Coach Borden’s GMC and Big Central Conference Week 9 Top Ten

This will be my last Weekly Top 10 as we enter the post season with playoffs and consolation games. As I stated earlier this year, “It is not where you start, it is where you finish.”

I had the pleasure to cover Delaware Valley at New Providence on Friday night and it certainly had the feeling a first round playoff game.

Both teams were feeling each other out in the first quarter as the defenses rose to the occasion. New Providence would end up punting at the 11:50 mark of the second quarter.

Delaware Valley would begin their drive around their 30 yard line and after a few runs quarterback Kelton Ibach would hit a few passes moving the ball to the Pioneers’ 25 yard line. On a 4th down play the defense was called for pass interference.

The Terriers would get to the New Providence 7 after an Ibach run making it 3rd and goal. New Providence would call a timeout. On the next play Ibach would toss a fade to Ben Cobb in the corner of the end zone at 6:50 before halftime putting Delaware Valley up 7-0.

After a pooch kick by the Terriers, there was a horse collar penalty on the tackle. On the very next play quarterback TJ Munn would hit Mike Petses on a quick seam route taking the ball to the Delaware Valley 3 yard line. AJ Whitehead would find the ends zone on a 3-yard run with only 21 seconds off the clock with 6:29 remaining in the 2nd quarter.

Delaware Valley would be forced to punt at 5:16 in the 2nd quarter tied at 7-7.

It didn’t take long for New Providence to take the lead as Whitehead would show his speed as he took the counter 51-yards at 4:24 making the score 14-7.

Not to be outdone, Ibach would hit a deep ball followed by two runs by Christian Jensen to the Pioneer 27 yard line. He would then thread the needle on a 27-yard toss down the middle of the field to Will Weckesser knotting the score at 14-14 with 2:04 remaining before halftime.

Once again the Pioneers recovered a squib kick near midfield. Whitehead would move the ball on 3 runs taking time off the clock. With 21 seconds remaining Munn would connect on a 40-yard post pattern to Jack Fitzgerald making the score 21-14.

Delaware Valley would fumble the ball with six seconds at their 27 but escaped further damage by batting down the pass in the endzone.

New Providence would begin the second half having to punt after reaching the 45 yard line of Terriers at 8:28 which was downed on the Delaware Valley 1-yard line.

The Terriers move the ball to about the 25 yard line but threw and interception around midfield.

Munn would start to take over the game with his legs as he kept the ball on three consecutive runs while being hit out of bounds on the third run moving the ball to the 7 of Delaware Valley. He would carry three three more times and barrel in from the 1 yard line at 2:02 remaining in the 3rd quarter for a 28-14 Pioneers lead.

Delaware Valley would get the ball back but would be forced to punt at 11:48 in the 4th quarter.

New Providence would then move the ball with Whitehead getting it twice and Munn getting he ball to their 40 yard line with 4th and inches. It appeared that the Pioneers would punt as they aligned and motioned for the rugby kick. However motion back Mike Petses took the snap and came up short on the punt fake at 10:17 in the fourth quarter.

Ibach wasted little time finding Eric Klemmer in the left corner of he end zone for a leaping 23-yard touchdown pass closing the gap to 28-21 with 8:00 remaining in the game.

The ensuing kickoff saw the Pioneer returner slip and fall as the ball was kicked toward the sideline pylon. He was able to recover the ball getting to the eleven yard line.

Whitehead would carry the ball two times but a holding call would move the ball back. Munn would try a deep throw in front of the home bench but the defender was called for pass interference.

Munn would take two consecutive counter runs moving the chains and milking the clock. Delaware Valley would start calling timeouts at the 2:54 as New Providence was at the Terriers 31.

It was Whitehead’s turn to advance the ball on back to back runs as Delaware Valley used their final timeout at 2:36 remaining. Munn would get the 3rd and 1 call and seal the hard-fought win over rival Delaware Valley 28-21 by running out the clock in victory formation..

My Saturday journey took me to Belvidere for a 1:30 matinee match-up of Freedom Silver foes the Middlesex Bluejays and the hometown Seaters.

Middlesex would be forced to punt on their first series with Belvidere’s Elijah White taking the punt 50 yards down the Seaters sideline to the 20 of Middlesex.

