Spotswood wins rare lightning-shortened football game, as Chargers drop Brearley 31-14

Spotswood had some chances to put the game out of reach for Brearley. Ultimately, Mother Nature did it for them.

The Chargers are now 3-0 after beating the Bears (0-2) Saturday afternoon in a 41 minute, 51 second game. With 6:09 remaining – right after a one-yard touchdown run by Mike Kollarik, and as Brearley was setting up to kick off – Spotswood Athletic Director Mike DelAversano walked out onto the field to talk to the officials.

Lightning had been seen in the area, so the teams left the field, the stands were emptied, and everyone went into a holding pattern.

It hadn’t started raining yet, but once the skies opened – and a monsoon complete with huge lightning bolts and hail got underway – it was a foregone conclusion the game would be cancelled.

About a half-hour later, at 3:15, DelAversano called and spoke to Brearley AD and Big Central Conference President Scott Miller, and the two mutually agreed to end the game, with Spotswood the winner.

NJSIAA rules state a suspended game must be completed no later than Monday, but with Spotswood playing on Thursday next week due to Rosh Hoshanah, that was an impossibility.

Spotswood did all its scoring in the first half, with Stephen Henits and Colin Pfeiffer nabbing a touchdown catch apiece. Quin Esser and Trey Lazar each ran one in, and Noah Rodriguez kicked a 24-yard field goal to make it 31-0 at the break.

A touchdown late in the first half would have instituted a running clock in the second, and maybe ended the game before the weather did.

Instead, Brearley got a touchdown catch by Paul Santoro, and the TD run by Kollarik with 6:09 left to make it 31-14, and that was as far as they would get.

Click below to hear postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen, as Mike Pavlichko talked to Spotswood head coach Chris Meagher after the game: