Hillsborough’s Jackson Jankowicz scores one of his four touchdowns in a hard-fought playoff loss at Rancocas Valley on November 8, 2024. (Photo: Vin Ebenau)
Second-seed Rancocas Valley took a 7-0 lead early against third-seed Hillsborough, and the Raiders tied it up on a Jackson Jankowicz touchdown.
The Red Devils took a 14-7 lead, and Jankowicz tied it again. Rancocas took a 21-14 lead, and Jankowicz scored to tie it.
You get the picture.
But in the end, the Red Devils (9-2) had just enough to come up with a 35-30 win over the Raiders (7-4), ending Hillsborough’s season, and the fantastic career of Jankowicz, and a host of other seniors.
This one might sting for a while, as Hillsborough had won five straight coming in, and had been starting to build momentum.
Montre Wilson started the scoring on the night with a 71-yard catch and sprint to the end zone making it 7-0 for the home team. That was followed by a Jackson Jankowicz four yard gallop to tie it, but only seconds later, Jameer Bellamy returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to put the Red Devils up 14-7 in the first quarter.
Jankowicz added his second TD of the night to make it 14-all, and then the Red Devils answered again in in the second quarter as Brody Deiter was on the receiving end of a 26-yard throw from Sayvien Adams.
It was 21-14 at the break and then Jankowicz tied it up again to start the second half, but moments later, Bellamy ran one in from 48 yards away to put the Red Devils up 28-21.
Jankowicz scored from nine yards out to tie it, then, Deiter caught a touchdown pass from seven yards out at the beginning of the fourth quarter to put Rancocas Valley up 35-28.
A safety with a few seconds left in the game put 2 points on the board for the Raiders, but that was as close as they would get.
Jankowicz led the ground game effort once again, coming off a stretch of 10-rushing TD’s over the last 3 games. That included five against Freehold Township in the first round last week, and he added four more to that total Friday night.
It was also his third 200-plus yard rushing game in the last four for the senior, who carried 29 times for 228 yards to go with the four TD’s.
Rancocas Valley will visit top-seed Toms River North (11-0) next Friday night for the South Group 5 title. The Mariners have won the state Group 5 championship each of the first two years of its existence.
Click below for postgame comments from Hillsborough head coach Kevin Carty, Jr., with Vin Ebenau down in South Jersey:
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