After a short run for no gain and an incomplete pass on second down, quarterback Kyle Blew finds Mason Chamberlain in motion to his right hits him with the pass and as he is being tackled around the 7 the ball flips up in the air to Scott who was in the end zone giving Belvedere a 6-0 lead after the PAT fails.

Belvidere then attempts and recovers an onside kick. After a big Brayden Stefan run to the Middlesex 8, Blew’s pass is batted down at the line of scrimmage. On 3rd and goal he finds Scott in the corner of the end zone for and 8 yard touchdown at 8:35 in the 1st quarter. The two point conversion fails making the score 12-0.

Middlesex would get some rhythm with their offense as quarterback Dom Parenti would mix the run and pass and convert on a 4th down around midfield. They would march to the Belvidere 20 and face a fourth and seven. Parenti would roll right and stop and plant to throw the ball to the middle of the field where it was tipped into the hands of Mason Chamberlain ending the Bluejays threat.

Belvidere would get the ball and mix the run with Scott, Stefan and the physical Blew calling his own number. The Seaters grind it out with Stefan on powers and Blew on the counters.

Blew would then find Luke Tipton for a 7 yard touchdown pass at 4:25 in the 2nd quarter followed by a two- point conversion to from Stefan to Chamberlain making it 20-0 Seaters over the Bluejays.

Parenti and Jax Jarvis would would put Middlesex in position to score on 4th down as Parenti made some nifty moves as he hightailed it down the Middlesex sideline for a 27 yard touchdown closing the gap to 20-7 with 2:09 remaining before halftime.

Blew and company would grind it out going into the locker room with the 20-7 lead knowing they get the second half kickoff.

Stefan and Blew would continue the ground assault to start the 2nd half with an occasional pass to Chamberlain. After an incomplete home run toss to Chamberlain, the Seaters fumbled the ball and it was picked up and returned by Sean Downes for a touchdown making the score 20-14 at 8:20 in the 3rd quarter.

Belvidere would punt at 7:23 as Middlesex’s defense was playing inspired after the turnover for a score.

Parenti wasted little time finding Ricky Fitting on a 47-yard out route down the visitors sideline at 5:39 in the 3rd quarter tying the game at 20-20 as the PAT failed.

Delaware Valley is then stopped on 4th down in their own territory as Blew tries to go up the middle.

Middlesex then finds themselves with a 4th down and 4 on the Seaters 34 yard line. Parenti finds Fittin for his second touchdown down the middle for 34 yards and the touchdown.

The Bluejays lined up to kick the PAT but shoveled the ball forward to the wingback who looked to score. The play was rule illegal since the holder’s knee was on the ground. Still the Bluejays had the lead at 2:49 in the 3rd quarter up 26-20.

Here is where things got interesting as Belvidere punts with 40.5 seconds in the 3rd quarter.

Middlesex gets the ball with 20.5 and nearly fumbles it a way as there is an injury timeout. Then the Bluejays let the clock run out without running a play. The score is Middlesex 26-20 as the quarter comes to and end.

The very next play Jax Jarvis is in at quarterback taking the shotgun snap and running to his left for little or no gain. The subsequent play he hands off a jet sweep to the running back who is being spun down and fumbles to ball that bounces into the hands of Belvidere’s Mason Chamberlain, who returns it for a touchdown. The PAT is blocked with the score being 26-26.

On the ensuing kickoff the Belvidere kicked the ball to the goal line pylon as it went over the returner’s head it was recovered by the Seaters at the one. Blew ran it in for the touchdown and then plowed forward to the left for the 2-point conversion run making it 34-26 at 11:06 in the fourth quarter.

Middlesex and Belvidere traded punts as the time ran down to 6:05 remaining and the Seaters having the ball. Stefan is able to covert a 4th and 2 with 2:37 remains in the game. Blew and Stefan march the ball down to the Middlesex 34 with a timeout by the Bluejays with one 1:42 remaining.

Belvidere lines up to punt and Chamberlain steps up like he’s going to punt then sprints down the home sideline for the first down. Middlesex uses their last time out at 1:35 remaining in the game.

Blew runs the clock out as the Seaters, two years removed from a winless campaign, celebrate the Big Central Conference’s Freedom Silver Division title and an 8-1 regular season record winning 34-26 over rival Middlesex.