saturday, after a tight game for three quarters, with the Lions holding a 21-14 lead, it was a fourth quarter that spiraled into a good old-fashioned donnybrook. North and Randolph combined for 49 points in the final 12 minutes, which never saw the Lions lose the lead, but in which every time the Rams closed it from two scores to one, North Hunterdon had an answer.
Danny DeLusant, Kente Edwards, Alex Uryniak. They all scored “breathing room” touchdowns in the fourth quarter, which in the end, turned out to be very necessary.
And following the game, head coach Kevin Kley praised theirs – and everyone’s – resiliency, toughness, and grit through it all.
Click below to for postgame reaction with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, talking to head coach Kevin Kley: