North Hunterdon senior QB Luke Martini warms up at practice on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
For those who think North Hunterdon is going to pound the ball on the ground, and rely solely on runningbacks Kente Edwards and Alex Uryniak, think again.
When senior qaurterback Luke Martini saw the ground game wasn’t getting what he wanted from the Randolph defense in the North 2, Group 4 title game Saturday afternoon at Singley Field, he knew what he had to do.
Throw the ball.
And throw it he did. A lot.
And when the game ended up becoming a shootout in the fourth quarter – with 49 points scored between the two teams – guess how North Hunterdon scored their last two touchdowns? On the ground.
Of course, that was after Martini had thrown five touchdown passes – not counting two that had been called back on penalties before they eventually scored on the same drive with a passing TD anyway – and after he had thrown for the vast majority of his career-high 411 yards in the game.
Those who don’t watch North Hunterdon football all year long had been asking, “Yeah, but can Martini throw.”
Well, even those who didn’t watch them Saturday have their answer.
The offensive versatility will come in handy on Saturday, when North Hunterdon (11-1) takes on Northern Highlands (8-3) in the Group 4 semifinals at Franklin High School in Somerset. Kickoff is at 5:30 pm, with pregame starting at 5:00 on Central Jersey Sports Radio, as Mike Pavlichko calls all the action. Click here to listen.
The winner moves on to New Jersey’s first ever public state finals at Rutgers University on the weekend of December 3-4.
Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Lions’ quarterback Luke Martini about the season, the championship, and Saturday’s semifinal against Northern Highlands: