Spotswood kneels down to end the first half of their home game against JP Stevens on October 21, 2023. (Photo: Marcus Borden)
It was a close one, yet again, but the one thing the NJSIAA playoff formula doesn’t factor in are style points.
If that were the case, it could be a different story in Spotswood Saturday afternoon. Then again, the Chargers have never been about style, and more about toughness, grit and embracing an underdog mentality.
They may not have been the underdogs either in their game against JP Stevens, even though the Hawks are a Group 5 school; after all, they had lost 38 straight games coming into Chargers Stadium.
But the two played each other tight last year – Spotswood won 18-7 a year ago – and this Saturday was no different, a 22-18 win, but with one major difference: this one got them in the playoffs.
The Chargers had six wins at last year’s cutoff, but a weak schedule kept them out. It almost did this year, but they made it – at 8-1, and needing a win on the final weekend – but they made it, and entirely on merit.
Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: